West African Textiles Inspired This Los Angeles ADU’s Rhythmic Cladding

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Project Details:

Location: Los Angeles, California

Architect & Interior Designer: Nwankpa Design / @nwankpadesign

Footprint: 1,182-square-foot house and 281-square-foot deck

Structural Engineer: G&G Structures

Photographer: Here And Now Agency / @hereandnowagency

Photographer: “Nwankpa Design, led by Susan Nwankpa Gillespie, has designed Textile House #1, an ADU in the Silver Lake neighborhood of L.A. that blends the rich heritage of West African textiles with Western architectural principles. The project comprises a 1,182-square-foot, two-story accessory dwelling unit (ADU) addition to an existing two-car garage. The lower level, which comprises a generous living area, kitchen, and powder room, connects seamlessly with the backyard through large glass doors, while the upper level, which houses a large bedroom and bathroom, opens onto a 281-square-foot roof deck.

“Inspired by Ewe/Kente weaving, part of the facade’s design echoes a cloth’s warp and weft structure. Vertical cedar slats with occasional horizontal connections give the façade a syncopated rhythm while obscuring the deliberate lack of openings on the second floor. The timber is layered over stucco to provide privacy in the bedroom and contrasts the black, fiber cement siding of the garage and floor-to-ceiling glass windows of the living area on the first floor. The rounded turn at the corner that the slats take softens the overall form of the structure and adds yet another dimension to the pattern.

“The client is a young couple of Haitian and Argentinian heritage. They have two young sons and wanted to build an ADU that functions as an extension of the yard on the lower level to create more space for indoor/outdoor living and family time together. The openness of the ground level functions as a living space, with also the flexibility to be used as a play area and home office. The glazing at the front wraps around to the side yard, creating the feeling of being in nature and extending the interior visual space outward.

“The upstairs area contains a generous bedroom suite for guests, which opens onto a patio for entertaining. Since they were losing a good portion of their backyard for the ADU, it was important to create another exterior space that could be accessed regularly. Altogether, the variety of materials, colors, and textures in the façade creates a dynamic language that balances the ground floor’s solid and open volumes, and creates the appearance of an extruding, floating box. The design is both in dialogue with the adjacent buildings while introducing a bold new visual language to the neighborhood. Says Nwankpa Gillespie, “The design of the facade incorporates a nod to their family’s African heritage, and when combined with modernist principles of indoor/outdoor living, create a unique experience.”