Highgrove House is an architect’s own home embedded in Malibu nature

Nestled in a lush, green Malibu hillside, Highgrove House is the family home of architect Lorcan O'Herlihy, head of Los Angeles architecture studio LOHA. The low, dark, simple volume of the structure is cleverly juxtaposed against the surrounding nature and the colourful leaves and blooms that embrace the building's almost industrial architecture. At the same time, sustainable architecture features ensure the residence is organically embedded into its setting. 

Highgrove House by Lorcan O’Herlihy

An existing structure on site, Highgrove House was in a state of disrepair when works began. O'Herlihy and his wife, Cornelia, worked to optimise the home's functionality – both terms of their own use, and its environmental-friendliness. For example, it was 'important to keep the existing structure when possible because it cuts down the ecological footprint of construction. The key is to strategically design within those parameters,' says O’Herlihy. 

The house contains generously sized living spaces, as well as four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The design also includes a Modified Rainscreen System, which, the team flags, 'helps keep the interior cool without the use of air conditioning'. Passive ventilation and a strong connection to the outdoors, through large openings, terraces and operable glazing, further highlight this commitment to sustainability. 

Growing up between Malibu in California and Dublin in Ireland, O’Herlihy bridges his experience of both places through this very personal project – a 'labour of love', as he describes it. 'Highgrove House is an idyllic example of the synthesis of an internationally renowned professional practice, with the intimacy of a loving family home,' he concludes. 

loharchitects.com