Los Angeles, California, USA
Nestled in a rocky hillside, Beckoning Path is a house converted into a wellness center and private retreat by Alan Barlis and Andrew Lefkowitz, of BarlisWedlick Architects.
Beckoning Path has been awarded a 2023 Future House Award by Global Design News and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Originally built in 1961, the structure was comprised of a complex timber-framed pavilion perched within the tree canopy.
The renovation focused on three aims: to completely open the glass pavilion on the upper level, to transform the lower level into a monolithic plinth that mediates between the pavilion and the landscape, and to insert an addition with a hovering green roof above and an indoor pool below within the cliff-side.
The goal of the upper level was to respect the existing structure while opening the pavilion to create flexible studio spaces for meditation and Tai Chi practice.
The lower level provides guest accommodations, workout spaces, spa facilities, private mediation areas, and a theater.
Beckoning Path used the Passive House principles as much as possible throughout the renovation and addition to compensate for the historic glass and timber-frame pavilion above.
The lower level was entirely rebuilt with particular attention paid to air-sealing, adding insulation, installing heat recovery ventilators, and installing high-performance fenestration to take advantage of the superior air quality resulting from Passive House design.
Throughout the entire building, the architects worked to perform extensive natural and artificial lighting simulations.
The building continuously monitors local weather conditions to dynamically adjust the lighting to complement natural lighting conditions in each space.
Project: Beckoning Path
Architects: BarlisWedlick Architects LLC
Lead Architects: Alan Barlis and Andrew Lefkowitz
Contractor: Patrick Morrissey
Client: Jon Miller
Photographers: Peter Aaron
