Venice House

The family houses on Ocean Front Walk in Venice are as exclusive as the environment they were designed to be in. In these homes, living happens more outdoors on large terraces and under pergolas than inside. And when you are inside, the outside life tries to remind you of itself in every possible way. Antoine Predock is a master at combining elements of an active lifestyle with a peaceful home environment. Predock's house in Venice does not showcase itself like the neighboring Norton House by Frank Gehry, yet it embodies the concept of most surrounding houses – to feel inside as if you were outside. The main structure of the house was cast on-site from concrete. Although you could find several similarly built houses in the area, Predock's stands out in a few respects. It divides the house into three levels, which are best read from the beach. The first level is behind a red-framed window that is over two stories high, the second layer is created by a massive concrete wall with a cutout opening and a staircase leading to the final level, which is represented by an open terrace on the roof of the house.
One of the main aims that Predock sought in designing the house was to “explore the relationships between water and earth.” The architect focused mainly on the Pacific Ocean in his design. It presents itself to you upon entering the house and from then on, you do not lose sight of it. For better readability of the water, Predock outfitted the entrance steps with black polished granite. The granite also makes up a large part of the flooring on the main level. The non-parallel lines in the flooring create an inverted perspective from the entrance. From the entrance to the window, the strip widens, optically shortening the elongated house and bringing the ocean even closer.
At the end of the polished granite path is a revolving window weighing a ton, measuring 8 x 14 feet (approximately 2.7 x 4.7 meters). With the help of roller bearings, handling the window is a breeze. When the window is opened, fresh air and the roar of the ocean flood the house. The giant window is another technical device through which Predock transfers impressions from the outside in. On the opposite side from the entrance to the house lies a large black granite monolith, from which water flows. When viewed from the interior, the thin film of water on the granite slab visually connects with the surface of the ocean and the horizon.