The p_House is designed by Ras-a and located in Redondo Beach, a greater Los Angeles area beach city. It’s a renovation of a small post war house into a modern living and working home for a young couple. Due to budget constraints as well as environmental regard, the original house was recycled as much as possible. The majority of interior walls where removed or relocated; allowing the living, kitchen, and dining area to be one fluid space. A fourteen foot wide sliding glass door pockets out of site, extending the space outside to a revamped back yard and swimming pool. This outdoor living area becomes the focal point of the new design, while making the modest size of the interior feel more expansive. A bedroom, a bathroom, and the one car garage are the only rooms that keep their original location.

The use of clerestory windows on the south elevation prevent views of the busy street, while still bringing in breezes and framing the tops of nearby palm trees. The north elevation, which faces the back yard and pool, has floor to ceiling windows providing the interior with an abundance of diffused natural light. High solar reflective roofing, light colored cement board siding, and a well insulated building envelope add to the passive solar design. This along with the use of high efficiency ceiling fans, eliminates the need for A/C. A clean burning modern stove reduces heating loads during the colder months. Other sustainable building materials and methods used include a tankless water heater, FSC certified cedar, low V.O.C. paints, bamboo flooring, and xeriscape yards.