Glass Ridge House: A Modernist Masterpiece Rooted in Cultural Harmony

In a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in La Cañada Flintridge, a new kind of architectural narrative is unfolding. Tucked away from the hustle of Los Angeles, Glass Ridge House stands as a deeply personal and beautifully crafted homage to the collective experiences and diverse influences of its creators, OWIU Design co-founders Amanda Gunawan and Joel Wong. The couple, already well-known within the LA design community for shaping the aesthetic of many prominent Asian-American small businesses, have poured their philosophy into their own home, creating a space that is as much a sanctuary as it is a statement of their unique vision. This isn’t just a house; it’s a living map of a built design philosophy that finds balance between Eastern tradition and Western modernity.

A core tenet of OWIU’s success lies in their ability to seamlessly marry multi-cultural influences, crafting a visual language that respects local context while drawing on a shared global heritage. This is a design perspective born not from a textbook, but from years of fluid travel throughout Asia, combined with a distinctly Californian education. The co-founders were raised in Singapore, studied at Sci-ARC, and have since split their time between Los Angeles and Asia. This diverse background is the crucible from which Glass Ridge House was forged, and the result is an architectural expression that feels both deeply personal and universally appealing.

The fated discovery of the Terracita property was a pivotal moment. Originally designed in 1973 by Ray Kappe, the founder of their alma mater, the house possessed a distinctly modernist orientation that stood out from the neighbourhood. More than just a shared architectural lineage, Amanda Gunawan felt a profound, almost spiritual pull to the harmonious relationship between the house and its overgrown landscape. Having been neglected for three decades, the property’s natural and man-made elements had grown together, and the OWIU team were determined to honour this organic fusion in their comprehensive redesign.

The seamless relationship between indoors and outdoors is a timeless bridge in both Eastern and Western design philosophies. OWIU sought to marry Eastern veneration for natural elements with the stunning Californian landscape and palette. Moving water is a constant, soothing presence throughout the home. The sunroom was transformed into a built-in stream enclosed in glass, creating a serene feeling of continuity between the residential space and the wild.

An elegant koi pond wraps the entryway, punctuated by a minimalist Japanese rock garden and a walkway of meditative steps. Even the once-curved pool was remade to be more seamless with the landscape, allowing for uninterrupted views of the tree-lined hills. From every window, the view is of water, trees, or hills—the existing nature is as elemental to the design as any other feature.

To infuse the home with a truly authentic Japanese element, the couple enlisted the help of their friends at Kuboki Tatami, a family-owned specialist working in Fukushima Prefecture since 1740. This collaboration brought a traditional craft into a modern application in unexpected ways. The sunken pit living room is lined with tatami, adding natural warmth and creating additional seating in a nod to the Asian custom of sitting on the floor for casual socializing. The bed frame also features custom-treated black tatami, adding a subtle, dramatic texture to a minimalist space.

The couple’s daily ritual of tea is honoured with a dedicated tea bar, spatially and tonally distinct from the main kitchen. Framed by a textured marble stone, the centerpiece of the bar is a series of custom ceramic tiles by Japanese artist Hashimoto Tomonari. These tiles, reminiscent of his larger works, use natural materials to create an iridescent marbled glaze. Every detail, from these artisan tiles to travel finds and gifts from friends, sparks a memory and a story, giving Glass Ridge House an inherent, lived-in warmth. It’s a space that is undeniably new, yet feels as though it has been a part of its landscape and its owners’ lives for decades.

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