The project for a writer’s retreat is at once central to and secluded from Los Angeles. It is sited in proximity to the Pacific Design Center. The massing and form of the new building reference the nearby iconic Pelli monoliths. The 2,700 square-foot live-work space consists of a double-height volume tapering in plan to create a forced perspective and then opening out toward the adjacent gardens, exaggerating the scale of the gardens. Northern light filters through the clerestory window above, washing the cascading planes of the interior ceiling-scape with a soft, natural light. The folded roof descends toward and opens up at the street where a transition exists between the privacy of the building and the public space, including West Hollywood passersby. This idea of public versus private is key to the design of the project.