ílios, meaning "the sun" in Greek, transforms an abandoned 1980s Southern California developer residence into a serene, light-driven family home in Santa Monica. The brief was to rescue a severely compromised structure and create a calm sanctuary for Patrick and Ani Sarkissian, reflecting their Greek and Armenian heritage through restraint, natural light, quiet materiality, and a refined sequence from street to garden.

The key challenge was the condition of the existing house, which had become uninhabitable due to water intrusion and mechanical failure. Rather than demolish, the design preserves much of the original structural framing and foundation, reducing embodied carbon while giving the residence a new identity. A previously undefined central circulation spine was reimagined as a gallery axis for the clients' Greek and Armenian artworks.

At the center of the home, a sculpted oculus skylight draws shifting daylight deep into the interior and marks the passage of time. The palette is deliberately quiet: white plaster, light oak flooring, Calacatta Gold marble, natural stone, and minimal bronze accents. A curved stair references the organic geometries of the Greek islands, while the Boffi kitchen functions as a modern hearth for cooking, gathering, and family life. Passive daylighting and natural ventilation support comfort and energy performance.

Team:

Architects: Hatch Architecture

Principal Architect: Christopher Hatch McLean
Structural Engineer: Kurt Fischer Structural Engineering, Michael Goodenough (Lead Engineer)
Landscape Design: Eric Brandon Gomez
Kitchen Collaboration: Boffi

Photography: Yoshihiro Makino 
Styling: Emily Bowser 

Materials Used:

Facade cladding: Smooth white plaster / stucco
Flooring: European white oak flooring; Calacatta Gold marble; natural stone
Doors: Custom pivot doors w/ FritsJurgens pivot hinges (M-series); EZY Jamb interior door system; FSB door hardware; Windows: Fleetwood USA
Interior lighting: Integrated architectural lighting; Element, Citizen w/ Square flangeless flush mounted Bevel
Interior furniture: Boffi kitchen system; custom built-ins
Additional products: Miele appliances; Dornbracht primary bath fixtures; Watermark secondary bath fixtures; Toto toilets; Cielo powder room; MGS powder room faucet; Fry Reglet details/profiles; Pacific Register Co. HVAC registers.

Boffi
Miele
Fleetwood USA
EZY Jamb
FSB
FritsJurgens
Fry Reglet
Pacific Register Co.
Dornbracht
Watermark
Toto
Cielo
MGS