The Culver City based architect George Yu was battling cancer when he approach Aaron Torrence to complete his home/office. He shut his office, stopped his teaching responsibilities at SCI-Arc and let go his staff - his new place was to be near his family, a wife and two young daughters. The building was partially construction but never completed, it sat exposed to the elements and the interior took a beating from disuse and the weather.
The structure was simple and inexpensive - speed rail pipes and cast aluminum fittings forming the frame and roof structure, corrugated metal panels for the exterior and plywood sheathing for the floors. We finished the interiors with drywall and installed electrical wiring throughout. The glass panels at the base wrap three sides and were reclaimed by George when the owner from a previous project wanted to throw them out. We set the glazing with clear caulking and weather stripped the 3/4" aluminum channels into which they were seated. The plywood floors were restored and stained black. The front of the structure features a 12 foot sliding glass door, which we set in a plywood frame. The door glides along a top track that makes it easy to open and close. Another found material was the polycarbonate panels, which provided George with diffused light and privacy.
