Considered by many in the office as one of Pali’s most successful residential designs, the Brosmith Residence sensitively balances its existence on the Mulholland Scenic Parkway and its use of indoor/outdoor space. In addition, the project skillfully separates public and private spaces within the house while keeping them all connected and under one roof.

The project was awarded the LA AIA Merit Design Award and was featured in the May 9, 2005 issue of the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Quoting from Michael Webb’s story in the feature, “The house that Zoltan E. Pali designed for Sean and Hsiu-Yen is tailored both to the needs of their young family and the spectacular site overlooking the San Fernando Valley. It’s also a Modernist classic that recalls the simplicity and clarity of the Case Study houses, which created a new blueprint for indoor-outdoor living in the postwar decades.” He continued, “Pali worked for Jerry Lomax, who was project architect on several of Craig Ellwood’s iconic houses. The buildings he’s [Pali] done as design principal of his firm, SPF:a, have the clean lines and pared down elegance that have characterized the best of Southern California residential design since Richard Nuetra arrived from Vienna 80 years ago.”

Ultimately the architecture is simple and elegant. The plan is organized around a main spine entryway through which the public wing, the guest wing, the children’s wing and the master wing are linked. Exterior intrusions and courtyards are interspersed throughout each wing, drawing in maximum light and ventilation. The structure is kept deliberately low to the ground to respect Mulholland Scenic Ridgelines and views for the neighbors. Long overhangs protect indoor spaces from the brutal San Fernando summer sunshine.