Birds Nest House by McClean Design, A Perched West Hollywood Retreat with Panoramic Views
Architecture Design of Birds Nest House
Description About The Project
Discover Birds Nest House by McClean Design in the iconic Bird Streets of West Hollywood. Perched above Los Angeles, this modern home blends light, landscape, and layered indoor-outdoor living with sweeping city and ocean views.
The Project “Birds Nest House” Information:
- Project Name: Birds Nest House
- Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
- Project Year: 2023
- Area: 14,681 SF
- Designed by: McClean Design
- Interior Design: McClean Design
A Home Elevated Above the City
Birds Nest House is perched high in the renowned Bird Streets of West Hollywood, offering unparalleled vistas from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and from downtown Los Angeles to LAX. The home’s elevated position not only maximizes sightlines but creates a dramatic dialogue between architecture and landscape.
Paul McClean reflects, “The site demanded a home that floats above the city, yet feels intimately connected to the landscape below. Every level responds to the topography and view.”
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Arrival and the Layered Courtyard Experience
Entry begins at the street with discreet parking and a pedestrian path leading to a metal-screened gate. Beyond this, visitors encounter a serene garden — a moment of calm before entering the home. The entry garden is shared by two guest bedrooms and a family room, which hovers above a lush lower-level courtyard envisioned as a shaded tropical oasis. Dense planting offers privacy while creating a visual connection with the surroundings.
The threshold itself is a suspended bridge flanked by a glass-enclosed stair tower and a water wall, forming a transitional space that guides visitors directly into the great room. McClean explains, “We wanted the approach to create anticipation. Crossing the bridge, you understand that the home is layered, both horizontally and vertically, in relationship to the city and landscape.”
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Open Living Spaces Framing Views and Infinity Pool
The great room unites living, dining, and kitchen areas into a single open volume, oriented entirely toward the breathtaking city view. Floor-to-ceiling glazing opens to an infinity-edge pool that blurs the boundary between interior and exterior, reinforcing the sense of floating above the city.
The primary suite is positioned at the far edge of the upper level, offering both privacy and expansive vistas. Sliding glass doors connect directly to the pool terrace, merging relaxation and observation. McClean notes, “The upper level was conceived as a sky perch — light, openness, and privacy harmoniously intertwined.”
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Vertical Connection and Lower-Level Courtyard
A central glass-enclosed stair links all levels, visually and acoustically connecting the lush courtyard below. The sound of the water wall and surrounding vegetation animates the descent, emphasizing a multi-sensory experience.
At the lower level, a generous entertainment space features a bar and media lounge. Sliding walls retract to integrate the interior with the courtyard garden. Two bedrooms and a gym open directly to this outdoor space, extending the indoor-outdoor dialogue. The gym’s fully glazed walls allow light to permeate while maintaining a strong visual connection with the cityscape.
“The courtyard became the heart of the home,” McClean adds. “It’s both a private sanctuary and a connector for all the spaces around it.”
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Material Palette and Architectural Intent
Birds Nest House employs a restrained yet warm palette: steel in framing and sliding systems, natural wood, and white brick evoke the mid-century modern homes of the neighborhood. Clerestory windows and detailed openings further blur the boundary between interior and exterior, ensuring that every space remains connected to light, landscape, and sky.
McClean emphasizes, “Materials were chosen to resonate with the environment and history of the neighborhood — modern yet familiar, warm yet precise. The architecture becomes part of the landscape rather than imposed upon it.”
Photo credit: Manolo Langis | Source: McClean Design
For more information about this project; please contact the Architecture firm :
– Add: 391 S. Glassell St. Orange, CA 92866
– Tel: 714.505.0556
– Email: info@mccleandesign.com
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