What seemed an impossible building site now holds a three-story concrete house complete with private terrace and swimming pool. It is a fairly common practice in such situations to build on stilts and gain level space by means of decks.
Architect Maston did not wish to use the platform technique for his house in Los Angeles, so it snuggles into the hill. The house itself is designed as a massive retaining wall, leaving the rest of the hill in its natural state.
In this location, the solution is considerably more expensive than a platform. The excavation required amounted to a huge mound of earth. The massive rear wall of the house towers above the street, so building the forms and pouring the concrete were difficult tasks. The results were clearly worth the expense to the owner.
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