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From the first line
to the first night home.

A house begins before the drawing. It begins with the land, the existing architecture, the way the sun moves, the views worth keeping and the life that will happen inside it.

Philippe Naouri Studio establishes the creative direction and remains closely involved throughout the project, assembling the architectural and technical expertise each property requires.

Request a Private Project ReviewSee how a house is made

The Project Journey

  1. Property
  2. Idea
  3. Drawing
  4. Architecture
  5. Resolution
  6. Construction
  7. Interior
  8. Handover

Milestones 01–03

Before we draw, we understand. The idea comes before the appearance.

  1. 01

    Read the property

    Before we draw, we understand. Land. Orientation. Approach. Privacy. Existing architecture. Provenance. Constraints. Views. Opportunity. The objective is not to begin designing faster. It is to begin correctly.

    We study

    • the land and its topography
    • the existing architecture and its provenance
    • orientation, daylight, views and privacy
    • planning constraints and access
    • wildfire and resilience requirements
    • what the property is capable of becoming

    Client receives / The Property Read

    A concise diagnosis of what exists and what the property wants to become.

    Site plan of 20737 Cool Oak Way, Malibu, the house and terraces set along the canyon's contours.
    Site plan / 20737 Cool Oak Way / project set

  2. 02

    Establish the idea

    What should this house become? We establish the project's central idea before resolving its appearance. How should you arrive? Where should the eye travel? Where should the house open? Where should it become quiet? What should remain? Only then does the plan begin.

    We understand

    • family rhythm and privacy
    • entertaining and cooking
    • art, books, music and collecting
    • wellness and work
    • the relationship with the landscape
    • what the house should feel like over time
    A lounge at 5901 Filaree Heights, Malibu: low seating by a fireplace under a timber ceiling.
    5901 Filaree Heights / Malibu

    LandLightLifeCollectionArchitectureHouse DNA

  3. 03

    Draw

    The first lines should already contain the house. Sketches establish proportion, movement, relationship to landscape and spatial hierarchy. The idea is tested before complexity is added.

    Site plan of 20737 Cool Oak Way.
    20737 Cool Oak Way, completed.
    PlanHouseReveal the finished house over the site plan
    20737 Cool Oak Way / Malibu — the site plan and the house it became.

Milestones 04–06

One direction, resolved as one architecture and protected as it is built.

  1. 04

    Architecture

    One direction. Serious architectural depth. For selected commissions, architectural development is undertaken in collaboration with Jacobsen Arquitetura, alongside the licensed architects, engineers and specialists required by the project. Jacobsen's work is particularly aligned with the studio's belief in structural clarity, natural light and architecture integrated with landscape.

    20737 Cool Oak Way, Malibu, from the canyon: a low house in dark timber and glass among oaks.
    20737 Cool Oak Way / Malibu
    1. Philippe Naouri / Creative direction
    2. Jacobsen Arquitetura + architectural team
    3. Structural / MEP / Civil / Geotechnical / Landscape / Lighting / AV / Wildfire & Resilience / Contractor

  2. 05

    Resolve

    Every line eventually becomes a decision. Structure. Glass. Stone. Joinery. Lighting. Landscape. Hardware. Mechanical systems. Fire, glazing, energy and drainage are resolved so that the technical requirements never overwhelm the architecture. The quality of the finished house comes from resolving these decisions as one architecture, not as separate packages.

    5901 Filaree Heights from the air at dusk: the house, its lawn and court set against the Malibu hills.
    5901 Filaree Heights / Malibu

    Choose a part of the house

    20737 Cool Oak Way from above: the flat roof planes among the oaks.
    Roof — 20737 Cool Oak Way / Malibu

  3. 06

    Build

    The drawing is not the finish line. The studio remains involved as the house is built, protecting the intent as drawings become structure, materials and space. The client sees one current project picture: where we are, what needs a decision, what comes next. Not the complexity behind it.

    5637 Busch Drive, Malibu, under construction: the glazed pavilion complete, the pool still being excavated.
    5637 Busch Drive / Malibu / under construction
    1. 01 · Site
    2. 02 · Structure
    3. 03 · Enclosure
    4. 04 · Interiors
    5. 05 · Landscape
    6. 06 · Installation

Milestones 07–08

The house is installed, then leaves with its memory intact.

  1. 07

    Install

    Architecture does not stop at the walls. Furniture, art, objects, lighting and textiles are considered as part of the finished environment. This is where The House meets The Interior.

    The living room at 1061 Loma Vista, Beverly Hills, installed: sculptural seating, art and a pendant light under the timber ceiling.
    1061 Loma Vista / Beverly Hills

  2. 08

    Handover

    The house leaves with its memory intact. At completion, the project is organized into a permanent Residence Archive: drawings, materials, suppliers, important pieces, provenance, warranties and project records. Not simply a finished residence. A house with a record.

    The Residence Archive

    Final drawings • materials • finishes • suppliers • warranties • equipment • provenance • photography • maintenance references

    1061 Loma Vista, Beverly Hills, completed: the long low house behind its garden wall.
    1061 Loma Vista / Beverly Hills

What are you considering?

Tell us where the house stands.

  1. AI own a houseA renovation, a restoration or a major transformation.
  2. BI own a siteA new house.
  3. CI am considering a propertyUnderstand what it can become before you commit.
  4. DI am rebuildingAfter loss, or from a house that no longer works.

You do not need to arrive with a finished brief. Tell us what exists, what you are considering and what decision you are trying to make.

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The Studio / other services

  1. 02The InteriorCollected, not decorated.
  2. 03The Complete HouseOne house. One point of view.
  3. 04The Maison StudyBefore committing, understand what the property can become.