FAQ WITH ROST ARCHITECTS
Who is Rost Architects?
Rost is a contemporary architecture firm specializing in luxury residential projects along the Southern California coast specifically in Newport Beach, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, and Orange County.
Tell us how you begin your design process?
It is all about site and context. We try to get a deep understanding of the site by analyzing potential views, sun patterns, location of tress/vegetation, bodies of water and changes in topography. These elements help us position the architecture within the landscape and begin to shape the mass of the building. The goal is to integrate the architecture into the site in a way which is not intrusive but rather a subtle and seamless integration.
We are very interested in facilitating the relationship between the interior and exterior. Our plans typically incorporate a courtyard or are oriented and sited to celebrate and optimize views of the natural landscape. In many of our projects we design both the home as well as the garden and landscape. To us the landscape is just as important as the interior of the home and we see them as one space.
What is the goal of the projects you design?
We love to design homes that can enrich a families life. We want to design a sanctuary for the clients, somewhere that is peaceful and encorageses a sense of serenity in their life. This is done through proportion, materials, clarity of space and connection to the landscape. We believe that the space you inhabit daily can have a huge impact on your well being. We want to promote a healthy and serene way of living for our clients.
How else does context influence your architecture?
Our obsession with landscape and context does not stop with just the massing and orientation of the building. We love to create a dialogue between the site and the materials in a project. On our project in Trabuco Canyon the goal was to use a grayed bleached oak on parts of the building which gives a subtle nod to the grayed trunks of the beautiful 100 year old California Coastal Oaks on the site.
How important are water features in your designs?
Just like the landscape, we see the pool/water features and the architecture as one. I have never understood the method of designing and treating the pool, landscape and architecture as independent components. For us the pool should have a very close relationship with the architecture and landscape. Our position on this often results in interesting technical challenges like devising clever details to get the pool as close as possible to the glass line of the house.
What are your favorite materials?
Originally growing up in the Texas hill country, I can remember climbing through my uncles ranch land over the beautiful lime-stones, cedar groves and clusters of grey oak trees so I tend to gravitate towards more natural and raw materials. In Texas there is also lots of old ranch buildings with exposed steel, simple efficient structures, and weathered materials. My intuition is to incorporate these elements which resonated with me as a child into our designs but add a level of sophistication with a more contemporary aesthetic. This approach produces very beautiful architecture.
What types of sites have you worked on and which are your favorite?
We have worked on a variety site types. Many projects we have worked on are on steeply sloping hillside sites. I really enjoy these sites mainly because of the views they can provide to the clients whether it be of the ocean, city or canyon. I also love big landscapes. We are currently working on a project on an expansive three acre parcel which allows the architecture to spread and almost lay in the topography.
What is one of the biggest challenges of creating good architecture?
Time. We are always designing to create timeless buildings. We believe that simplicity and embracing the natural materials play a huge part in this. Allowing materials to age and weather naturally is essential to make the building timeless.
How would you define luxury?
To us the greatest luxury is being close to nature whether that be close to the ocean, forest, etc. We believe that all of our architecture should be subservient to nature.
