As a Los Angeles-based architectural practice that believes in art-infused design,  Kevin Daly Architects was tasked with updating this home that was made up of a two-bedroom rear main house, a front pied-à-terre above the garage, and an American Southwest theme that ran throughout the interiors. They turned to their focus on material research, construction systems, and craft in order to reconsider the two structures. 

To create the privacy the family requested, Kevin Daly Architects created a two-story glazed facade facing the courtyard, and shaded it with a perforated, folding metal skin that’s supported by an aluminum exoskeleton. When the residents look across the courtyard, they’re faced with the garage apartment, which is also surrounded by this folding enclosure. Thanks to the careful placement of this geometric “skin,” the family members can see each other from across the property in certain areas, while being hidden from each other in others.

Along with providing privacy—and a unique facade that turns the property into a work of art—the perforated skin actually helps support the balconies that extend from the master bedrooms in the main house and the garage apartment. It also acts as a sun shade while bringing natural light into the main living spaces. Take a look at the photos below to see the intricacies of this “skin,” and how it forms a kind of cocoon for this modern family home.