Preserve
The existing retaining wall and natural hillside establish the geometry of the project.
Residential · Hillside · Beverly Hills
Wanda Park
Two residences on separate hillside lots, shaped by the existing retaining wall and natural grade rather than imposed upon them.
A site first described as unbuildable became the generator of the architecture.
The geotechnical challenge was clear: conventional grading would require extensive excavation and recompaction. Group-S developed a different strategy—retain the existing rear-yard retaining wall, preserve the two legal lots, and keep the front and side conditions close to the natural grade.
The resulting forms follow the wall rather than resist it. Curved living spaces and terraces respond directly to the existing site geometry, turning a constraint into the organizing idea of the project.
Build lightly
The strategy essentially eliminates excavation and recompaction along the front and sides.
Connect
Open glass walls join the front deck, living room, kitchen and rear yard as one continuous spatial sequence.
Street and valley
Stepping with the hillside
The ADU becomes part of the landscape strategy.
Located above the garage, the ADU supports a large deck for the primary residence. Set back approximately fifteen feet from the existing retaining wall, the deck creates a second rear yard at the same level—a broad outdoor room overlooking the valley.
Rear relationship
Rooms shaped by the retained wall
Interior and exterior are organized as one continuous section.
The upper level contains the primary bedroom opening to the rear terrace. Below, the living room and open kitchen connect in two directions: toward the front deck and street, and toward the rear yard and retained wall.
Front to rear
A view through the house
Project
9831 & 9832 Wanda Park · Concept II
Architectural design: Shahram Shokoufandeh, AIA / Group-S, Inc.