Case study, nº 04
A residence on Acanto Pl.
The Lantern House · Bel Air · HR Development Inc.
The residence
Acanto Pl, Bel Air
The Lantern House
- Configuration
- Two stories over a basement, with a roof deck
- Typology
- New construction, canyon lot
- Lot
- 45,516 sf · 1.04 acres (largest in the portfolio)
- Residence
- About 7,389 sf above grade over a 2,710 sf basement, plus 807 sf basement garage
- Bedrooms
- 4
- Building height
- 30 feet
Acanto reads as luminous horizontal planes resting on the canyon. Floating stone treads, frameless glass guards, and backlit stone give the interior a calm glow after dark, while walls of glass open the living level to the canyon and a roof deck takes in the city.
The site is the portfolio's largest, at just over one acre in Bel Air, and the house sits over serious infrastructure: a six-hundred-amp underground service with concrete-encased conduit and a pad-mounted transformer, a custom-cab elevator, and a Digitronic home-automation platform. A backlit onyx bar, a custom copper kitchen hood, and long planes of backlit stone are the materials that hold the composition together.
The engineering
HR Development carried deep grading and the basement, brought in the six-hundred-amp underground service and pad-mounted transformer, and set the frameless glass, copper hood, backlit onyx, and stonework as tolerance-driven installations over a precise substructure. The work at Acanto is in the flatness of the planes and the control of the light.
The estate
Horizontal planes above the canyon
Acanto is organized as a series of luminous horizontal planes on its canyon lot: a two-story main residence over a basement, opening to a roof deck above and deep infrastructure below. The house reads as calm and minimal; its complexity is in the power, automation, and stone that support that reading.
Principal rooms
- Open living and dining facing the canyon
- Backlit onyx bar
- Custom copper kitchen hood
- Long planes of backlit stone
- Home theater
Suites
- Primary suite
- Three en-suite bedrooms
Circulation & detail
- Floating stone treads
- Frameless wet-glaze glass railings
- Custom-cab residential elevator
Outdoor & rooftop
- Roof deck with city and canyon views
- Steam shower
- Canyon-lot grounds, 1.04 acres
Systems & infrastructure
- 600-amp underground service with concrete-encased conduit
- Pad-mounted transformer
- Digitronic home-automation platform
The build sequence
How it came together
The order the work was solved — from the structure outward to the final finish.
Grading & basement
Deep grading and the basement carried first on a one-acre canyon lot.
Underground service
A six-hundred-amp underground service and pad-mounted transformer brought in.
Tolerance-driven finish
Frameless glass, the copper hood, backlit onyx, and stonework set as tolerance-driven installations over a perfect substructure.
Nº 01Exterior Architecture
Planes on the canyon
Clean horizontal lines resolve into the hillside; the architecture is in the precision of the joints and the depth of the overhangs.
Nº 02Kitchen
The stainless-steel hood
A custom stainless-steel hood and a waterfall-island countertop define the kitchen and entertaining core of the main level.
Nº 03Living Spaces
The living level
Glass walls open the main floor continuously to the canyon, with backlit stone and a copper hood anchoring the interior.
Nº 043D Rendering
3D Rendering
Nº 05Fireplace
A lit hearth
A linear fireplace set into a plane of backlit stone, glowing as a horizontal band after dark.
Nº 06Staircases
Floating stone
Floating stone treads and frameless glass guards carry the vertical circulation as a light, open composition.
Nº 07Primary Suite
The canyon suite
A serene primary suite opened to the canyon through walls of glass, finished in stone and quiet light.
Nº 08Bathrooms & Powder Rooms
Stone and water
Marble and stone finishes throughout, with a steam shower on the lower level as the wellness anchor.
Nº 09Closets & Dressing
The dressing rooms
Custom dressing rooms in integrated millwork, detailed to the same minimal line as the living level.
Nº 10Steam Shower
The wellness anchor
A stone steam shower on the lower level, sealed and finished to spa standard.
Nº 11Theater
The screening room
A media room tuned for immersive sound, kept dark and calm beneath the luminous floors above.
Nº 12Smart Home & Systems
The infrastructure
A Digitronic automation platform, a 600-amp underground service, and a pad-mounted transformer run behind the finish.
Nº 13Rooftop & Views
Above the canyon
The roof deck frames the city and the canyon in a single uninterrupted view.
Nº 14Backlit Onyx Bar
A lantern of stone
Translucent onyx lit from within turns the bar into the glowing centerpiece the house is named for.
Nº 15Construction Progress
Beneath the finish
Deep grading, the basement shell, and the conduit build-up are the foundation the planes rest on.
