Diego Cano Lasso reinterprets mid-century post-and-beam houses
Cano House by Diego Cano Lasso is a contemporary reinterpretation of mid-century post-and-beam architecture in Los Angeles, California. The goal was to create a lightweight structure that cantilevers over the hillside and extends toward the city. The result is a sequence of slender steel posts supporting 42-foot-long wooden beams that appear to project beyond the house toward the horizon. The enclosure consists of continuous glazing with pivot doors that frame and reflect different views of the city as they open and close. The house is embedded into the hillside, requiring the excavation and removal of more than 50 truckloads of earth. Its light structure and dramatic cantilever help blend the architecture into the landscape, minimizing its visual impact on the site. The structural lightness of the house recalls a defining characteristic of mid-century architecture, an approach that, while once common, is rarely pursued in contemporary residential construction.
Spanish wooden shutters protect Cano House from the west sun | all images by Iwan Baan unless stated otherwise
Zellige Murals and Repurposed Materials Define Cano House
Construction was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. When work resumed, labor shortages and increased material costs had transformed the construction landscape, prompting the team at Diego Cano Lasso to develop creative self-building solutions. The side elevations are the only solid facades and are clad with zellige tile murals designed and built by Doctor Cato (Alejandro Cano). Ceramic gutters imported from Spain were repurposed, with some sections transformed into custom lampshades. Door handles were crafted from stones collected on the beaches of Southern California, while ceiling lamps were sourced from the Spanish lighting studio Luz Mixtura. Boulders uncovered during excavation were brought into the house and repurposed as coffee tables, further connecting the architecture to its site. Doctor Cato also designed and built numerous furniture pieces inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and R.M. Schindler.
forty-two-foot cantilevered glulam beams extend toward the city skyline
Cano House reinterprets mid-century post-and-beam architecture on a Los Angeles hillside
the outdoor terrace features repurposed ceramic gutters and downspouts from Spain
custom red handrail accentuates the staircase along the shou sugi ban facade
Zellige tiles mural by Doctor Cato clad the home’s enclosed exterior walls
yellow Kitchen made of Abet Laminati anchors the common area
