O’Herlihy is known for his never-say-die attitude toward building on precipitous, even dangerous hillside plots and on hemmed-in slices of earth like his the vertical house. Lorcan is the master of getting it done, getting things accomplished against all odds, all obstacles.

Jai House sits on a gently sloping site overlooking the Santa Monica Mountains. It is a study of the interaction between building and landscape and celebrates architecture through removal, stripping away visual and spatial excess, revealing an authenticity of construction and craft. The building is designed to blur the boundary between landscape and structure, with, for example, the pool and deck acting as an extension of the living room.

Inside, more boundaries blur. Living, dining, and den areas merge with the kitchen, where a stainless-steel counter acts as a quiet piece of furniture. And upstairs, a sybaritic bath, with no partitions around the tub, becomes one with the sensual master bedroom, where floor-to-ceiling windows—an off-the-shelf storefront—offer expansive views of the landscape.

The narrowness and canny placement of the windows on all four sides give the three-story space a profound sense of openness without the sacrifice of privacy. You’re sheltered but also connected to the world.