Elemental House

clozada on March 11, 2026

Moore Ruble Yudell and Lily Jencks collaborated on an extensive remodel of a landmark residence in Rustic Canyon. The 1982 remodel designed by Charles Jencks, Charles Moore, and Buzz Yudell, named the “Elemental House” for its celebration of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, was featured in Progressive Architecture. The property consisted of three structures: a single-family home, a pool house fronting an iconic pool in the shape of the State of California and a small guest house.

Forty years after completion, the home had begun to deteriorate and required a complete remodel. We worked closely with Charles Jencks’ daughter Lily to transform the property to suit the needs of her young family. The remodel involved a combination of renovation, additions and thoughtful insertions with care given to be mindful of the original design. New clerestory windows illuminate interior spaces and sliding glass doors open the house to outside gardens and views.

Lily’s landscape design knits the site and buildings together with a series of beautiful, cascading paths and waterways. Overgrown planting was removed and shaped to reclaim views to the canyon and Pacific Ocean. The transformed home and landscape will provide an inspired living space for the next forty years and beyond.

Santa Monica High School Exploration Building

clozada on October 23, 2025

The New Exploration Building is a major addition to the 3,000+ student campus of Santa Monica High School (aka Samohi) and provides a new hub connecting the Discovery and Innovation Buildings to the heart of campus. The complete campus was reimagined in 2017 to maximize outdoor learning opportunities and to update the indoor classroom learning experience.

The Exploration Building is designed around an open building concept to maximize future flexibility and adaptability of spaces and services. Mechanical towers, expressed on the facade, allow for flexible zoning and maximize rooftop outdoor learning. The building’s program focuses on providing students with access to explore a wide array of professional fields including the arts, law, health and wellness, engineering, and more. The mix of spaces includes classrooms, labs, and studios for art, photography and digital media, connected by a two-story Atrium that bridges over Viking Way, a major axis on campus. The Atrium is programmed as a student commons, exhibition space, and a gathering space for pitch presentations.

Santa Monica High School Gold Gym

clozada on October 22, 2025

The New Gold Gymnasium is a major addition to the 3,000+ student campus of Santa Monica High School (aka Samohi). The complete campus was reimagined in 2017 to maximize outdoor learning opportunities and to update the indoor classroom learning experience.

The Gold Gymnasium follows the existing site grade creating a stepped building of telescoping volumes unified under a continuous curved roof. The two-court configuration in the main and auxiliary courts allows for diverse uses from P.E. classes, practice games, competitions to multi-purpose assemblies, supported by 800-seats of retractable bleachers. A dance studio, overlooking the courts, supports dance classes and pep squad practices. The building also contains health classrooms, a fitness studio, and yoga studio that open out onto an outdoor fitness terrace.

The building houses health classrooms, a fitness studio, and yoga studio at the lower level that open out onto an outdoor fitness terrace and the athletic fields. An outdoor paseo along the Gold Gymnasium provides an exterior pedestrian spine that navigates the existing hill to connect the academic and athletic zones on campus.

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