An Upside Down House in the Woods Flips the Architectural Script

Taking architectural chances is not uncommon in the homes we feature on this site, but this spacious house on Oak Pass in Beverly Hills is perhaps one of the most creative - and most beautiful. Aside from its stark and stylish modern choices, the house is built with an upside down program.

Instead of ascending to the houses' private spaces, bedrooms are hidden in the hillside and covered with a roof that grows edible herbs. This Walker Workshop home may not be the Beverly Hills opulence that you would expect, but it has its own brand of spectacular.

The house is situated on 3.5 acres, overlooking Oak Pass. The house itself measures 8000 square feet (743 square meters), though its hidden design makes it appear smaller. The property is home to more than 130 oak trees, which were an integral part of designing the home. Not only did the architect and homeowners want a space that could easily look out upon this spectacular private forest, but they wanted an exterior that itself did not draw attention away from the beautiful natural surroundings.

For instance, an infinity pool on the ground level rests just underneath a large oak. Perhaps not the perfect design for the pool filter, the aesthetics are truly amazing. A dip in this pool is a luxurious version of a backhills swimming hole, complete with modern concrete deck and stylish deck chairs.

The underground portion of the home contains the bedrooms as well as an interior courtyard that opens up to the sky above and a sunken outdoor firepit for the balmy California nights.

To take advantage of the west coast sunshine, oversized windows slide open to the fresh canyon air, plenty well filtered by the surrounding copse of trees. The exterior, in concrete and sleek wood, is ultra modern and yet manages to all but disappear into the hillside.