“We always introduce natural light and shadows in our design,” says architect Scott Hudgins. “We suggested the idea as a privacy screen that allows daylight and connection to the spectacular views.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MOLLIE KIMBERLING
There were no trade-offs in the design of this bathroom by Scott Hudgins of Laguna Beach–based Hudgins Design Group. Only solutions.
The bathroom perches above the street at Mirada Estates in Rancho Mirage and is exposed to neighboring homes, so privacy was important. No less so was the presence of glass. “The complete building design utilized floor-to-ceiling glass, and we wanted to continue that repetitious vertical rhythm for the exterior elevation,” Hudgins explains.
Glass and privacy?
His design maintains the glass line while shielding the double shower and free-standing tub with a laser-cut steel screen — all without closing it off to the mountains beyond. “We chose a geometric cube pattern with a scale large enough to see the amazing view of the Coachella Valley,” he says. “Natural light in a bathroom is a must, but the filtered daylight through the screen takes it to another level.”
As the shower room faces east, a fleeting show of morning shadows greets the clients with an M.C. Escher–esque installation. The cubes expand, shrink, and stretch into diamonds before eventually slipping away, only to return the next day after sunrise.
The functional architectural accent piece adds beauty without headache. The laser-cut steel screen is installed with an operable element allowing each 10-foot-high panel to be opened when cleaning the exterior glass window.
Rectilinear forms feature prominently in the architectural design, furniture, and art throughout the home, Hudgins says. “The screen was one area where we could create an art piece on the exterior of the home that gives a hint of what you might find on the interior.”
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