The undulating metal exterior of this family home by Los Angeles designer Mario Romano takes its cues from the movement of the ocean.
The Wave House is located in Venice, a beach town in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Encompassing 5,700 square feet (530 square metres), the home features fluid living spaces and carved surfaces that are meant to mimic organic geometries found in nature.
Constructing the residence required "trust in the power of calculus and the development of an entirely new architectural vernacular", said Romano, a local designer who uses digital tools to create complex forms.

For the exterior cladding, over 300 white aluminium pieces were arranged to evoke a feeling of an ocean swell and crashing waves. The pieces are affixed to a metal substructure. Romano was able to create lines without repetitions or seams using computer numeric controlled (CNC) technology and customised digital tools.

"Appearing as one massive undulating facade, the painted aluminium flows over two storeys until arriving to touch the ground in one single movement," the designer said.
On the street-facing elevation, the skin pulls back to reveal a wall made of stained cedar blocks. On the backside of the home, the architect cut away areas of the metal screen to accommodate glazed apertures.

The rippling character of the exterior is carried indoors, with textured surfaces being deployed in certain rooms.
"Walls and floors are lyrical and like nature, w...