Garrett Camp appears to be investing somewhat heavily in the hills above Sunset Strip. Late this winter, the Uber co-founder plunked down $9.6 million for a very new contemporary-style that just happens to be situated a stone’s throw from a home he purchased in 2016 for $6.1 million. A family guest home, perhaps.
Surmise aside. To the house.
The newest addition is a boxy concrete-and-glass build dating to last year. The home is described in the listing description as ‘Zen’; in the absence of a security system that demands comprehension of a daily koan before allowing ingress, what that appears to mean is that the home is open, uncluttered by ornament, frequently blurs interior/exterior demarcations, and generally presents inhabitants with a freeing living style. Any ‘Eastern’ design influence is abstracted and relegated to the home’s subtext. It’s thoroughly contemporary: moody, beautiful, and somewhat understated. The carefully balanced sensibilities are well executed.
The interiors express space with élan. The common area is especially effective in this way; the open-concept room establishes an astonishing sense of scale with ceilings that are at least 15’ high. The fireplace accent wall and kitchen cabinetry extend to the ceiling, reinforcing the effect.
The home Camp purchased three years ago is a late modern dating to 1969, and it’s a little more interesting; its setting expresses it as uniquely reticent. The architecture is the work of Harold ‘Hal’ Levitt, who designed the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences building, and countless residences for Hollywood luminaries.
Glass walls, an offset double-plane roof, and an elevated pergola distinguish the home’s exterior. Inside, original terrazzo floors and strong interior/exterior interplay tell the tale. The five-and-five has been renovated fairly heavily, but the glassy home’s relationship with its very private and very green lot is one original feature that will continue to stand the test of time: the green, secluded property is visible as a constant touchstone, giving the house an unusually disarming living style.
Camp is a Canadian entrepreneur; he came up with the idea for Uber about a decade ago. His net worth is in the neighborhood of $5 billion.
