If you’ve ever attended a play at The Malibu Stage Company Theatre, you might have appreciated the comfortable semi-round seating and acoustics. Or perhaps you admired the modern, yet aesthetically nature-tuned design of the Malibu Vista office buildings on PCH. If you have these Malibu establishments, then you’ve experienced the work of Malibu architect Steve Yett.
Despite his impressive commercial design portfolio, Yett’s main focus is residential architecture. A graduate of USC School of Architecture, he’s been practicing for more than 26 years, and started his career alongside the well renowned Malibu architect Mike Barsochinni.
“I learned everything from him. His forte is his ability to get almost impossible projects approved.”
This perspective and core knowledge of the building processes has become a hallmark of Yett’s abilities. Always erring on the side of caution, Steve prefers to over-deliver rather than sugarcoat the difficulties of building in Malibu or Los Angeles County.
Developer Zan Marquis, owner of Point Dume Village, hired Yett for this skillset and vision: Yett knows how to approach a project—and the Malibu Planning Department—to get necessary plans and permits approved.
Yett will look at any limitations such as geological and septic system issues before approaching the design of a project.
“The first thing I do for a Malibu client is plot setbacks and constraints,” Yett says. “There’s no sense designing a house if it can’t be approved.”
Other important factors Yett takes into consideration when designing a Malibu home are orienting the home for the best view, of course, in addition to incorporating the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that is the epitome of the Malibu lifestyle.
When it comes down to design details, Yett will spend time with a client to get a feel for who they are, and “listen to their lifestyle requirements.”
“It’s also important if it’s someone’s dream house, or speculative,” Yett says. “If it’s someone’s dream house, I’ll try to accommodate their particular personal requirements.”
If he’s designing a home for someone who doesn’t expect to keep it very long, he makes sure that they don’t do anything “too crazy” so resale value won’t be affected.
While Yett works to achieve a client’s wishes, whether it be Cape Cod or Mediterranean, this Malibu architect’s dream home design encompasses the organic approach.
“My heroes of architecture— John Lautner, Bart Prince, Kendrick Bangs Kellog — they are masters of organic architecture,” Yett says of the three who were all disciples of renowned Malibu architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Yett’s dream home would also have a “swimming pool on the roof” at the maximum height so he would have “the best views.”
You can visit Malibu architect Steve Yett’s website here: www.steveyett.com.
