New Shape of Mar Vista

Architect David Crandall’s industrial-style home with a metal facade that shifts in appearance with the light.  (Beatrice de Gea / LAT)

MINIMAL: Among the modern arrivals to the neighborhood are a spare design on Moore Street.  (Beatrice de Gea / LAT)

BRIGHT VIEW: The “Pepto Palace,” so dubbed by its owners, provides contrast to its more staid neighbors on Thermo Street.  (Alexander Gallardo / LAT)

CENTRAL AERIE: Bergman’s minimalist design on Short Avenue, from the rear alley, is a distinct departure from the cottage and ranch styles found in much of Mar Vista. Set on a lot just 25 feet wide, Bergman maximized her space by building up.  (Alexander Gallardo / LAT)

FRESH: “When I talk with neighbors, many are happy that architectural homes are going up,” says Michael Cruz of such new designs like the one on Marine Street.  (Beatrice de Gea / LAT)

Michael Cruz owns this home on Palms Boulevard.  (Beatrice de Gea / LAT)

A SHINING STUDY: Inside Brenda Bergman’s Mar Vista home, the glass-walled living room vividly illustrates why its creators call it the “Coconut House”: — the building’s dark shell encloses a gleaming interior. The award-winning design “does a wonderful job of making you feel like you’re living outdoors while sitting in your living room,” according to the American Institute of Architects. The home was one of five single-family residences honored by the group in 2006.  (Karen Tapia-Andersen / LAT)

Architects Cara Lee and Stephan Mundwiler created a two-story atrium with glass panels on both levels that open to let in the sun and sea breeze to all rooms. Because of this, they were able to keep the facade solid, with no windows on the second floor facing the street, to minimize traffic noise in the master bedroom.  (Karen Tapia-Andersen / LAT)