‘Glass Box’ Full of Surprises

Surprises come in all shapes and sizes.

For instance, consider the life‐size one we recently uncovered on Zillow—a classic 'glass box' residence with the good looks and charm of a mid‐century modern original.

But, we wondered, was this distinctive Southern California design a renovation or a new build? We soon discovered that the property came with a special story—and several special surprises too.

Built in 2024 as a single‐story post and beam, the home's listing photos revealed not only a unique glass‐filled interior, but also—surprise, surprise—an unusual design that includes two distinct atriums!

Intrigued as to who the home's architect might be, we were—er, excuse us once again—pleasantly surprised to learn that it was none other than San Francisco‐based Klopf Architecture, a longtime member of the Eichler Network service team.

Now on the market, the 3‐bedroom, 3‐bath architectural home, at 5637 Busch Drive in Malibu Park, is listed by Elizabeth Donovan of Coldwell Banker Realty with an $8.75 million price tag.

"This home embodies the soul of classic mid‐century modern architecture, seamlessly blending with today's functionality and technology," Donovan says. "Every detail of the build reflects thoughtful craftsmanship. There are no boring corners here."

Visiting the home in person is an experience, she adds. "As you step through the threshold, it's as if you're turning 'inside out'; the glass walls are all that separate you from Malibu's breathtaking backdrop."

The property was purchased by the present owners after the previous home at the Busch Drive location was lost in the devastating Woolsey Fire in 2018, Donovan notes. "The current owners specialize in preserving architecturally significant mid‐century modern homes," she says, "and apply the same design principles to their ground‐up projects, including this property."

Klopf Architecture, known for their expertise in modernist architectural projects, and restorations and redesigns of Eichlers, was commissioned to design the new home. Maison d'artiste served as builder and interior designer.

After pulling the 1956 plans of architects Appleton and Wolford, Klopf's founding principal John Klopf determined that the house that previously stood on the property was a mid‐century ranch.

"The developer was interested in putting something back of much higher quality… and with more glass," Klopf says. "We call it 'The Glass Box House' to distinguish it from Philip Johnson's famous Glass House, which was certainly part of our inspiration."

"The intention is for it to be a very pure concept," he adds. The balance of glass and post and beam "are more meant to be like a sort of simple, clean, and timeless whole gestalt than a feature‐driven project. The developer, to his credit, really stuck to the design."