Iceberg homes are the next big trend for wealthy homeowners

Southern California is home to some of the largest, most expensive, and most sought-after real estate the United States has to offer, and these impressive trophy properties are increasingly packed with outrageous luxury, from doomsday bunkers to champagne rooms and their own signature scent. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg: In Los Angeles, wealthy homeowners are increasingly burying their most valuable perks underground, away from prying eyes.

With these so-called “iceberg homes,” architects and builders turn their attention to a less visible part of most homes – the basement. Homeowners are spending big on elaborately designed subterranean living spaces, a trend followed by Zoltan E. Pali, design director and co-founder of Los Angeles-based architecture studio SPF:a, who says it originally emerged “as a response to increasingly stringent zoning and planning regulations was created”. Today, however, in addition to maximizing land use, it is also about protecting existing above-ground views.

Pali’s firm notably developed the Orum Residence, a glass-walled, 18,000-square-foot stunner perched on a hill in Bel Air. The property itself, which starred in Tiffany & Co.’s “About Love” campaign starring Jay-Z and Beyoncé, hovers two stories above the ground and hides a third floor below, complete with home theater, gym, spa, and cedar sauna. Service kitchen and a wine room for 1,000 bottles. This level is also connected to an attached guest house with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchenette and a garage. Pali’s firm also designed the Bronze House in the Bird Streets neighborhood of Los Angeles. Here, the basement is equipped with a gym, a spa, four guest rooms and a kitchen.

“The demand for iceberg houses has increased noticeably and I believe their popularity will continue to increase in the coming years,” says Pali Robb report. “The ability to create expansive spaces that are hidden from view allows homeowners to enjoy their amenities without drawing attention, which is particularly attractive in celebrity-heavy areas like Los Angeles.”

This trend has also spread across the pond. For example, Hastings House, an $18.2 million former church in London’s wealthy Knightsbridge district, has an underground swimming pool. Over in the city’s posh Belgravia enclave, Cara Delevingne’s childhood home, which hit the market in May for $30 million, hides a subterranean cinema, a bespoke cocktail bar, a gym and a catering kitchen.

However, it should be noted that, in addition to the time and cost of construction and maintenance, these types of spaces also present a number of structural challenges. Luxury developers estimated that projects of this scale and difficulty in Los Angeles can cost upwards of $1 million. Assets reported. But if you can afford it, it’s “a unique opportunity for design innovation,” according to Pali.