When Bob Hale and Maxine Morris set out to create their marital home on the westside of Los Angeles around 15 years ago, they drew on their combined passion for architecture and Hebrew letters for inspiration.

The result of their efforts is a residence known as the Beit Ha-Ahava, translated to House of Love. Per The Times of Israel, it not only represents innovative design for Hale, a partner at the L.A. interdisciplinary design firm RIOS and a former protégé of Frank Gehry, but also a deep sense of healing and commitment for Morris, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor who died in 1987.

Completed in 2011 and wrapped in a veil of perforated, corrugated aluminum panels etched with Hebrew characters spelling out the word “love,” the contemporary residence is now up for sale at a dash under $5.3 million, after first hitting the market in September 2025 for nearly $5.7 million.

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Set in the Cheviot Hills neighborhood on a hillside parcel spanning less than a quarter of an acre, the striking abode offers five bedrooms and four bathrooms in roughly 5,300 square feet. Three levels are organized as a series of interlocking volumes providing light and connectivity, while open public spaces extend directly to the garden through floor-to-ceiling Fleetwood sliding glass doors for seamless indoor-outdoor environs.

A staircase beginning at the sidewalk passes up by the driveway and an attached two-car garage before emptying at a gated, wind chime-clad entry. The interiors—a mix of basalt flooring, black-stained mahogany millwork, plaster walls, aluminum, and white Super Thassos stone—are centered on a step-down living room sporting a raised-hearth fireplace. Other highlights include a dining area, a family room, and a Poggenpohl kitchen with an eat-in island and Bosch appliances.

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A primary bedroom with operable screened windows and an inviting en suite bathroom can be found upstairs, while a standalone ground-level suite with its own entrance could be used for guests or as a studio or workspace. Rounding it all off are the lush grounds, which host native meadow plantings out front and a waterfall-fed lap pool and spa in the back.

“What makes this property special is that it’s the architect’s own house,” said Brian Linder of Compass, who holds the listing. “When architects design for themselves, the project often becomes a much more personal exploration of ideas. In this case, Bob Hale created a home that studies light, enclosure, and authorship, most clearly expressed through the operable aluminum screen etched with the word ‘ahava,’ which filters sunlight and gives the house its conceptual identity.”

Hale and Morris have decided to sell because they are currently designing a new home for themselves in Park City, Utah.

Click here for more photos of the Cheviot Hills residence.