The Steampunk Fortress in the Hills: Inside a Brutalist Billionaire Vision That’s Redefining Beverly Hills Luxury Living
It’s not every day that a piece of architecture stirs up conversation across both the real estate elite and design circles in the same breath. But when Oakley founder James Jannard decided to build a residence that would marry brutalism with steampunk flair in the heart of Beverly Hills, he wasn’t trying to follow trends. He was, as always, forging his own. Now, years after its creation and following a few quiet listings, this wildly unconventional estate is back on the market for $64.995 million, drawing renewed attention from ultra-high-net-worth buyers who see value in the rare and the bold.
Real estate in Beverly Hills has always had a certain predictable polish. Buyers know the vocabulary—Mediterranean villas, contemporary mansions wrapped in travertine, minimalist showpieces. But Jannard’s home disrupts this comfort zone with unapologetic defiance. It's a visual manifesto carved in concrete and tempered steel. You don’t just walk through this house—you feel it. It makes you confront what luxury means beyond marble countertops and infinity pools. And in a market that thrives on status, that kind of distinctiveness holds an emotional currency few other listings can claim.
At first glance, it almost resembles a film set from a post-apocalyptic saga—a low-slung, geometrically aggressive structure unfolding over 18,000 square feet, anchored by a central motor court that hints at ceremonial intent more than practical necessity. The entry experience is a procession: past a circular drive, framed by ninety-six exposed concrete columns whose rough textures proudly display tie holes, a detail that would have been covered or polished away in any other Beverly Hills estate. But not here. Jannard, whose net worth ballooned after selling Oakley for billions, gave the Dallas-based IDGroup the mandate to lean fully into the industrial spirit. No soft landings. No filler.
Walking inside is like stepping into a new sensory world. The great room is vast and solemn, but not in a cold way. Its ceilings shimmer with aluminum panels while granite floors lend a sense of tactile permanence. The walls—poured concrete—aren’t merely structural. They are expressive. Every seam, every texture, is meant to be seen. A massive retractable glass wall melts away into the ground, leaving nothing between you and the LA skyline except an angular stretch of water that disappears into the horizon. This isn’t a traditional infinity pool trying to charm you with Mediterranean ease. It’s a mirror to the edge of the world.
Buyers in this tier of real estate aren’t just looking for square footage. They’re looking for a story, a philosophy, something they can host a dinner party around and say, “Let me tell you what inspired this fireplace.” And there’s plenty to talk about here. Take the bar, for example. It’s clad in aluminum bolted panels, like a fuselage from a World War II aircraft. Or the master bathroom’s deep soaking tub, which looks more like an industrial hydraulic chamber, etched with cryptic inscriptions that might as well have come from a Tolkien novel. Then there’s the fireplace—towering, metallic, crowned with a steampunk exhaust pipe that looks ready to power a locomotive. It’s absurd. It’s poetic. It’s unforgettable.
Some might ask whether a home this intense can ever feel livable. But that’s where the real estate nuance kicks in. The home’s floorplan, for all its cinematic expression, was designed to feel intimate where it matters. The private quarters are surprisingly warm, softened by smart lighting, suede-lined walls, and plush built-ins. This is not a place for the faint-hearted, but it’s not without its comforts. It’s precisely the kind of tension that attracts discerning buyers who’ve already done the Bel-Air modern and the Pacific Palisades beach glass box. They’re not buying a home because they need another closet. They’re buying a feeling.
It’s also a lesson in how luxury real estate increasingly leans toward personality-driven design. In a post-pandemic era where high-net-worth individuals are spending more time at home than ever before, cookie-cutter opulence simply doesn’t excite. Buyers are asking for emotional engagement. They want homes that reflect their risk-taking and design fluency. And what’s interesting is how this home, despite its material boldness, still manages to deliver on the emotional front. Whether it’s the symmetry of the structural core or the serenity of glass-framed views from nearly every room, the experience is choreographed. It’s a form of domestic theater—except here, you’re always center stage.
Beyond architecture, there’s also the real estate investment angle to consider. With its original list price set $3 million higher, the current ask now appears to some as a strategic reentry—one that reflects a market keen on identity but still conscious of valuation. As Los Angeles luxury real estate continues to evolve amid tightening inventory and growing demand for distinctive properties, this home offers a unique hedge. Its brutalist expression is not subject to style cycles. It’s a collector’s piece. And in elite circles, collector’s pieces tend to appreciate even when others don’t.
Buyers from sectors like private equity, tech, or creative media might find themselves particularly drawn to the property's duality. It evokes a kind of industrial grit that mirrors entrepreneurial hustle, while also delivering an escapist fantasy that feels worlds away from the boardroom. One recent visitor reportedly compared it to a luxury bunker—a place you retreat to, not out of fear, but out of reverence for solitude and style. That kind of narrative resonance is exactly what makes properties in the ultra-luxury market both hard to price and impossible to ignore.
The surrounding Trousdale Estates neighborhood has no shortage of notable residents, from Hollywood moguls to international financiers. But even among such company, this residence refuses to blend in. At sunset, the concrete glows gold and the glass reflects the last blush of daylight. Music hums through an audiophile-grade sound system built into the very bones of the house. A breeze slides through the open facade, carrying with it the smell of eucalyptus and the quiet hum of city lights flickering below. This is where function meets fantasy, and where the right buyer won’t just see a home—they’ll see themselves.
No luxury property exists in a vacuum, and part of what makes this home so intriguing is the backstory of its creator. Jannard’s rise from a modest eyewear entrepreneur to a multibillionaire visionary parallels the home’s own architectural journey—from raw materials to refined monument. And in a time when authenticity is becoming the new luxury, that story matters more than ever. The structure doesn’t just reflect his vision; it invites others to shape their own.
So as this listing enters a fresh cycle on the market, represented by Aaron Kirman of Christie’s International Real Estate, the industry will be watching not just who buys it, but why. Will it be an art-loving financier? A tech titan seeking cinematic seclusion? Or perhaps a tastemaker ready to put their own steampunk spin on Beverly Hills prestige? The answers aren’t as important as the invitation. Because homes like this don’t just wait to be bought. They wait to be believed in.