Archive for the ‘Architects’ Category
Avenel Cooperative Unit Hits The Market!
2841 1/2 Avenel St
Los Angeles, CA 90026
3 BR, 1 BA
$749,000
Days like today remind about why I love working in real estate in Los Angeles as this is one of two very exciting listings to hit the market today (check out the other one here). Located in the Avenel Cooperative Housing Project in Silver Lake which helped put Los Angeles on the map as the epicenter for the Modernist movement in American domestic architecture, this property was designed by architect Gregory Ain in 1947. I was able to see four units in this housing complex last October (check out my writeup here) as part of the MAK Tour and I pretty much blown away by the unit’s simplicity, sophistication and charm.
Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner
Few architects made a bigger impact on the California landscape than John Lautner. One of the most significant Modernist architects, Lautner’s six decades of work produced more than 150 built works. To celebrate this amazing career, The Palm Springs Art Museum will be exhibiting Between Heaven and Earth: The Architecture of John Lautner from Febraury 20th until May 23rd.
Lautner’s work is well-known in the Palm Springs area as he designed a mountain cabin in the trees, a motel as desert retreat and a showcase home for designer Arthur Elrod, so this exhibit should be a perfect fit with the Museum.
On display will be 115 original drawings and sketches, ten original models, six large-scale architectural models, and the documentary film Infinite Space: The Architecture Of John Lautner (a movie I’ve been dying to see). I will definitely be checking this exhibit out when I go to Palm Springs in March.
For more information about the exhibit click here.
Palm Springs Art Museum
101 Museum Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House
2607 Glendower
Los Angeles, CA 90027
4 BR, 4.5 BA
$15,000,000 $10,495,000
One of the most recognizable of Frank Lloyd Wright’s many famous homes, the Ennis House just had a dramatic price drop in the Ennis House Foundation’s quest to find a new owner. Warning! This house is not for everyone. Personally, I love looking at photos of the Ennis House but could never imagine living there. Could you?
It seems more like a museum to me than a house, but regardless, this is an important piece of work from one of the masters. This textile block home was built in 1924 and can be seen from many parts of Los Feliz and the Eastside of Los Angeles.
2348 Cove Ave In Silver lake
2348 Cove Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90039
2 BR, 2BA
$1,299,000
In 2005 architect George Mimnaugh reinterpreted Rodney Walker’s original 1953 glass and concrete design by updating it for modern living. The renovation earned the home a Los Angeles Historical-Monument designation in 2007 and now the home is on the market for a hefty price tag. According to Curbed, this home has been a tough sell as it has been on and off the market since the restoration.
Located on a flat lot up in the hills on the east side of the Silver Lake Reservoir, this is the kind of mid-century modern that we all lust over.
I love the true open floor plan, the floor-to-ceiling walls of glass and the stone backdrop.
Read more…
2423 Lanterman Terrace In Silver Lake
2423 Lanterman Terr
Los Angeles, CA 90039
3 BR, 3 BA
2,900 square feet
$1,650,000
This is one of the more expensive homes to hit the market in Silver Lake in a while. While it certainly has size and location (bonus for being in the Ivanhoe School District) going for it, is this a “unique masterpiece of architectural design” that justifies the hefty price tag? I’ll wait until I see it in person this Sunday at the open house to judge.
Designed by architect Tony Unruh, who clearly took a lot of inspiration from mid-century modernism, this house has large expanses of glass that blur the lines between the inside and outside living areas. I particularly like the ceilings:
And the glass separating the inside from the deck is very impressive:
2527 Hargrave In The Hollywood Hills
2527 Hargrave Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90068
2 BR, 3 BA
1,878 square feet
$849,000
Built in 1960 and designed by architect Robert B. Marks, The Backer/DeCarolis House has just hit the market. This mid-century modern home has multiple levels in the hillside and has a hexagonal form that really becomes apparent on the inside.
Dig that sunken living room! There’s also a wet bar, outdoor studio/guest house, pool with a spa and canyon views. Marks was a student of Frank Lloyd Wright and his “organic architecture” influence can be seen throughout the house.
This home just hit the market and is ripe for the taking! I can’t wait to see it in person. What do you think: priced to sell or overpriced?
For more pics and info click here.
Raphael Soriano’s Shulman House
The Shulman House
7875 Woodrow Wilson Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90046
3 BR, 3 BA
$2,495,000
Widely considered the greatest architectural photographer of our time, Julius Shulman spent the past 59 years living in this Raphael Soriano masterpiece until his death this past summer. This studio and residence tucked away in a secluded spot in the Hollywood Hills just hit the market this week and local architecture fantatics having been buzzing with the opportunity to check it out in person.
This mid-century is the only unaltered steel frame house by Soriano and has thus been deemed a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural monument. The interior contains extensive wooden built-ins and cabinetry, there are koi ponds surrounding the backyard studio, the living room has a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, and the kitchen has built-in bench seating.
Clearly this is an architectural landmark fit for an architectural icon. Hopefully the new owner will respect history and maintain the architctectural integrity of the home with some tasteful updates.
For more photos and information click here.
(Top photo courtesy of You-Are-Here)
Neutra Office Building In Silver Lake
Richard Neutra’s presence is felt all over Silver Lake. From the iconic homes that adorn the neighborhood to the work of the young architects whom absorbed his style and carried on his legacy, Neutra is often the first name people bring up when talking about “Silver Lake architecture.”
And while many think of the brilliant homes he designed, one of his most famous works is the Neutra Office Building on Glendale Blvd. For 20 years the building served as Neutra’s studio until his death in 1970. This building is the last surviving example of a Neutra commercial design which probably explains the hefty price tag when the building was listed for sale earlier this year. According to Neutra.org the building is still for sale but it does not say for how much. Curbed LA reported $3.5 million but that may have changed.
The Neutra Office Building is listed as a Historic Cultural Monument on the National Register Of Historic Places. The building’s rear apartment was being rented out by Dion Neutra, Richard’s son, earlier this year as well – “only for true Neutra fans” it advised. Would you have made the cut?
Neutra Office Building
2379 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039
MAK Day At The Schindler House
Just a friendly that tomorrow, November 7th, is MAK Day at the Schindler House in West Hollywood. What is MAK Day exactly? A look at the day’s itinerary should answer that question for you:
12 – 1 pm: A graphic workshop with Handbuilt Studio for Project Food / LA, in preparation for the Edible Endeavors Convention, Yuju Yeo leads participants will generate foodie propaganda – banners, flyers, posters, etc.
1 – 2 pm: Curatorial walk-through on the exhibition Otto Neurath. Gypsy Urbanism with guest curator Nader Vossoghian
2:30 – 3:30 pm: Criticality, Agency, and Visual Language
A panel discussion on exhibition and display strategies in relation to infrastructure, do-it-yourself methods, social space engagement, graphic communication. Moderated by MAK Center director Kimberli Meyer
PANEL Participants
Nader Vossoghian: architectural historian and guest curator of Otto Neurath. Gypsy Urbanism
Rosten Woo: designer, writer, educator, and co-founder of the Center for Urban Pedagogy
Linda Pollack: artist, creator of Habeas Lounge
Alexis Rochas: architect, creator of a rooftop garden prototype SynthE Green Roof
Juliette Bellocq: graphic designer, Handbuilt Studio
3:30 – 6 pm: Hungry Urbanism Edible Endeavors Convention #3
A survey of food advocacy practices in Los Angeles. In a rapid-fire series of presentations, a diverse set of individuals and organizations will present their work on behalf of food issues in the city. Project Food / LA presents this part rally, part political convention, part lecture and part panel discussion. Curated by Michael Pinto.
The entire event is free and there will also be free Coolhaus ice cream snacks on Superlove granola bars. Lots of free to take advantage of, so be sure to check it out!
MAK Center for Art and Architecture
835 North Kings Road
West Hollywood, CA 90069
323 651 1510
Gregory Ain’s Avenel Homes Cooperative
The last stop on the MAK Architecture Tour was in some ways the most interesting – Gregory Ain’s Avenel Homes. The Homes (4 of which we saw on the tour) were commissioned by a collective of WWII veterans who pooled $11,000 each to purchase a small 248 by 124 square foot hillside lot in Silver Lake. On less than a square acre, the multi-family units offered a counter to the suburban single-family homes being developed in other parts of the city.
Ain designed the ten unit row house in a “sawtooth” pattern set at an angle to the street. The units are staggered due to the steep hillside and they look above one another. A common path separates the two lots.
The interior floor plan is an ingenious use of the 908 square foot of space designed to be shared among four people. Partial sliding walls open and close to allow for social gathering while maintaining privacy. Each unit also has a 20 foot rear garden to create an additional outdoor room.
I was impressed by how much was packed into each of the homes. Every square inch of space seemed to be used to maximum benefit. It probably didn’t hurt that most of the owners were themselves architects (part of a 90s renovation of the complex by passionate Ain fans) who made each home look like something out of the pages of Dwell.
(More pics after the jump)
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