The Ray Kappe House has been featured in nearly every notable architectural magazine over the years. It was named a landmark of nature-friendly modernism and placed in a Top 10 list of best Southern California homes by a panel created by the LA Times in 2008.
Kappe was recognized with the AIA-Los Angeles Gold Medal. His lifelong love of nature and the environment took form in designs that remain visionary and his work continues to inspire new generations of architects.
Many have called the home a marvel of engineering and design, as it is positioned on a hillside across seven levels. Cantilevered wood decks, floating platforms and redwood exterior siding are just a few of the highlights.
The family room has 14' ceilings and a built-in seating area around a large fireplace. The interior wood joists flow 12' outside the exterior wall, creating a pergola-like structure that strengthens the idea the home is a part of the natural landscape.
Built at a time when building codes allowed for a more extensive use of glass as a ratio of the structure, the home offers a treehouse-like atmosphere in all of the public spaces. The four bedrooms are the only rooms with doors. Elsewhere, the floor plan is open and unobstructed to showcase the view and bring sunlight inside. Kappe used small elevation changes to delineate the living areas.
The various levels are linked into a continuously unfolding experience through the use of stairs and bridges, creating a symbiotic partner to the landscape. The poolside cabana, pool and spa are privately located at the back of the property. The cabana has a rooftop deck for taking in expansive area views; the pool is surrounded by greenery and large enough for swimming laps.
The property has been photographed by Julius Shulman.
The text above is from a pitch summary I did for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, which often hires me to write pitch summaries for unique estates and homes with architectural significance. Many of these summaries have led to features in publications like The Robb Report. The article inspired by this pitch is linked here.
Photo by Cameron Carothers
The entry / Photo by Cameron Carothers
Photo by Cameron Carothers
