Browse Items (16 total)

These two photographs, taken approximately 30 years apart, show Lutah as a student at Berkeley and as a well-established architect at her drafting table.

The alterations to the Herman Baer house in rural Lompoc show the modern style of architecture that Riggs was moving towards in the late 1940s. A marked departure from her Spanish Colonial Revival work of the 20s, this house shows her growth as an…

The beach house for Peter Berkey III, a former Air Force pilot, sits oceanside along Padaro Lane with an unobstructed view of the Pacific. The siting of the house on a small rise allows for unobstructed views of the mountains to the north as well.

This house, on San Ysidro Lane in Montecito, for G. Palmer and Louise Black was the second one designed by Riggs for the couple. An earlier house was on Greene Lane in Santa Barbara.

In 1954, the University of California opened a new campus on a former Marine Air Base, about ten miles west of Santa Barbara. This sparsely populated area, called Isla Vista, did not have the housing or infrastructure to support the influx of…

The Erdman estate of approximately 3 acres, is located in the Birnam Woods area of Montecito and features views of the mountains. The long driveway leads to a large motor court; a separate outdoor area includes a large pool and garden. The low, flat…

With the Erving house in Montecito, the goal was to provide privacy for the owner and a view up towards the mountains and down to the ocean. Riggs achieved this by designing a large triangular wall of glass facing north (towards the mountains) and a…

Mr and Mrs Percival Jefferson owned the 1916 Reginald Johnson-designed house, Miraflores. After her death in 1950, Mr.s Jefferson's friend and secretary, Helen Marso, donated the house and grounds to begin the Music Academy of the West.

The house for Leslie Kiler and family overlooks the Santa Ynez mountain range, which rises from the oak-covered hills of Montecito. With simple, clean lines, the house is clad in redwood and features a 10 foot ceiling in the living room, which lines…

This house, built for art collector Wright Ludington, was his second house in Montecito. For this house, Ludington wanted to showcase his art collection and commissioned Riggs to create a house around his art and sculpture.

This medical office building was one of three commissions by dermatologist Lawrence Nelson. It is a typical small medical office building, with parking in the rear of the property, and access from the street. The present occupants of the building are…

Riggs designed this house on Middle Road in Montecito for herself in the mid-twenties; she lived there until her death in 1984. The house, named Clavelitos or "little carnation," contained two bedrooms, ample outdoor space, and large fireplaces. The…

Lutah Maria Riggs' work at the San Ysidro Ranch in the early 1950s is indicative of her work in Montecito at that time. She utilized the mid-century vernacular for her additions and alterations to the cottages, restaurant, and on-site manager's…

The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden was started in 1926 as a partnership between the Carnegie Institution and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, with land in Mission Canyon donated by Anna Dorinda Bliss. The Garden grew from the initial 13…

The large, multi-story commercial and retail building on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara had exterior alterations by Riggs. The T.C. Suski Building was a Joseph Magnin department store in the 1960s and is currently retail and offices.
The…

Riggs designed the main temple building, as well as the gate house, shrine room, carport, and pavilion on the Vedanta grounds. Riggs studied the architectural forms of China, Japan, and India before building the temple, and applied classic forms to…