Thornton Abell: Valley Center Shopping Center (Van Nuys, Calif.)
This rendering for a shopping center was commissioned by M. Russell Davis and Philip Mackay Gordon, builder and business property developers. This early work shows influences of Streamline Moderne as well as a more Modern aesthetic.
Thornton M. Abell papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.
Thornton Abell: KTLA Studio Plant (Hollywood, Calif.)
For this axonometric drawing, Abell shows a cut-away of the Paramount Television Productions studio plant on North Bronson Avenue in Hollywood. Klaus Landsberg, a pioneering electrical engineer for the early television studios, is listed as the 'West Coast Director' of this plant.
Thornton Abell: Degnan shopping center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
For this shopping center in the Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Abell designed the business block for Philip M. Gordon and the Los Feliz Investment Company.
Los Angeles, Calif.; Liemert Park, Calif.
Thornton Abell: Niedringhaus/Reber duplexes (Montecito, Calif.)
Abell designed side-by-side duplexes for sisters Mary McKeen Niedringhaus and Christine Reber. Both houses had private views of the mountains and each side of the duplex also contained a rental unit.
Thornton Abell: Bakos house (Los Angeles, Calif.)
This one-story house in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles is sited on a flat lot, with a private pool and outdoor living area. Built with a distinctive roof line, the house allows for indoor/outdoor living through glass walls and atriums.
Thornton Abell, architect; Julius Shulman, photographer
Thornton Abell: Siskin house (Los Angeles, Calif.)
This house was built in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles for a young family with many children, live-in maids, and a need to entertain large groups. The International Style house that Abell designed also worked well for the Siskin's need for indoor/outdoor living, a pool, multiple storage and workshop areas, and separate wings of the house for children and parents.
Thornton Abell, architect; Richard Fish, photographer
Thornton Abell: Abell house (Santa Monica, Calif.)
Thornton Abell designed this house on a very steep lot in the hills of Santa Monica for himself and his family. The three story home featured a rooftop deck, main level terrace, lower level drafting room, and a garden with a pool and guest house.
Thornton Abell, architect; Victor Haveman, photographer
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: view of barracks
A view of the World War II barracks, as they existed when the University developed the Goleta mesa site. Barracks like these were turned into classrooms, laboratories, and offices. This photograph appears to have been taken in the current area of South Hall; the buildings pictured would have housed military science department and additional physical education spaces, since the gymnasium would have been located immediately to the west of the row of trees. Currently, buildings of this type house the offices of Arts & Lectures, a portion of El Centro, the Ergo lab, and other offices.
University of California, Santa Barbara Campus Building records, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
World War II Marine base and future site of UC Santa Barbara: aerial view of site and coastline
An aerial view of the Goleta mesa campus site, with Campus Point in the foreground and the Santa Barbara Airport in the distance. World War II era buildings can be seen both inside and outside of the line of eucalyptus trees used as a windbreak. This photograph was taken before any buildings were constructed for the University, and clearly shows the layout of the Marine Buildings. The two-story buildings within the eucalyptus treeline were converted into classrooms and offices for the University; the long row of one-story buildings closer to the airport were originally enlisted men's barracks and became the residence halls for the collegiate men.
Future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: view of future Los Caneros Road, with campus planners
A view of a roadway, with eucalyptus trees lining either side. Two men are standing next to a car, looking at plans for the university.
University of California, Santa Barbara Aerial View-- looking southwest
An aerial view of the campus from the early 1950s, looking towards the ocean in a southwesterly direction. The first two University buildings constructed are seen in the middle-lower-right (the Carjola-designed library) and immediately to the left of the eucalyptus windrow (the Soule and Murphy designed Science Building, now Webb Hall). This image clearly shows the large number of Marine Base buildings that were utilized by the University. The row of one-story building on the lower left corner of the photograph were the men's dormitories, the "Old Gym" is along the lower right side of the image, and the sweeping half-circle of two-story buildings which were used as offices and classrooms.
University of California, Santa Barbara Aerial View-- looking northwest
An aerial view of the campus looking towards the northwest, with the foot hills in the distance at the top of the photograph. The residence halls Anacapa and Santa Cruz appear to be under construction in the front of the photograph, as well as the science building, Noble Hall. Farther in the distance, the Arts building and Robertson Gymnasium also appear to be under construction. This photograph emphasizes the rural nature of the early campus, with very little development taking place in the neighboring areas.
University of California, Santa Barbara Aerial View-- looking west
An aerial view of the campus from the early 1950s, the Carjola-designed library is in the center of the image. Numerous World War II era buildings are seen in the lower right corner of the photograph. This photograph also highlights the lack of development in neighboring Isla Vista, with only a few streets and buildings along the top edge of the image.
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: view of buildings
A photograph of de-commissioned buildings on the former Marine base, possibly former officers' quarters.. Some of this type of building are still being used today for office space, including housing the ROTC and Military Science department. During the early years of the campus, these buildings were used as dormitories for male students until new residence halls were built.
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: view of gymnasium and pool
A photograph of the Marine base gymnasium building, with attached pool. This photograph also shows the lack of proper landscaping and grounds maintenance which plagued the early campus planners. Lack of topsoil (which the Marines had scraped off to fill the slough for the airport) revealed a sandy soil, which blew sand throughout the new campus. The building is currently used for office space, storage, art studios, and as shower facilities for the pool, which is used for water polo matches and community events.
University of California, Santa Barbara-- Campbell Hall
A view of Campbell Hall, looking towards the northwest, from the library. The photograph highlights the landscaping and outdoor patio space for studying. This view no longer exists, due to the building of Ellison Hall and the expansion of the Library.
University of California, Santa Barbara Aerial View-- Campbell Hall
An aerial view of the campus looking west towards Isla Vista. Campbell hall is in the center, with North Hall and Robertson Gymnasium in the distance. Cheadle Hall is under construction due west of Campbell Hall. Some of the WWII era buildings seen in this photograph are still in use today. The current Arts and Lectures ticket office building is seen to the lower right of Campbell hall, the Military Science building is in the lower middle of the photo (partially cut off), and the Old Gym is seen just beyond North Hall, along with the swimming pool. In the distance, growth in Isla Vista includes many large-scale apartment complexes.
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: view of building 431
A photograph of the former Marine Base, looking southeast towards the ocean. The building in the foreground is possibly Building 431, which was torn down and eventually the 1977 addition to the library was built on this spot. Building 431 was a mess hall and "senior non-commissioned officer's club." This Marine Base building had been re-purposed into education and psychology classrooms for the first few years of the university.
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: looking north towards the mountains
A photograph of the campus as it appeared after the Marines left, but before much construction had taken place. The Marine water tower is seen in the distance, and a car is parked on the road.
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: campus pool
A view of the campus pool as it appeared before the Marine base was given to the University of California. The pool was used by the Marines to practice water landings and emergency parachute procedures; the jumping platform in the center of the photograph was converted to diving boards for the University. The old gym (Red Barn, Building 479) is in the background. After being converted to a co-educational facility, the gym was used for recreational activities for many years. The building is currently being used as overflow office space, and the original basketball court floor can still be seen in some of the rooms.
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: view of building 434
A photograph of building 434, the Associated Students Annex, directly across the Pardall bike path from Storke Tower. This building was the recreation building during the time of the Marine Base, it was later converted into a Student Union in the 1950s. The Marine Base auditorium was located across the road from building 434; until Campbell Hall was built in 1962, the auditorium was the largest venue on campus, with a capacity of 750 people.
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: Goleta Slough
A view looking west from near the current site of the East Entrance to the campus. This area looks fairly similar today, despite plans in the past to turn the coastal wetland into a recreational lake with a harbor, and other plans to infill the area with earth and extend highway 217 all along the edge of the mesa, out to Storke road. This location is now known as the Goleta Slough State Marine Conservation Area.
World War II Marine base and future site of the UC Santa Barbara campus: view of water tower
A view looking east towards the ocean, with the Marine base water tower off to the left. This site is currently the Materials Research Lab building.
Location Map of the New Santa Barbara Campus
This early map shows the existing county roads and the roads on the former Marine Air Base. Hand-drawn arrows indicate traffic flow from Goleta and Santa Barbara towards the new campus. This map shows many of the roads that are still in use today, as well as a few which no longer exist (especially the roads on airport property).
Master Plan- Progressive Development, Stage 1, 1952
This is a copy of an image which shows the layout of Marine Air Base Santa Barbara buildings (in yellow), with the addition of the first two University of California, Santa Barbara College buildings (in red). Roads and parking lots are shown in brown, and the rows of eucalyptus trees are shown in long rows along the roads and boundary with Isla Vista. The two new university buildings, Webb Hall and the original library, would have been under construction at the time this map was made in 1952.
Santa Barbara, Calif.; Goleta, Calif.; Isla Vista, Calif.
This birds eye view of campus shows the build-out of the land in 1990. Many of the original WWII buildings still remain, and the vehicle flow around the perimeter of campus is greatly reduced from the earlier plans. The large expanse of surface parking lots along the western edge of campus were eventually replaced with the Student Resource Building, Parking Structure #22, and the Education and Social Sciences buildings. Additionally, the wide expanse of open field just to the north of Robertson Gymnasium has been filled in with multiple recreational facilities and practice fields. This map shows a particular instance in time, before the large building boom of the '90s, where large surface parking lots dominate the landscape, and open space existed along the perimeter of the campus.
University of California, Santa Barbara, planning department
The long range plan from 1975 shows a much greater concern for the adjacent community of Isla Vista. A larger concentration of university buildings is shown in the 'loop' area, as well as trees and pedestrian-friendly boulevards. Unlike the 1963 plan, the 1975 does not include an expansion of Highway 217 through the slough to the north of the campus mesa. The increase in environmental awareness after the 1969 oil spill in the Santa Barbara Channel changed the plans to be more eco-friendly.
University of California, Santa Barbara, planning department; William Liskamm, consulting architect
SBCAA: Class 3 house (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
This Demonstration House was listed as Class 3 by the Better Homes Committee, and was located on Quinientos Street in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara Community Arts Association records, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
A portrait of J.R. Davidson in his later years.
Julius Ralph Davidson papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Wallace Neff: Eaton House (Hope Ranch, Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Floor plan of the Eaton House in the Hope Ranch by architect Wallace Neff. Hope Ranch is an affluent suburb on the coast between Goleta and Santa Barbara.
Wallace Neff photographs and postcards, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design, & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design, & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Wallace Neff: A.K. Bourne house (San Marino, Calif.)
Photo of the exterior and patio of the A.K. Bourne house by architect Wallace Neff in San Marino, California.
Photo of exterior of the A.K. Bourne house from the lawn.
Photograph of the side exterior of the A.K. Bourne house in San Marino, California.
Photo of the interior of the entrance hall.
Photograph of exterior stairwell with driveway
Wallace Neff: Marion and Thomson House (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
Photograph of entrance court in the Marion and Thomson House located in Beverly Hills, California. Architect Wallace Neff built this home for screenwriter Frances Marion and her actor husband Fred Thomson.
Wallace Neff: A.K. Bourne House (San Marino, Calif.)
Photo of tiled courtyard at the A.K. Bourne House in San Marino, California.
Photograph of the exterior of the A.K. Bourne house from the street.
Wallace Neff: Eaton House (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
Photograph of exterior of Eaton House and driveway, located in Hope Ranch neighborhood of Santa Barbara, California.
Wallace Neff, architect; Karl Obert, photographer
Wallace Neff photographs and postcards, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design, & Architecture Collection; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Photograph of patio at Eaton House, located in the Hope Ranch neighborhood of Santa Barbara, California.
Photograph of patio at Eaton House with landscaping.
Photo of exterior of Eaton house with landscaping, located in Hope Ranch neighborhood of Santa Barbara, California.
Wallace Neff, architect; Maynard Parker, photographer
Photograph of the exterior and porch of Eaton House, located in the Hope Ranch neighborhood of Santa Barbara, California.
Photograph of the exterior of Eaton House with landscaping.
Wallace Neff: E.L. Doheny Memorial Library (St. John's Seminary, Camarillo, Calif.)
California Architecture; Spanish Colonial Architecture
Round display room hallway in E.L. Doheny Memorial Library.
Wallace Neff, architect; McNeil Construction Co., contractors; Bernie's Photo Shop, photographer
California architecture; Spanish Colonial architecture
Photos of main entrance to the library. The carved stone arch surrounding the entry door is modeled after the carved stone on the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City, Mexico. At the top of the arched entrance is a statue of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal. Images captured during construction and after construction.
Wallace Neff, architect; McNeill Construction Co., contractors; Bernie's Photo Shop, photographer
California architecture; Spanish Colonial Architecture
These photos feature the main garden space in St. John's Seminary, modeled after the garden at Edward L. Doheny's Chester Place home in Los Angeles, California. The south-facing facade of the E.L. Doheny Memorial Library overlooks this garden space.
Wallace Neff, architect; McNeill Construction Co., contractors; Bernie's Photo Shop, photographers
Wallace Neff: Vidor King and Eleanor Boardman House (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
California architecture; Spanish colonial architecture
Photo of staircase in the house of film director Vidor King and actress Eleanor Boardman in Beverly Hills, California by architect Wallace Neff.
Wallace Neff, architect; Padilla Studios, photographer
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design, & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Photograph of the fountain and archway in the house built for scriptwriter-actor couple Frances Marion and Fred Thomson by architect Wallace Neff in Beverly Hills, California.
Photo of exterior of house with chimney.
Wallace Neff, architect; The Hiller Studios, photographer
Photograph of loggia with cherub fountain.
Wallace Neff, architect; W.P. Woodcock, photographer
Southern California Architecture California Modern Architecture
An exterior view of the house which highlights the curving roof against the backdrop of the nearby mountain range.
Walter S. White papers, Architecture and Design Collection; Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture and Design Collection; Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Drawings of each of the exterior elevations for the house, showing the contact points between the walls and the roof, as well as the materials to be used.
A drawing of the floor plan and interior utility room elevations for the Bates house. This drawing shows the original layout of the one-bedroom, two bathroom house, with minimal solid walls, and extended dining terrace.
Miles C. Bates house: presentation floor plan
A presentation drawing on board of the proposed floor plan, featuring a round pool and landscaping.
Miles C. Bates house: living room with fireplace
An image of the living room, with fireplace. The original slide image was possibly taken by Walter White.
A color slide of the dining room, with kitchen in the background. The original image was possibly taken by Walter White.
An image of the roof line curving down to the ground level. Walter White patented this design in 1955 for a curving roof.
Miles C. Bates house: under construction
A color slide of the house under construction. The basic form of the roofline can be clearly seen in the curved wooden composite beam above the solid wall.
A watercolor on board rendering by Siegfried Knop of the backyard of the Bates house.
Walter S. White (1917-2002), architect; Siegfried Knop, renderer
A rendering of the Bates house by Siegfried Knop of the side of the house, featuring the roof line extending down to the ground.
In this design for a drive-in and restaurant (unbuilt) by White and his friend Harry Webster, the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright can be seen by the use of horizontal lines and the linear design of the building.
Walter White, architect Harry Webster, architect
Walter White: Pearson, Scott & Company (Indio, Calif.)
For the Pearson, Scott & Company building, White worked with architect Leopold Fischer to design the offices for the mortgage company. The building is no longer extant.
Walter White, architect Leopold Fischer, architect
The Walter White archive contains a few photographs of White at various stages in his career.
Walter White: Ratliff house (La Quinta, Calif.)
White designed this house for Truman and Marie Susan Ratliff; she was a school teacher and he farmed the property, growing alfalfa and citrus fruits. The sweeping roof was S-shaped, with a higher roofline above the dining and living rooms to take advantage of light and the view, while the lower portions of the roof cover the attached carport for needed shade.
Walter White: Shadow Mountain Sun Lodges (Palm Desert, Calif.)
The Shadow Mountain Club was one of the first resorts in Palm Desert; the Sun Lodges were bungalows which could be purchased by individuals and then rented out when not in use. The land was owned by the corporation, making the Sun Lodges one of the first 'condominium' style developments in the area. These small houses fit the requirements of the local architecture review boards, and helped pave the way for future White commissions in the area.
Walter White: Milliken house (Palm Desert, Calif.)
The long, low house for Charles Milliken sat on a corner lot with an imposing front of stucco, masonry, and wood, while the back of the house featured much more open and airy glass walls to enjoy the view and outdoor living.
Walter White: Willcockson house (Indio, Calif.)
The Max E. Willcockson house in Indio is notable for White's first use of the hyperbolic-paraboloid roof. This dramatically sweeping feature appears from a distance to hover over the house (which was sited on a high sand dune to increase the drama). The orientation of the highest points of the roof (which was painted white to reflect the sun) are angled in such a way as to block the strongest and hottest rays of the sun, while also enjoying a view of the mountains.
Walter White: Stewart house (Palm Desert, Calif.)
The house in Palm Desert for E.W, Stewart is one of the best examples of White's large residential commissions. The interior of the house is clearly divided into public and private zones, with a massive circular fireplace at the center of the living room / dining room combination.
Walter White: First Assembly of God church (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Walter White began designing homes in Colorado in the mid-60s, but it wasn't until 1968, when he received his Colorado architect license, that he was able to work on larger civic and commercial projects. The First Assembly of God Church in Colorado Springs was one of those commissions. The church had construction issues with the original design, and so the final plans changed from the original drawings.
Walter White: McManus guest cottages (Palm Springs, Calif.)
The plans for unbuilt duplex and triplex units wee commissioned by Pearl McCallum McManus. She inherited a large amount of land in and around Palm Springs and was a major proponent for the development of tourism in the area. McManus and her husband founded a real estate and development company, which hired many well-known architects, including Lloyd Wright, Paul Revere Williams, and A.Quincy Jones to design buildings in Palm Springs.
Walter White: Alexander house (Palm Springs, Calif.)
The house for Dr. Franz Alexander and his wife was a rural retreat for the European psychoanalyst. With a long, rectangular shape and a unique roof shaped by curved steel beams with wooden planks, the house is sited to take advantage of the view of the mountains. The house is elevated off the ground (with garage underneath) and the main living areas open onto a deck, which overlooks the circular pool and backyard.
Walter S. White papers, Architecture and Design Collection; Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Architecture and Design Collection; Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara
Walter White: Metro Homes (Palm Desert, Calif.)
White worked with the Metro Homes company to design small homes for subdivisions throughout California. In Palm Desert, the Metro Homes (also known as "Palm Desert Homes") were one- or two- bedroom homes (either oblong or T-shaped) with and without attached carports. The Palm Desert Corporation, the large landowner, did not allow only one architect and developer to design houses for an entire neighborhood, so only a small number of lots were built.
Walter White: Breedlove house (La Quinta, Calif,)
In 1944, White built a 'Desert Dwelling' for his mother-in-law, Esther Breedlove in La Quinta. This small house is one of the earliest examples of White's work in the desert, and shows how his style was shaped by the environment. White used stand alone masonry walls (to move independently in case of earthquake), interspersed with wood or glass doors and windows, a low hipped roof, and header beams were bolted together to prevent warping. Eventually, White expanded the house with a wing consisting of two bedrooms and connecting bathroom, and he moved in with his family.
Walter White: Coachella Valley Farm (Indio, Calif.)
The Coachella Valley Farms development was initially designed to be the largest small-farm development in the world. With each homestead located on their own long and narrow two acre plots, the houses (with backyard pool) were near the road, with the majority of the plot dedicated to farming. and stables for livestock at the far end. The development was not successful, and eventually the area was renamed Bermuda Dunes and became a country club.
Walter White: Safari USA offices (Palm Springs, Calif.)
The office building for Safari USA, a boat building company, utilized steel beams and corrugated sheet metal to provide visual interest and help shade portions of the building from the desert sun.
Walter White: Pritzlaff house (Palm Desert, Calif.)
The first Herbert Pritzlaff house was designed by Cliff May, in 1947-1948, and was one of the earliest houses in the Palm Desert / Shadow Mountain region. The home burned to the ground in 1949, and White designed and built the replacement.
Walter White: Durham house (Palm Desert, Calif.)
The floor plan for the William Durham house in Palm Desert highlights the thoughtful planning behind a Walter White design. The plan shows, through a series of arrows, the view lines from each section of the house, as well as the specific angles of the sun at different point in time during the year. This careful siting allowed for maximum views with a minimum of direct summer sun on the main living areas of the house.
Walter White: Stafford house (Escondido, Calif.)
For the Newt and Lillian Stafford house in Escondido, the clients built the original frame house, and White designed a shed-like roof, which was shaped like a butterfly's profile. With the angled roof, some of the interior walls did not reach up to the roof, but gave the appearance of the roof floating above the interior.
Walter White: Calor Gas Service office building
For office buildings for the Calor Gas Service company, White used simple corrugated metal sheets, which he folded around corners and edges of the buildings. White designed buildings in Merced and Susanville for the company, as well as designing graphics and the interior of a company airplane.
Walter White: Valley Lumber Company (Palm Desert, Calif.)
For the Valley Lumber Company in Palm Desert, White designed an addition to the store and office building.
Walter White: White cabin (Los Angeles, Calif.)
After World War II, Walter White designed small cabin-like houses for returning service members in the Hollywood Hills, along Valevista Trail. White and his family lived in one of the cabins for a short time.
Walter White: Smith solar house (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
For the Carroll and Dr. Marlene Smith house in the Black Forest area near Colorado Springs, White designed the house to utilize passive solar architecture in a domestic setting. The house is curved, to take advantage of the view, and contains many of his patented Heat Exchanger Windows.
Walter White: La Quinta units (La Quinta, Calif.)
Walter White designed and built the four houses which are considered the La Quinta Units (or Bungalows) on land adjacent to the Breedlove house, which he built for his mother-in-law. The four T-shaped houses were designed as middle-class dwellings for permanent residents of La Quinta. The uniquely shaped roof with wide overhangs, privacy walls surrounding the garden, and air conditioning highlighted some of the more desirable features of the houses.
Walter White: Prefabricated Mountain Cabins (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Walter White designed a number of Prefabricated Mountain Cabins through the years with the first one being The Yellowstone in 1965. The design started out as a small weekend home, with eventual designs encompassing permanent mountain residences. By utilizing steel beams and cedar planking, the cabins were strong, sturdy, and inexpensive to build and maintain.
This early design by White has been called his "ideal home design." The long, narrow house plan shows a solid wall facing the street, with an open, glass-enclosed side facing a private backyard. Both the plan and elevation highlight the influence of both Frank Lloyd Wright and Rudolph Schindler on White.
Walter White: Kanrich house (Palm Springs, Calif.)
The unbuilt George Kanrich house at the Tamarisk Country Club is a luxurious curved house facing a circular pool. The concave side of the house faced the driveway and contained the utilities and service sections of the house. The convex side faced out onto the pool and the roofline curved upwards so that the inhabitants could enjoy a view of the mountains.
Walter White: Bates house (Palm Springs, Calif.)
The house White designed for Miles Bates in Palm Springs was never built, but would have been a much larger residence than the one built for Bates in Palm Desert. The plan for the house included an experiment in overlapping circles and half circles, with outdoor terraces and upward-sweeping roofs which delivered views of the San Jacinto Mountains.
Walter White: White House (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
The large house White designed for his family at the Kissing Camels Estates outside of Colorado Springs, was the first large house White built for himself. With sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains, the house contained two bedrooms, a study connected to the living room with a roof-height circular fireplace, and an ample porte-cochere.
Walter White: Garden of the Gods Golf Club (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Palm Desert developers Al and Margaret Hill purchased land overlooking the Garden of the Gods park, outside of Colorado Springs, and created a private club. White designed the two-story guest rooms-- a complex of three buildings with forty guest rooms overlooking the golf club and mountains.
Walter White: Kissing Camels guest cottages (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
White designed eighteen guest cottages for the Kissing Camels Golf Club. These one story one- and two- bedroom cottages utilized many of the hallmarks of the California Desert Modern design-- breezeblock entryways, floor to ceiling glass walls, and generous outdoor terraces.
Walter White: Johnson house (Indio, Calif.)
The Philip Johnson house in Indio, was a large house with a Y-shaped plan. This splayed plan allowed for each room to have views in many directions.
Walter White: Johnson house (Palm Desert, Calif.)
The Paulette Herbert Johnson house in Palm Desert was one of White's last houses in the desert before he moved to Colorado Springs. The house was originally designed with a hypar (hyperbolic paraboloid) roof, but was constructed with a flat roof, for unknown reasons.
Walter White: Turner house (Calhan, Colo.)
The Wayne Turner house in Calhan, Colorado is one of White's passive-solar houses with Heat Exchanger Windows. The houses were designed to trap heat inside during the cold winter months, and shade the house from the sun in the hot summer moths. The Heat Exchanger Windows reflected the light and heat away in the summer, and drew in the warmth of the sun in the winter.
The White Energy Integration System (WEIS) was designed as an alternative energy power plant, which pulled air upwards and powered turbines to generate energy. The large structure (496 feet tall and 880,000 square feet of land) would also have contained a sewage treatment plant which also contributed by-products that were converted into energy. Unfortunately after detailed study by scientists in the federal government, it was concluded that the design would not produce the promised amount of energy, and the tower was never built.
Smith and Williams: Bradley house (Pasadena, Calif.)
The Harold Bradley house in Pasadena makes maximum use of a small lot, by yielding a small area to the driveway and garage, and reserving the focal point for a garden terrace. The terrace provides garden views and access for all the major rooms of the house through glass doors and windows. Though placed at the front of the house, privacy was created by effective use of a translucent plastic wall and the natural topography of the site-- the house sits on a slight rise above the street. Wide roof overhangs, up to eight feet, provide shelter to the south and west facing rooms.
Whitney Smith, architect Fred Dapprich, photographer
Smith & Williams records, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Smith and Williams: Zwell house (Pasadena, Calif.)
For the long, narrow, 1300 square foot house for Leo Zwell, Smith designed a straight line of rooms, with each one having a full wall of glass facing onto the brick terrace. A "light trough" or linear skylight provided natural light to the living/dining room ceiling.
Whitney Smith, architect Maynard Parker, photographer Garrett Eckbo, landscape architect
Maynard L. Parker, photographer. Courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.
Smith and Williams: Dunn house (Pasadena, Calif.)
This house may be the strongest example of Smith’s and Williams’s belief in the architect as a solver of problems. Smith convinced the Dunns not to tear down their Greene and Greene-designed James Culbertson house. The Dunns wanted a smaller, less formal house with more light and fewer stairs. Smith and Williams took off the second floor and opened up the first level to the site. As a native son of Pasadena, Smith knew Greene and Greene’s buildings well. His 1941-1942 letters to Charles S. Greene convey his admiration for and the influence of their work.
Whitney Smith, architect Smith and Williams, architects Julius Shulman, photographer William Rudolph, associate architect
© J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10) Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. University of California Regents.
Smith and Williams: Smith house (Pasadena, Calif.)
Smith’s own house began as a garage on a piece of land that had been part of a larger residential property. He wrote about the house in a letter to an editor at the Ladies Home Journal in 1948: “The garden walls and landscaping positively define the total limits of view so that. . . the actual view is about 75 feet, interrupted only by vertical columns and planting. . . .Space means nothing unless defined. Openness means little unless there also is closure.”
Whitney Smith, architect Smith and Williams, architects Julius Shulman, photographer
Smith and Williams: Roulac house (San Marino, Calif.)
Philip Roulac, a builder and contractor, became a frequent client of and collaborator with Smith and Williams. He built most of the houses that Smith and Williams designed in San Marino. When Roulac purchased land that included the 1934 pump house, Smith and Williams incorporated the older structure into the design of his house.