Richard Neutra's International Style residences in Southern California (1927–1962)

  1. Jardinette Apartments completed in Hollywood, Los Angeles

    Labels: Jardinette Apartments, Hollywood, Richard Neutra

    Neutra’s first U.S. commission (a 43-unit apartment building) signaled an early Southern California embrace of International Style massing—flat roofs, ribbon windows, and minimal ornament—foreshadowing his later residential vocabulary.

  2. Lovell Health House built in Los Feliz

    Labels: Lovell Health, Los Feliz, Richard Neutra

    Designed and built 1927–1929, the Lovell Health House became a landmark of International Style domestic architecture in the U.S., showcasing steel framing, expansive glazing, and a machine-age aesthetic adapted to a steep Los Angeles site.

  3. VDL Research House (VDL I) built in Silver Lake

    Labels: VDL Research, Silver Lake, Richard Neutra

    Neutra’s own house and studio (commissioned by C.H. van der Leeuw) functioned as a living laboratory for modern urban dwelling—compact planning, built-ins, terraces, and extensive glazing—informing many later Southern California residences.

  4. Galka Scheyer House completed on Blue Heights Drive

    Labels: Galka Scheyer, Blue Heights

    Neutra designed this compact, gallery-oriented hillside residence for art dealer Galka Scheyer; it became a notable Modernist social and cultural node in the Hollywood Hills and an example of International Style living-work space.

  5. Landfair Apartments completed in Westwood

    Labels: Landfair Apartments, Westwood, Richard Neutra

    Though multi-family, Landfair is closely tied to Neutra’s International Style domestic work in West Los Angeles: crisp rectilinear volumes, strong horizontals, and glass-forward elevations later echoed in nearby residential commissions.

  6. Strathmore Apartments completed in Westwood

    Labels: Strathmore Apartments, Westwood, Richard Neutra

    Neutra’s 1937 Strathmore complex advanced his Westwood ensemble of International Style housing, pairing standardized modern planning with a bungalow-court concept; it also became historically notable for later design-community residents.

  7. Kaufmann Desert House completed in Palm Springs

    Labels: Kaufmann Desert, Palm Springs, Edgar J

    Commissioned by Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr., the 1946 desert residence became one of Neutra’s most celebrated International Style houses—glass, steel, and stone arranged to frame climate, views, and outdoor rooms in the Coachella Valley.

  8. Bailey House (Case Study House No. 20) completed

    Labels: Bailey House, Case Study, Stuart Bailey

    Neutra’s only built contribution to the Arts & Architecture Case Study House Program was completed for Dr. and Mrs. Stuart Bailey, showcasing prefabrication-minded planning and indoor–outdoor continuity as a mature International Style residence.

  9. Moore House designed in Ojai

    Labels: Moore House, Ojai, James Moore

    Designed in 1952 for James and Orline Moore, this Southern California residence demonstrates Neutra’s later refinement of International Style principles—precise horizontals, transparency, and site-calibrated outdoor features (notably water elements).

  10. Kronish House completed on Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills

    Labels: Kronish House, Beverly Hills, Richard Neutra

    Completed in 1954, this large-scale International Style residence in Beverly Hills is often described as Neutra’s largest North American residential commission, using a pinwheel-like plan and expansive glazing to organize privacy and garden views.

  11. Fire destroys VDL Research House (VDL I)

    Labels: VDL Research, Fire, Richard Neutra

    On the night of 1963-03-21, a fire destroyed Neutra’s VDL Research House, damaging or eliminating much of his office library and materials; the loss prompted a major rebuilding effort that would produce VDL II.

  12. VDL Research House II completed after rebuild

    Labels: VDL Research, Silver Lake, Richard Neutra

    After the 1963 fire, Neutra (with son Dion) rebuilt the VDL house on the original footprint, updating materials and details while preserving its role as an experimental live-work environment central to Neutra’s Southern California residential legacy.

  13. Lovell Health House added to National Register

    Labels: Lovell Health, National Register, Los Feliz

    Federal listing on the National Register of Historic Places formalized the Lovell Health House’s significance as a foundational International Style residence in Southern California and strengthened its preservation status.

  14. Kronish House saved from imminent demolition

    Labels: Kronish House, Preservation, Beverly Hills

    After demolition threats in 2011, preservation advocacy and a change of ownership halted destruction, marking a major turning point in public awareness and protection efforts for Neutra’s Southern California International Style residences.

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19281948196919902011
Last Updated:Jan 1, 1980

Richard Neutra's International Style residences in Southern California (1927–1962)