When The Mamas & The Papas released California Dreamin’ in 1965, it was not an immediate hit, but would soon go on to become synonymous with 1960s counterculture – evoking images of hazy summer days and sun-drenched youth. The song, which climbed to number 23 in the UK charts and number four in the USA, is told from the perspective of a narrator who, amidst a slow, cold winter, longs for the warmth of Los Angeles. It’s a tale of yearning, imagination and better times just out of reach. Nearly 30 years later, California Dreamin’ appeared eight times in Wong Kar-wai’s acclaimed Hong Kong-based Chungking Express (1994), a film about romance, dissatisfaction, and the desire for escape. Fast forward to 2010, and California – the version that is in our mind’s eye, at least – remained replete with such imagery. Katy Perry’s California Gurls promised a place where “the grass is really greener,” whilst musicians like Lana Del Rey built personas on dashed ideals and old Hollywood allure.
In visual culture, it’s hard to imagine Los Angeles without conjuring up David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash (1967) in your mind’s eye, or the bold gasoline station prints made famous by Ed Ruscha. Photographer Julius Shulman made his name documenting the region’s modernist architecture; he’s perhaps best known for his image of Pierre Koenig’s Stahl House, as well as pictures of buildings designed by Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames and Frank Lloyd Wright. Shulman’s black-and white prints, notable for their command of light and shadow, helped spread mid-century modern aesthetics across the world. Today, a new generation of photographers continues his legacy. George Byrne has amassed over 150,000 followers on Instagram, sharing abstracted visions of suburban LA. They pop with pastel hues and green palms.
This is the backdrop against which California Houses: Creativity in Context emerges. The book, authored by architecture and design writer Michael Webb, acknowledges how, from early pioneers to Silicon Valley innovators, California has remained a place of creative adventure, daring and experimentation. It’s a compendium of buildings from the past 10 years that respond to their environments: forests, deserts, oceans and city streets. Yet, unlike the songs of the 1960s, today’s projects are not only rooted in sun-drenched idealism; they are facing up to the realities of climate crisis. In 2020 alone, 9,917 fires raged through 4,397,809 acres of Californian land. Now, as state-wide sustainability legislation is rolled out, young thought-leaders are coming up with new ways to reduce emissions whilst resisting wildfires and earthquakes.
A: The word “California” immediately evokes a certain image. Can you give us a whistle-stop tour of the state’s story? How did it become a symbol of style and wealth?
MW: From the Gold Rush of 1848 to the pioneer filmmakers of the 1910s and the tech start-ups of the past three decades, California has long lured adventurous spirits – for its mineral wealth, climate, natural beauty and the opportunity to make a fresh start on the “final frontier” of America. It has the world’s fifth largest economy and people dream of becoming a part of that. Civic boosters and Hollywood movies reinforce the appeal. Plus, a few enlightened architects responded to the challenge of the state’s diverse topography – from sandy beaches to redwood forests, deserts and mountains, along with the urbanity of two major cities. For the past century it has nurtured modernism alongside its Spanish-Mexican heritage.
A: Where does your interest in this place originate from?
MW: Back in 1968, I was living in London and attended a Reyner Banham lecture. He was preparing the classic book, Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies. He spoke of beaches and billboards, freeways and car culture. “So, where’s the city?” I asked. He replied: “You’ll have to go there and find it for yourself.” So, I flew to LA, rented a Mustang convertible and sped up an empty freeway to stay with friends in Pasadena. It was love at first sight. I drove all over: up to Sea Ranch and to the Mojave Desert. Ten years later I moved to LA and never looked back. Writing about modern architecture keeps me going. There’s no shortage of fresh, exciting projects, and the classics are enjoying new popularity.
A: There are several existing publications about Palm Springs living, mid-century modernism and American pop architecture. What approach does your book take?
MW: California Houses: Creativity in Context chronicles 36 houses, completed in the past 10 years, that capture the spirit of the place in distinctive ways, and respond to the natural and built environment. Large and small, urban and rural, they demonstrate the extraordinary range of invention emerging from the studios of established and younger architects. In contrast to previous thematic surveys, which focused on a single place or style, this book emphasises the diversity of ways in which architects have housed their clients, exploiting different forms and materials. Comfort, flexibility and durability are the guiding principles in houses that have the power to inspire and adjust to changing needs.
A: We’ve seen sustainability legislation come into place across California. What does an “eco” house look like?
MW: For responsible architects, sustainability is fundamental to the design process for every type of building. Many aspire to create houses that are net zero. This goal can be partially achieved by employing passive strategies – many of which are centuries old. Thermal mass absorbs heat by day and distributes it at night; cross ventilation traps cooling breezes and evacuates hot air; canopies shade windows from summer sun. Rooftop arrays of solar and photo-voltaic panels, geothermal wells, heat exchangers and high-performance glass all contribute to high levels of sustainability. Rainwater can be collected, stored and used for irrigation.
A: Sadly, the ramifications of climate change are already unfolding. It’s no longer about reducing emissions, but also producing strategies for withstanding natural disasters. What’s the most innovative idea you’ve seen?
MW: Earthquakes are a recurring threat in California, and climate change is intensifying the impact of wildfires, storms, floods and mudslides. Homeowners need to accept that living in wilderness, forest and hilly areas carries risks. Several of the northern California houses featured in this book occupy the sites of properties ravaged by fire and they are designed to withstand another blaze by employing fire-resistant materials, protection from flying embers and sprinklers. Trees and flammable shrubs are cut back around the houses and escape strategies are mapped out far in advance.
A: How did you choose, and categorise, the 36 buildings?
MW: This the 10th book I’ve written on modern houses, in addition to monographs on residential architects, so I have a network of contacts who are doing consistently good work and can introduce me to fresh talent. Whenever I start a book of this kind I wonder if I’ll find enough good material that hasn’t been intensively covered, but I soon discover more than I have room to include. For me, architecture is the most important art. It shapes our lives and the environment, but receives far less media attention than contemporary art and popular music. It’s important to celebrate the architects and clients who are willing to take a chance on a unique design, rather than conforming to their neighbours’ preferences.
A: Which emerging studios are on your “to watch” list?
MW: All of the architects in this collection are in the top one per cent of their profession or I wouldn’t have picked them. I’m delighted that a third are women, who have traditionally been given less authority and respect in the profession, but are now achieving a measure of equality as partners or independent practitioners. “Emerging studio” is a loaded phrase, but I would single out ORA, Ogrydziak Prillinger, Katy Barkan and XTEN as firms that display great promise or have already made their mark – without attracting as much attention as they deserve.
A: If you could live in just one house, which would it be?
MW: That’s like asking a father to pick his favourite child! It’s hard to compare a compact infill in a San Francisco alley, like VeeV Design’s Light Box, with the plant-covered concrete dome of the Hill House in Montecito by Donaldson + Partners. The first is a little gem that functions brilliantly as a home, office and guest apartment; the second is a masterpiece of earth art that embraces views of ocean and mountains, is one with the land, hosts arts events, and yet is net zero. All of the houses I’ve selected excite my admiration, but I’ll stay with my classic Richard Neutra apartment. It was home to Charles and Ray Eames in the 1940s and nurtured some of their best work, so it’s a privilege for me to live there.
A: What has sustained the “California cool” aesthetic?
MW: Myths have a long shelf-life. Modern jazz, the furniture of Eames, a hedonistic lifestyle on a 900-mile coastline, year-round indoor-outdoor living, and the glamour of the entertainment industry all contribute to this image of “California cool”, which peaked in the 1960s but lingers on. The state is home to a multi-ethnic population of 40 million, it is prosperous and progressive and capable of solving its problems. Its image has oscillated between heaven and hell, a benign climate versus fires and drought, idyllic Malibu beach houses and the anomie of suburbia. The reality lies in-between. Nowhere is perfect but California comes closer than most US states.
A: In which directions do you see the field going next?
MW: Constraints on architecture are constantly increasing. Most developers care only for profit; planning departments are constantly throwing up obstacles to innovation; and there is no public lobby for superior design. Adaptive re-use of existing structures is less harmful to the environment than new builds. The best architects triumph over adversity, and I’m sure they have many delightful surprises up their sleeves.
California Houses: Creativity in Context | Thames & Hudson | Published 14 May
Words: Eleanor Sutherland
Image credits:
1. © Bruce Damonte Goto House, Napa County, IwamotoScott Architecture.
2. © Richard Barnes Forest House, Mendocino County, Envelope A+D.
3. © Bruce Damonte Light Box, San Francisco, VeeV Design.
4. © Bruce Damonte Goto House, Napa County, IwamotoScott Architecture.
5. © Joshua White Twin House, Santa Monica, Kevin Daly Architects.
6. © Joe Fletcher Suspension House, Northern California, Fougeron Architecture.
