Richard Neutra's Iconic Architectural Gem

[@williamtyre523]

Very glad to learn about this wonderful house and an underappreciated architect. My favorite bit was the discussion of Neutra's questionnaires for his clients to make sure he was designing a house that would actually function as the client wished. What a concept, I can certainly see why he didn't stay with Wright for long.

[@jamesmcinnis208]

​@@filmbuff000"Underappreciated" and "underrated" seem to be the favorite buzzwords of those who are attempting to claim some superior aesthetic sensibility over the unwashed masses.

[@carolynm.8868]

I love the simplicity and harmony of Neutra architecture. YES, I could happily live in one of his homes.

[@davidcoffey3617]

Neutra understood proportion and scale better than anything I have ever experienced by other architects. His designs ate warm and uplifting. Very live able…

[@PSPguy2]

I live very close to both the Miller House and the Kaufmann Desert House and pass by the latter almost daily. There's always at least one car parked in the road at the entrance with tourists taking photos. Most local people think it's just another Mid-Century Modern house built in the late 50's/early 60's which Palm Springs is noted for. Friends seem to be surprised when I tell them it was actually built in 1947, a decade before the Mid-century Modern homes started being built in abundance here. It probably caused quite a stir with the locals at the time. The Kaufmann house also has a very interesting market history (even auctioned by Christie's in 2014 in their post war and contemporary art auction) along interesting owners including Barry Manilow. It was also the subject of one of Julius Shulman's most famous photographs then again in 1970 was the background in photographer Slim Aaron's iconic "Poolside Gossip". So much more I could mention about this house but I'll stop.

[@jimwhitman3678]

Ken, Your choice of homes and Architects is amazing. Neutra is not talked as much and I appreciate your coverage. You and Ken Burns need to collaborate on American Home History. That would be amazing. 😊

[@Ulf_H]

Neutra is one of my favorite architects. but the residents soon also realized the disadvantage of large window fronts - in Neutra's time there were no 2 or 3-pane insulated glass windows!

[@davidjgill4902]

Both Neutra and Wright did their finest and most famous houses for the same client. That client was Edgar J. Kaufmann, for whom Wright designed "Fallingwater" in 1936 and Neutra designed the Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs, California in 1946.

[@jessicawysocki7844]

I just really loved this because of my interest in architecture. Why I had never even heard of Neutra! Now I reconize his work elsewhere AND in the new modern style!! Thank you so much Ken!!!

[@The_Smith]

Interesting how 'old' 'modern' is. Great video Ken.

[@kennixox262]

Some Japanese architecture that is hundreds of years old is rather pure and modern looking. Clean simple lines.

[@KerrieRedgate]

I love this house! I love all of Neutra's work. He was just too ahead of his time. I think we need this style now. Thank you for this exposé! I enjoyed your commentary.

[@StamperWendy]

I guess there's no end to what can be learned about architecture... Thanks, Ken!

[@colbystearns5238]

I love Neutra's work! I've been inside this home and his earlier Lovell House in Los Feliz and I'm impressed with how he's able to find the artistry inside these minimalist forms. There's a subtle geometry to his buildings that I find very pleasing to the eyes.

[@edgarsnake2857]

As to whether I could live in such a house, the answer is YES. After decades of studying, restoring, and owning Victorian homes, I realized I could live in a home from any era if it was well-designed and well-crafted. I live near the Walter Gropius house. About my 3rd visit I began to notice that, despite the minimalist tubular aspect of the house, there were many functional and innovative design features. Meanwhile, this is another top-shelf video.

[@madamemarmot]

This house is strikingly beautiful and way ahead of its time. I would adore to live there.

[@swilkobarfingtoniii1642]

I linked this video to a friend and said, "If you lived in a Neutra house you'd have to own 20 grey suits. Tight shoes. "Please don't sit on that. It's art." Neutra homes always seemed more 'demanding' on their inhabitants than some of the other modern architects. Strict. Some of the spaces you've shown are more comfortable looking than much of Neutra's designs, which can be rather severe. One of my favorites is 15000 Mulholland Dr. which was build for an industrialist named Henry Singleton (Teledyne/ Litton Industries) and then owned for many years by celebrity hairstylist Vidal Sassoon. It's a beautiful modernist masterpiece, fully integrated on the hillside where it was built. Lovely partitioned areas incorporating cloistered courtyards. Another one that springs to mind is a current listing for rock musician Flea's (RHCP) Neutra house. In that case Flea built a new house ($8M) on the property and kept the Neutra house untouched. He used the old house for his guests on the property.

[@christopherkraft1327]

This house is spectacular!! My aunt was a professor at Cal Poly Pomona & we visited this home a couple of times!!! I really like it!!! Thanks for sharing this exciting video!!! 👍👍🙂

[@badapple65]

The best advancements since the Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright era Would probably be the efficiency of windows today. It now makes more sense to have walls of glass today when not a cozy idea in their day, unless you are blessed to live in a mild climate. IL/WI border here so we rejoice over triple pane technology.

[@trackrash]

The weather in that area is somewhat Mediterranean, with the Santa Monica mountains to the North, that sea breeze from the West is awesome!

[@roncross1945]

I would definitely live in this house. The downside to it these days is that it is deep in the San Gabriel Valley, Pomona area. I love your videos. Thank you so much.

[@fearsomeworrier]

It actually isn't. It's in Silver Lake. It's OWNED by Cal Poly Pomona. Neutra's son I believe gifted it to the Architecture department, which uses it for various things, preserves it, and keeps it open for tours.

[@ezraathome]

Now this is a " Modern home " i would love to live in !!

[@mileshigh1321]

Gorgeous! Everything about it!

[@WilldoAldone]

Love his houses. I would be thrilled and happy to live in one. I would have to pinch myself every morning to wake up in one.Thank you

[@larrynelson3329]

Yes I could happily live there

[@fearsomeworrier]

This house is owned by Cal Poly Pomona, but it's actually in Silver Lake, with a terrific view of the reservoir. In fact, the second floor roof was designed to be a reflecting pool, so you almost get an infinity pool effect when you're sitting on the third floor looking out to the lake.

[@rebeccawillis9650]

It's also beautiful from the sidewalk. Has small pools.

[@jimwiskus8862]

His designs are timeless.

[@stevevice9863]

The Kauffman house in Palm Springs is a masterpiece. One of my favorite pieces of Architecture.

[@BrianJosephMorgan]

Very beautiful.

[@robertoposa1120]

This houses are simply the best - I would love to build one if there was an architecte who would built one

[@mdoy5667]

Junk and uncomfortable. I worked on one. Removing everything.

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

Neutra's house is a fantastic design. I'd live there in a heartbeat.

[@Blissfulkitty-Seattle]

Props to Cal Poly Pomona for restoring, caring for and opening it up to the public.

[@cassandraralph5906]

Very interesting and educational video. I never knew that this man existed. But even so, I am very impressed with his great architectural style. 😊

[@creativo4ever564]

Actually, Neutra also designed some tract homes. One subdivision is located in Orange, California, just before you go up into the hills. Most were designed with carports rather than garages and often contained an enclosed courtyard which led to a door into the interior. Space was definitely at a minimum and certainly contradicts the ever expanding trends from the 80's, 90's and after of the ever expanding square footage. Closets were small, kitchens were functional

[@carlalavonnebedwell5424]

Would so like this clean and minimalistic home to clear my. Ins and have order to all that my family needs. He needs more credit for what we design in todays style.

[@darealberrygarcia]

I feel like Neutra's work is the gold standard now. It all started with Frank Lloyd Wright then got tightened up with John Lautner and Richard Neutra. The best is somewhere in between all of them. I personally do not like ornamental architecture unless you are talking about the mold cement blocks FLW would use in that context. So John Lautner would use them even a but less in detail which is nice too. It's all very revealing to how we have arrived at our current ultra modern homes.

[@heelgraag]

You should do one about the Rietveld-Schroder house, designed by Gerrit Rietveld. The only house ever build that followed all the rules of the 'internatlional style'

[@badapple65]

Thanks for the tip. As a simple YT viewer and huge architectural fan I’ll search out this Reitveld-Schroder house. I live 1 hr 40 min motorcycle ride from Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Northern Home and School. It is my favorite weekend ride from my N. IL home. I’ve always been a huge fan and enjoy seeking out other great architect’s designs.

[@tictoc5443]

Beautiful

[@dougmorris5625]

His home for the Brown family on Fishers Island, NY was called "Windshield". Sadly it burned down.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

I like the look of it, but I also enjoy buildings with ornamentation, whether art deco or baroque or any other style. My understanding is that the early flat roof design was often problematic? Less so today, I suppose. Thank you for the video!

[@veronicaferguson8548]

My best friend who lives in N.Z lives in house designed in a very similar way

[@marnivaughan6024]

My Grandfather,Mischa Kallis had a home designed and built by Schindler. Although young I remember it on Multi View Dr

[@davidjgill4902]

"Loos" as in Adolf Loos is pronounced "loose" as in "loose women."

[@exdus235]

👍👍👍

[@kevinfestner6126]

Been in this house many times, and other Neutra houses. They are very middle class, and well done. Dion Neutra, his son, rebuilt VDL, now VDL II. Upon entering, the senior Neutra exclaimed to his son, you took the soul out of it.

[@metatron007]

You should consider doing a video on the Rennie Mackintosh house in Helensburgh Scotland, its called The Hill House...

[@Daviid-2009]

Hi do you have any sources for the information about "Neutra disliked how Lloyd would ignore clients' needs to impose his own visions, and later developed system of interviews for his clients" would really like to use this info for a research project.

[@LilBrownieD]

Ugh, imagine $220K getting a masterpiece home nowadays. I'll keep hoping.

[@hamode_]

Nice 🙂

[@JonesJones-np2kq]

Hey, do you have a list of those questions?

[@lanaj1107]

I love the home, but those death stairs are terrible.

[@stephenritchings8135]

In what way does the VDL house place "function over form" ? In this case, as in the prototypical modernist paradigm, form is the result of function---given, as ever, the designer's penchant for improving form where possible without detracting from function . . .?

[@marnivaughan6024]

By the way… I believe it’s my grandfather in photo of them looking at plans

[@stime6472]

I can only imagine what the yearly expense is for Windex.

[@rayn8740]

The heating and A/C costs would ridiculous.

[@exdus235]

Not to mention the cost of little lives lost through bird strikes. 🙄

[@stime6472]

@@exdus235 🤣🤣🤣

[@trackrash]

As a former glazier, I refuse to use Windex on windows because it has Ammonia inside, and that turns glass yellow. Glass Plus and other brands don't use Ammonia.

[@BOEHHO89]

Who has to wash all those windows ?

[@fearsomeworrier]

Cal Poly Pomona architecture majors.

[@ropeburnsrussell]

Those flat roofs wont work in New England.

[@bscottb8]

Ken should do a video on Royal Barry Wills, the architect who did for New England what Richard Neutra did for California.

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

some of it I liked, some of it I did not like.

[@UPalooza]

Loos = "Loze"

[@ustinates335]

If there's one thing I've realized by watching vids on his houses, Wright was a lousy architect. An artist, maybe, but not a great architect.

[@MAGAmerican]

Frank Lloyd Right was and still is the Michael Jordan of architecture. ALL others are whoever the guy is that plays for the Lakers. -nuff said

[@universeantimatter627]

Neutra? Geometry dash reference? Aeonair reference?

[@Trudence2]

While I appreciate the simple aesthetic beauty of this house, it's just too open for me. Perhaps if it was located in a more remote area, I'd feel more comfortable. I would always feel like someone is looking in at me, kinda like being in a fish bowl.😀

[@TheOtherKine]

They "look" good but when you actually see it and feel it in person you realise it's a very prison-style

[@ShirleeKnott]

Here's a comment for the algorithm. Did you know it counts all comments, replies and likes to both? Why not help the channel and leave one?