1430 Avon Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90026

John Lautner, FAIA, Architect | Jules Salkin Residence, 1948 | Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 1111 | Renovation by Barbara Bestor, FAIA, Architect. Here on more than a third of an acre in the hills of Echo Park, with panoramic views down the canyon all the way to the ocean in Santa Monica, this early mid-century modern work by the architect incorporates elements learned during his six-year apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright, in addition to the bold experimentation that would come to define his personal oeuvre. On one hand, Wright's principles of the low-cost Usonian house are clearly visible: a small footprint, an emphasis on horizontality, a restricted palette of materials, the principles of compression and release, and the use of board-and-batten redwood siding. On the other hand, Lautner was playful in his expression of the overall form: seven pairs of triangular Douglas Fir timbers create a spine for the house, supporting an upside-down triangular truss roof with … read more …