The Mystery of L.A.’s "Lost Neutra" House
Is it or isn’t it by the modern master? We figured it out after architects Erik Amir and Dora Chi pulled off a reverent revamp.
Is it or isn’t it by the modern master? We figured it out after architects Erik Amir and Dora Chi pulled off a reverent revamp.
When architects Erik Amir and Dora Chi bought a house perched high on a ridge in L.A.’s Sherman Oaks neighborhood, they inherited not just a collection of plans by the great modernist Richard Neutra, but something of a conundrum. A devastating roof leak in 2019 had left the structure a shell of its former self by the time the couple first visited the property two years later. But there was no question in their minds: They wanted it.
Architects Erik Amir and Dora Chi spent 15 years living and working in Asia before moving to Southern California.
Crystal Seim
"This wasn’t a reconstruction, but a major renovation," says Dora. "The bones were there."
Michael Weber
"It was in horrible condition, but the moment I stepped through the entry, I was like, ‘Hallelujah,’" says Dora. The interior walls had been stripped down to the studs, and the floors were mostly rough concrete, but glass walls at the rear of the house opened to a stunning vista of the San Fernando Valley and the mountains beyond.
Before: When the couple first saw the house, the interior had been gutted, but steel-framed windows and doors opened north to views of the San Fernando Valley and the mountains beyond. With energy efficiency and safety in mind, the architects replaced the glass with new, double-glazed windows and sliders by Fleetwood.
Courtesy Spatial Practice
See the full story on Dwell.com: The Mystery of L.A.’s "Lost Neutra" House
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