John Lautner’s Organic Architecture in the Desert

Inspiration abounds in the architect’s restored modernist compound near Palm Springs

Colin Flavin | Houzz Contributor

Set incongruously in the Southern California desert on a street lined with modest ranch-style homes, the Lautner Compound is a cluster of four attached homes with undulating steel and concrete roofs partially set down into the earth. The dwellings are ingeniously nested together, achieving privacy and connection to the desert while occupying a surprisingly small footprint.

For years, the buildings were known to fans of midcentury architect John Lautner as the only surviving multifamily project he designed, but they were otherwise overlooked and neglected as nearby Palm Springs became justly famous for its modern houses. 

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the current owners, the compound has been restored and updated, and it was featured in Palm Springs’ Modernism Week this year. Read on to learn more about the design and renovation of this iconic cluster of buildings.

The buildings of the Lautner Compound, shown here after the renovation to restore their original appearance. Photo by Dan Chavkin

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William Krisel’s Twin Palms: A Modern American Dream

This innovative Palm Springs housing development turns 60 this year. See why it’s as relevant as ever.

Colin Flavin | Houzz Contributor

The year 2018 marks the 60th anniversary of the completion of architect William Krisel’s crowning achievement: Twin Palms, a subdivision of 90 homes on the south side of Palm Springs, in the California desert. The project was the perfect marriage between a progressive builder and a master architect, both intent on creating a new type of residential development that appealed to the burgeoning middle class after World War II. “It was the end result of everything I wanted to do,” Krisel said.

William Krisel sits in front of a home he designed in the Twin Palms neighborhood. Photo by James Schnepf for Palm Springs Modern Living.

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Celebrate Rudolph Schindler’s Kings Road House

This Southern California modernist home, which marks its 95th birthday this year, is still a game changer

Colin Flavin | Houzz Contributor

Rudolph Schindler’s Kings Road House in West Hollywood, California, remains an inspiration 95 years after it was completed: In his first built project, Schindler was able to design one of the word’s first truly modern houses and integrate it into its environment in a way that hadn’t been seen. As architectural critic and historian Reyner Banham wrote in 1971, “Schindler designed a house as if there had never been houses before.”

Seen from the garden of the Kings Road House is Schindler’s studio, right, and that of wife Pauline, center. Photo by Joshua White

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Adding More of a Good Thing to a Midcentury Modern Home

Here’s how to add space and still keep the spirit of a vintage home

Colin Flavin | Houzz Contributor

I love how midcentury homes often fit beautifully into their neighborhoods. Many are only a single story, with low-pitch roofs and subdued color palettes. The homes also tend to be small and are often in need of enlarging to accommodate contemporary households. Fortunately, designers have come a long way from the 1970s and ‘80s, when midcentury was out of fashion and additions often disregarded the original house design.

What is the best approach to making an addition to a midcentury home, while keeping the spirit of the original home intact? Should the addition harmonize or contrast with the existing home? Should the addition be placed out of sight from the street or be a new focal point? There is no right answer; it depends on the character of the original house and your own design personality. From the Pacific Northwest to Cape Cod, here are some creative approaches to adding on to a midcentury home.

Mid-Century Modern Addition, Truro, MA by Hammer Architects

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