The Meyer Residence | Ray Kappe, FAIA, 1961/1996

The Meyer Residence, Ray Kappe, FAIA, 1961/1996, is an extraordinary story of joy following destruction by the Northridge earthquake. Built in 1961, it was such an idyllic place to live that the owners asked him not for a new design but a rebuild of the original. Kappe's hilltop post-and-beam design exemplifies the master architect's conviction that renewable resources such as finely crafted clear heart redwood, timber beams, red brick, and glass could be employed in the special interpretation of Modernism that made the radical Sci-Arc founder famous. His homes are handsome and big-boned, yet warm and serene; their interiors open onto a variety of landscapes and terraces. Offset at an angle from the street, its arresting roofline framing of the carport clearly sets the home apart from its neighbors. Throughout the interior, prominent exposed beams acknowledge its Japanese design origins; for his mid-century clients, Kappe enriched that elegant template by creating an open floor plan in common spaces while carefully delineating spaces such as the bedrooms, office, and bathrooms, to secure intimacy and privacy.