Modern Architecture
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Midcentury Marvel: Is That a Pool in the Living Room?
Step inside the Raymond Loewy house, a modernist hideaway in the California desert designed by architect Albert Frey
The Raymond Loewy house in Palm Springs, California, designed by Albert Frey for the celebrated industrial designer in 1946, isn’t what you might expect of a home created for a celebrity client. Instead of a large, lavish house, Frey’s design is pint-size, built with low-cost materials and beautifully integrated into the landscape, an innovative approach that continues to be relevant.
The house punches above its weight by making a seamless connection between the home’s interior, the exterior courtyard and the desert beyond. Frey’s approach to design, so different from the Spanish-style homes popular at the time, helped create a new style of architecture called Desert Modern.
The house punches above its weight by making a seamless connection between the home’s interior, the exterior courtyard and the desert beyond. Frey’s approach to design, so different from the Spanish-style homes popular at the time, helped create a new style of architecture called Desert Modern.
A Studebaker Avanti, an automobile designed by Raymond Loewy’s team, is tucked away in the carport of the home. Loewy’s initial sketches for the car were prepared in the Frey-designed house.
Creating a Famous Designer’s Winter Getaway
In 1946, 12 years after arriving in Palm Springs, Frey was commissioned by Raymond Loewy, the famous industrial designer of such icons as the Studebaker Avanti, Shell gas logo and Greyhound bus, to build a home. Loewy was in high demand worldwide, and he called on Frey to design him a modest-size bachelor pad as a winter getaway.
Creating a Famous Designer’s Winter Getaway
In 1946, 12 years after arriving in Palm Springs, Frey was commissioned by Raymond Loewy, the famous industrial designer of such icons as the Studebaker Avanti, Shell gas logo and Greyhound bus, to build a home. Loewy was in high demand worldwide, and he called on Frey to design him a modest-size bachelor pad as a winter getaway.
Next to the carport, the boulder field was left intact.
A celebration of the environment. Frey was brilliant at adapting to a challenging site. Rather than coming in with a preconceived idea for the house and landscape design, he let the natural features of the site lead the way. The property Loewy chose sloped sharply down from the road and featured a magnificent boulder field.
To deal with the steep grade and leave the boulder field intact, Frey placed the carport close to the road. The house is accessible only by foot via a path leading down from the carport. The path skirts the perimeter of the boulder field.
The house, invisible from the road, is set on a lower and relatively flat portion of the site, with fewer boulders. It’s carefully placed within the rocks, which become an integral part of the house and landscape design.
A celebration of the environment. Frey was brilliant at adapting to a challenging site. Rather than coming in with a preconceived idea for the house and landscape design, he let the natural features of the site lead the way. The property Loewy chose sloped sharply down from the road and featured a magnificent boulder field.
To deal with the steep grade and leave the boulder field intact, Frey placed the carport close to the road. The house is accessible only by foot via a path leading down from the carport. The path skirts the perimeter of the boulder field.
The house, invisible from the road, is set on a lower and relatively flat portion of the site, with fewer boulders. It’s carefully placed within the rocks, which become an integral part of the house and landscape design.
View from the entry walk toward the front door.
The house is designed in an L-shape, with the outside of the L facing the entry walk from the carport. On the approach, the house seems fortresslike, with a tall, blank wall facing the path. This wall, built of wood framing and clad in corrugated metal, is a clever design move by Frey to completely block the beautiful view to the south.
Frey creates a sense of anticipation by withholding the grand view. Even on entering the house, the view is contained within a compact foyer.
The house is designed in an L-shape, with the outside of the L facing the entry walk from the carport. On the approach, the house seems fortresslike, with a tall, blank wall facing the path. This wall, built of wood framing and clad in corrugated metal, is a clever design move by Frey to completely block the beautiful view to the south.
Frey creates a sense of anticipation by withholding the grand view. Even on entering the house, the view is contained within a compact foyer.
The view south from the living room looks toward the pool and desert. Sunlight reflected by the pool plays on the ceiling.
The big reveal. Only in the living room is the magnificent desert landscape laid out in front of you. The sides of the house facing the courtyard are walls of sliding glass and literally open the house up to the outdoors.
The big reveal. Only in the living room is the magnificent desert landscape laid out in front of you. The sides of the house facing the courtyard are walls of sliding glass and literally open the house up to the outdoors.
The site plan is color-coded to show the interior spaces of the house in red. The courtyard spaces, shown in orange, more than double the perceived dimensions of the home.
Inside and out become one. The interior spaces of this house for a celebrity client are remarkably modest in size, totaling only 1,100 square feet. The living room is 14 by 16 feet and the bedrooms are 11 by 12 feet; the house even dispenses with almost all circulation halls. In fact, to reach the second guest bedroom, one either has to walk through another bedroom or walk outside the house under the shelter of an overhanging eave.
A wall of sliding glass doors opens the house to the south, making the home feel larger. With the living room doors open, a clear opening of 15 feet is created, allowing a seamless flow from inside to out.
Inside and out become one. The interior spaces of this house for a celebrity client are remarkably modest in size, totaling only 1,100 square feet. The living room is 14 by 16 feet and the bedrooms are 11 by 12 feet; the house even dispenses with almost all circulation halls. In fact, to reach the second guest bedroom, one either has to walk through another bedroom or walk outside the house under the shelter of an overhanging eave.
A wall of sliding glass doors opens the house to the south, making the home feel larger. With the living room doors open, a clear opening of 15 feet is created, allowing a seamless flow from inside to out.
View of the steel and redwood trellis, with the dining terrace in the foreground.
Frey cleverly designed a steel and redwood trellis that completes the open sides of the house and defines the perimeter of the outside courtyard, creating an outdoor room. The result is that the perceived size of the house is no longer just 1,100 square feet, but rather the full dimension from the solid rear walls of the house to the perimeter of the trellis — a total of about 2,800 square feet.
Frey cleverly designed a steel and redwood trellis that completes the open sides of the house and defines the perimeter of the outside courtyard, creating an outdoor room. The result is that the perceived size of the house is no longer just 1,100 square feet, but rather the full dimension from the solid rear walls of the house to the perimeter of the trellis — a total of about 2,800 square feet.
The swimming pool is the focal point of the courtyard. Photo by David A. Lee
The outdoor courtyard spaces are as carefully considered as the interior. The focal point of the courtyard is an amoeba-shaped pool that Frey called “pure Loewy.” Loewy loved the forms of nature and collected amoeba-shaped slabs of stone from the Salton Sea that he displayed on walls of the house.
The outdoor courtyard spaces are as carefully considered as the interior. The focal point of the courtyard is an amoeba-shaped pool that Frey called “pure Loewy.” Loewy loved the forms of nature and collected amoeba-shaped slabs of stone from the Salton Sea that he displayed on walls of the house.
The amoeba-shaped stone slab visible above the fireplace was collected by Raymond Loewy from the Salton Sea. It bears a strong resemblance to the shape of the pool, which Frey credited him with conceiving.
The sliding glass door is supported on one of the boulders found on the site. Frey’s early experience researching sliding glass doors for the Villa Savoye certainly came in handy.
The pool’s perimeter is shaped around existing boulders. One end of the pool extends under the sliding glass doors right into the living room, creating a literal indoor-outdoor connection. One particularly large boulder forms the support for the sliding doors and emerges in the living room.
Parties at the house were known to get a little wild, and legend has it that actor and neighbor William Powell once fell into the pool. Jim Gaudineer, the home’s current owner, installed a bench to prevent people from falling in.
The pool’s perimeter is shaped around existing boulders. One end of the pool extends under the sliding glass doors right into the living room, creating a literal indoor-outdoor connection. One particularly large boulder forms the support for the sliding doors and emerges in the living room.
Parties at the house were known to get a little wild, and legend has it that actor and neighbor William Powell once fell into the pool. Jim Gaudineer, the home’s current owner, installed a bench to prevent people from falling in.
The dining terrace.
On the east side of the pool, Frey designed a freestanding semicircular outdoor dining terrace, which was later enclosed in acrylic panels to moderate the desert’s cool evenings. One can’t help but imagine Loewy’s influence on this sensuous feature.
On the east side of the pool, Frey designed a freestanding semicircular outdoor dining terrace, which was later enclosed in acrylic panels to moderate the desert’s cool evenings. One can’t help but imagine Loewy’s influence on this sensuous feature.
The Kaufmann house, designed by Richard Neutra. Extensive stone walls, custom aluminum vertical louvers and varnished wood ceilings are some of the exotic and expensive features that contrast with the industrial materials used by Albert Frey on the Loewy house.
Grand Ambitions Accomplished With Modest Size and Materials
“I’m much more interested to get the most for the least money. It’s a challenge that way,” Frey said in an interview with Jennifer Golub for Albert Frey Houses 1 + 2.
By remarkable coincidence, Richard Neutra’s famous Kaufmann house was under construction at the same time as the Loewy house, on an adjacent lot by the same contractor.
The difference between these two houses tells much about Frey’s unique approach to design. The house Neutra designed is much more what was expected in houses of that time for wealthy clients. It’s large — over 3,000 square feet — and built with expensive and refined materials, including mortared stone walls, some rising two stories in height; varnished exterior wood soffits; and custom manufactured aluminum sun louvers. On the other hand, Frey’s Loewy house is much smaller and features much more modest materials.
Grand Ambitions Accomplished With Modest Size and Materials
“I’m much more interested to get the most for the least money. It’s a challenge that way,” Frey said in an interview with Jennifer Golub for Albert Frey Houses 1 + 2.
By remarkable coincidence, Richard Neutra’s famous Kaufmann house was under construction at the same time as the Loewy house, on an adjacent lot by the same contractor.
The difference between these two houses tells much about Frey’s unique approach to design. The house Neutra designed is much more what was expected in houses of that time for wealthy clients. It’s large — over 3,000 square feet — and built with expensive and refined materials, including mortared stone walls, some rising two stories in height; varnished exterior wood soffits; and custom manufactured aluminum sun louvers. On the other hand, Frey’s Loewy house is much smaller and features much more modest materials.
Detail view of the entry to the Loewy house, where industrial materials abound.
Clever use of industrial materials. Frey not only used materials that were readily available in Palm Springs, but he also incorporated exposed sheet metal siding, concrete block and steel framing, materials more often associated with farming and industrial buildings.
The tall wall on the right side of the entrance is clad in galvanized corrugated metal, achieving an edgy look 50 years before Frank Gehry broke the mold with his zinc- and titanium-clad buildings. The wall directly ahead is simple concrete block laid in a stacked bond pattern, painted white. The primary walls of the house are standard stick frame construction and clad in stucco. Instead of the expensive wood used for the Kauffman house ceilings, Frey’s ceiling canopy is made of stucco and painted a playful orange.
Note how informally Frey deals with rainwater runoff from the roof: A small drain pipe protrudes from the underside of the overhang, and directly below on the concrete floor is a standard drain. The house rests on a concrete slab covered in part in simple tile and carpet.
Clever use of industrial materials. Frey not only used materials that were readily available in Palm Springs, but he also incorporated exposed sheet metal siding, concrete block and steel framing, materials more often associated with farming and industrial buildings.
The tall wall on the right side of the entrance is clad in galvanized corrugated metal, achieving an edgy look 50 years before Frank Gehry broke the mold with his zinc- and titanium-clad buildings. The wall directly ahead is simple concrete block laid in a stacked bond pattern, painted white. The primary walls of the house are standard stick frame construction and clad in stucco. Instead of the expensive wood used for the Kauffman house ceilings, Frey’s ceiling canopy is made of stucco and painted a playful orange.
Note how informally Frey deals with rainwater runoff from the roof: A small drain pipe protrudes from the underside of the overhang, and directly below on the concrete floor is a standard drain. The house rests on a concrete slab covered in part in simple tile and carpet.
The grid of pecky cypress wood was Loewy’s suggestion and creates a screen of privacy for the bedrooms. Photo by David A. Lee
Desert adaptations. This home features two instances of exterior wood: the pecky cypress screen that Frey designed with Loewy, seen here, as well as the poolside trellis made of redwood. Gaudineer describes the wood as a “nightmare” to maintain due to the harsh sun.
This was part of Frey’s education of the desert environment, and he clearly learned a lesson here. The exteriors of his future homes feature much more durable materials. For example, in the house he designed for himself, the Frey House II, there is no exterior wood, only concrete block, corrugated metal and steel beams.
More: Learn about other iconic homes’ history and architecture
Desert adaptations. This home features two instances of exterior wood: the pecky cypress screen that Frey designed with Loewy, seen here, as well as the poolside trellis made of redwood. Gaudineer describes the wood as a “nightmare” to maintain due to the harsh sun.
This was part of Frey’s education of the desert environment, and he clearly learned a lesson here. The exteriors of his future homes feature much more durable materials. For example, in the house he designed for himself, the Frey House II, there is no exterior wood, only concrete block, corrugated metal and steel beams.
More: Learn about other iconic homes’ history and architecture
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Jim Gaudineer owns the home designed in 1946 for Raymond Loewy
Location: Palm Springs, California
Size: 1,100 square feet (102 square meters); the courtyard is 1,700 square feet (158 square meters)
Architect: Albert Frey
Architect Albert Frey’s defining quality was his ability to learn from and adapt his designs to the local environment he was building in.
Frey grew up and attended architectural school in Switzerland. As a young man, he worked for the famed Swiss architect Le Corbusier. During that time, he was responsible for the detailed design of many elements of the Villa Savoye, including the sliding glass doors and cabinetry. Sliding glass doors weren’t available in France at that time, so Frey based his detailing on the Sweets catalog, a resource for standard building materials widely used by American architects. Sliding glass was to become a key feature of Frey’s future home designs.
Frey emigrated to the U.S. from Switzerland in 1922, initially living and working in New York. The good fortune of receiving a modest commission in Palm Springs in 1934 brought the young architect west, where he set up his practice with John Porter Clark. At the time, Palm Springs was growing as a winter getaway for the stars of Hollywood, including Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant and many others. The crowd was open to the innovative ideas of a small band of modernist architects practicing there, which already included Donald Wexler, Richard Neutra and William Krisel.
The desert had a profound influence on Frey. As he wrote of Palm Springs to his mentor Le Corbusier, “It provides the rare pleasure of combining a magnificent natural environment with being a center for interesting and varied activities. Moreover, the sun, the pure air and the simple forms of the desert create perfect conditions for architecture.”