John Lautner’s Organic Architecture in the Desert
Inspiration abounds in the architect’s restored modernist compound near Palm Springs
Colin Flavin
April 11, 2019
Houzz Contributor. Principal at Flavin Architects, a New England-based design firm specializing in naturally modern residential projects. Colin’s vision combines sustainable design and respect for a building’s context to create a cutting edge aesthetic. Expertise in restoring Midcentury modern masterpieces.
Houzz Contributor. Principal at Flavin Architects, a New England-based design firm... More
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.
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
A Resort Community for the Postwar Middle Class
Located in the small city of Desert Hot Springs, on the north side of the Coachella Valley, the Lautner Compound is a 20-minute drive from Palm Springs.
The four-dwelling cluster was the prototype (and the only part completed) for what was intended to be a 100-building-plus community of residential, retail and recreational structures on 600 acres. Lucien Hubbard, a Hollywood producer and screenwriter who received the first Academy Award for Best Picture, commissioned the project.
It’s unclear why only the first four units were built. After they were completed in the late 1940s, they were used by Hubbard’s actors and friends as a winter retreat from the prying eyes of Los Angeles.
A Resort Community for the Postwar Middle Class
Located in the small city of Desert Hot Springs, on the north side of the Coachella Valley, the Lautner Compound is a 20-minute drive from Palm Springs.
The four-dwelling cluster was the prototype (and the only part completed) for what was intended to be a 100-building-plus community of residential, retail and recreational structures on 600 acres. Lucien Hubbard, a Hollywood producer and screenwriter who received the first Academy Award for Best Picture, commissioned the project.
It’s unclear why only the first four units were built. After they were completed in the late 1940s, they were used by Hubbard’s actors and friends as a winter retreat from the prying eyes of Los Angeles.
The sloped roofs of the dwellings echo the shape of the mountains in the distance. The units’ asymmetrical roofs, with a low slope on one side and a steeper pitch on the other, give a more naturalistic appearance to the ensemble. Archival photo by Julius Shulman, J. Paul Getty Trust
In the late 1920s, Hubbard had built the B Bar H Ranch on the property, where Hollywood stars could soak up the sun, ride horseback and rope cattle in absolute privacy.
With the end of World War II and the burgeoning of the middle class, Hubbard envisioned a new direction for his property. In 1947 he hired Lautner to design a modern resort community for a broader audience than the Hollywood elite who had enjoyed the ranch up to that point.
Lautner was only 36, but he had already received wide acclaim for the modern houses he had been designing in Los Angeles since the late 1930s.
In the late 1920s, Hubbard had built the B Bar H Ranch on the property, where Hollywood stars could soak up the sun, ride horseback and rope cattle in absolute privacy.
With the end of World War II and the burgeoning of the middle class, Hubbard envisioned a new direction for his property. In 1947 he hired Lautner to design a modern resort community for a broader audience than the Hollywood elite who had enjoyed the ranch up to that point.
Lautner was only 36, but he had already received wide acclaim for the modern houses he had been designing in Los Angeles since the late 1930s.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, his winter home and architectural school, in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert. Photo by Andrew Pielage
Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Organic Architecture
Lautner was born in Marquette, Michigan, in 1911, to parents who were devoted to the arts and architecture. When he was a child, his family designed and built itself a cabin called Midgaard, on a rock outcropping overlooking Lake Superior. In college, Lautner studied philosophy, literature, art and architecture. In 1933 he read Frank Lloyd Wright’s autobiography and soon after joined Wright’s apprenticeship program at Taliesin, staying there until 1939.
Wright first coined the term “organic architecture” to describe his design approach, seen in Fallingwater and Taliesin West, his desert residential apprenticeship school. In both projects, stone and concrete walls connect the building to the earth. The term has come to describe a design movement in which the architecture is inspired by nature, appearing to grow out of the site. Lautner was among the architects who adopted this philosophy in their designs.
Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Organic Architecture
Lautner was born in Marquette, Michigan, in 1911, to parents who were devoted to the arts and architecture. When he was a child, his family designed and built itself a cabin called Midgaard, on a rock outcropping overlooking Lake Superior. In college, Lautner studied philosophy, literature, art and architecture. In 1933 he read Frank Lloyd Wright’s autobiography and soon after joined Wright’s apprenticeship program at Taliesin, staying there until 1939.
Wright first coined the term “organic architecture” to describe his design approach, seen in Fallingwater and Taliesin West, his desert residential apprenticeship school. In both projects, stone and concrete walls connect the building to the earth. The term has come to describe a design movement in which the architecture is inspired by nature, appearing to grow out of the site. Lautner was among the architects who adopted this philosophy in their designs.
Taliesin West drafting room. Photo by Neeta Patel
Lautner assisted in the construction of the Taliesin West drafting room during his apprenticeship with Wright. It’s apparent that the sloped roof of the room, supported from above with bright red wood-clad beams, influenced Lautner’s design in the desert.
Lautner assisted in the construction of the Taliesin West drafting room during his apprenticeship with Wright. It’s apparent that the sloped roof of the room, supported from above with bright red wood-clad beams, influenced Lautner’s design in the desert.
The sunken interior of one dwelling in the Lautner Compound overlooks a cactus garden and terrace through a continuous wall of glass, with a glimpse of the sky above the surrounding high concrete walls. Photo by Mike Schwartz
Lautner’s Modern Pueblo
The four 700-square-foot apartments in the Lautner Compound feature identical layouts, with high walls separating the units and blocking direct views to the outside. This is a surprising approach given the vast and stunning landscape.
The effect is anything but confining, however, as Lautner made an entire side of the homes glass to face a narrow outdoor space and desert garden between the glass line and the “party wall.” These walls are a modern version of the common wall that separates and provides fire protection between row houses.
Lautner’s Modern Pueblo
The four 700-square-foot apartments in the Lautner Compound feature identical layouts, with high walls separating the units and blocking direct views to the outside. This is a surprising approach given the vast and stunning landscape.
The effect is anything but confining, however, as Lautner made an entire side of the homes glass to face a narrow outdoor space and desert garden between the glass line and the “party wall.” These walls are a modern version of the common wall that separates and provides fire protection between row houses.
The desert garden sits above the interior floor level, aligning with the backrest of the couch and giving the impression that one is enveloped in nature. Photo by Dan Chavkin
Lautner lowered the interior floor of the dwellings 2 feet below the ground. This created the feeling of being contained within the earth, much as in the early Pueblo settlements of the Southwest, where the clustered homes were tucked into the ground.
The interiors of the Lautner Compound, enveloped in walls, appear almost womb-like, protected from the harsh desert (and close neighbors). When seated in the living room, your eye level is at the same height as the low desert plantings, creating a beautiful connection to nature.
Lautner lowered the interior floor of the dwellings 2 feet below the ground. This created the feeling of being contained within the earth, much as in the early Pueblo settlements of the Southwest, where the clustered homes were tucked into the ground.
The interiors of the Lautner Compound, enveloped in walls, appear almost womb-like, protected from the harsh desert (and close neighbors). When seated in the living room, your eye level is at the same height as the low desert plantings, creating a beautiful connection to nature.
A window set within restored redwood paneling looks out on the cactus garden and creates a focal point for the compact galley kitchen. Photo by Mike Schwartz
Even in the kitchen, which has been updated and renovated, the window sill is closely aligned with the height of the outdoor cactus garden.
Even in the kitchen, which has been updated and renovated, the window sill is closely aligned with the height of the outdoor cactus garden.
The living units nest together. The total footprint for the four, including parking and terrace-garden, is only 4,750 square feet.
The Compound’s Unconventional Layout
The layout of the units is also anything but traditional, with almost no right angles to the plan, helping the diminutive 700 square feet of each unit appear much larger.
The sunbathing courtyard is surrounded by high walls, separating it from the adjacent parking and providing privacy. In addition to being private, the walled compound is well suited to the desert environment, avoiding heat gain through glass, particularly on the south and west sides of the buildings.
The Compound’s Unconventional Layout
The layout of the units is also anything but traditional, with almost no right angles to the plan, helping the diminutive 700 square feet of each unit appear much larger.
The sunbathing courtyard is surrounded by high walls, separating it from the adjacent parking and providing privacy. In addition to being private, the walled compound is well suited to the desert environment, avoiding heat gain through glass, particularly on the south and west sides of the buildings.
A narrow slot between the canted concrete wall and the sloped roof catches the morning sun, creating a light well the keeps the relatively walled-in house from feeling gloomy. Photo by Mike Schwartz
Each studio apartment features a combined living and bedroom area, with sliding windows that open onto the desert garden and private terrace garden. At either end of the unit are the bathroom and kitchen. Given the self-sufficiency of the units, it’s likely they were intended for long-term winter rental or ownership.
Each studio apartment features a combined living and bedroom area, with sliding windows that open onto the desert garden and private terrace garden. At either end of the unit are the bathroom and kitchen. Given the self-sufficiency of the units, it’s likely they were intended for long-term winter rental or ownership.
Lautner reversed standard construction, where steel beams are installed first and concrete is placed on top. His approach allows the steel beams to define the exterior appearance. Photo by Dan Chavkin
The Iconic Steel Exoskeleton
The structure of the compound is primarily concrete, starting with a slab-on-grade and poured concrete walls that make the party walls separating the units. Eschewing right angles in the project, Lautner designed pleated and tapered concrete walls that seem to grow out of the land.
Four steel beams that support the roof of each unit are set within the concrete walls. Lautner then suspended the concrete roof below the steel beams, leaving the beams exposed on top.
These angled steel beams are the signature design element of the complex. Visible from a distance, they echo the surrounding mountains and stand out like the skeleton of a dinosaur.
The Iconic Steel Exoskeleton
The structure of the compound is primarily concrete, starting with a slab-on-grade and poured concrete walls that make the party walls separating the units. Eschewing right angles in the project, Lautner designed pleated and tapered concrete walls that seem to grow out of the land.
Four steel beams that support the roof of each unit are set within the concrete walls. Lautner then suspended the concrete roof below the steel beams, leaving the beams exposed on top.
These angled steel beams are the signature design element of the complex. Visible from a distance, they echo the surrounding mountains and stand out like the skeleton of a dinosaur.
Owners Tracy Beckmann and Ryan Trowbridge stand on the terrace of the end unit. Photo by Dan Chavkin
Restoring a Desert Masterpiece
The current owners, business partners Ryan Trowbridge and Tracy Beckmann, discovered the Lautner Compound by accident in 2007 while researching the architect for a home that they were renovating in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. They came across an online real estate listing for the “Desert Hot Springs Motel” apartment complex in Desert Hot Springs and drove out to see it the next morning.
Beckmann, an interior designer, had fallen hard for Lautner’s architecture in the late 1990s, when she worked as a set designer for a film shoot at Lautner’s iconic Sheats-Goldstein House in Los Angeles. She loved how the coffered concrete roof appeared to cantilever over the Hollywood Hills, as if lifted from the ground and leaving its imprint in the shape of the swimming pool below. “My life was never the same,” she says. “I knew one day I had to own a piece of his work.”
Restoring a Desert Masterpiece
The current owners, business partners Ryan Trowbridge and Tracy Beckmann, discovered the Lautner Compound by accident in 2007 while researching the architect for a home that they were renovating in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. They came across an online real estate listing for the “Desert Hot Springs Motel” apartment complex in Desert Hot Springs and drove out to see it the next morning.
Beckmann, an interior designer, had fallen hard for Lautner’s architecture in the late 1990s, when she worked as a set designer for a film shoot at Lautner’s iconic Sheats-Goldstein House in Los Angeles. She loved how the coffered concrete roof appeared to cantilever over the Hollywood Hills, as if lifted from the ground and leaving its imprint in the shape of the swimming pool below. “My life was never the same,” she says. “I knew one day I had to own a piece of his work.”
Beckmann describes the desert property as being “in terrible shape” when they bought it in 2008, with most of the original redwood paneling rotted away and the interior and exterior covered in stucco.
Two of the walls of the enclosed terrace garden are lightweight redwood construction, which had badly deteriorated and needed to be replaced. (This is an indication that Lautner was inexperienced in working in the desert, as clear-finished wood deteriorates quickly under the desert sun.) Now the exterior wood is maintained with a coat of teak oil every three months.
In the photos taken in the 1940s, the gardens included lawns and other water-loving plants, another desert novice mistake. The current cactus gardens are better suited to the environment, and the sand in which the cactuses are placed creates a Zen garden aesthetic.
Two of the walls of the enclosed terrace garden are lightweight redwood construction, which had badly deteriorated and needed to be replaced. (This is an indication that Lautner was inexperienced in working in the desert, as clear-finished wood deteriorates quickly under the desert sun.) Now the exterior wood is maintained with a coat of teak oil every three months.
In the photos taken in the 1940s, the gardens included lawns and other water-loving plants, another desert novice mistake. The current cactus gardens are better suited to the environment, and the sand in which the cactuses are placed creates a Zen garden aesthetic.
However, the “bones” of the buildings — the concrete walls, roof and steel supporting beams — were intact.
Beckmann and Trowbridge did most of the renovation work themselves over the course of four years. Beckmann took the lead on interior design, focusing on the finishes. Trowbridge, a skilled furniture designer and builder, took on the carpentry and general construction. They subcontracted specialized electrical and plumbing work.
One of the biggest challenges the pair faced was the lack of right angles, which meant that replacing the redwood paneling often required several cuts to get it right.
Another challenge was keeping the roof from leaking. Trowbridge replaced an existing tar paper roof with a modern spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roof. The foam has been able to fill the gaps between the steel and concrete better, which has helped minimize leaks, he says.
Beckmann and Trowbridge did most of the renovation work themselves over the course of four years. Beckmann took the lead on interior design, focusing on the finishes. Trowbridge, a skilled furniture designer and builder, took on the carpentry and general construction. They subcontracted specialized electrical and plumbing work.
One of the biggest challenges the pair faced was the lack of right angles, which meant that replacing the redwood paneling often required several cuts to get it right.
Another challenge was keeping the roof from leaking. Trowbridge replaced an existing tar paper roof with a modern spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roof. The foam has been able to fill the gaps between the steel and concrete better, which has helped minimize leaks, he says.
Archival photo by Julius Shulman, J. Paul Getty Trust
Historical black-and-white photos made it possible for Beckmann and Trowbridge to see some of the original finishes — the grain of the natural wood siding, for example — but the paint colors remained a mystery.
Historical black-and-white photos made it possible for Beckmann and Trowbridge to see some of the original finishes — the grain of the natural wood siding, for example — but the paint colors remained a mystery.
Photo by Mike Schwartz
They removed the rough stucco covering the concrete walls and ceiling and then troweled on smooth cement with a wax finish. They used other Lautner buildings as reference for colors, keeping the concrete and redwood their natural colors, adding a pop of red to the steel beams as in Wright’s Taliesin West drafting room.
The homeowners’ goal was to be respectful of Lautner’s original design while also updating the interiors for today’s comfort and standards. The big moves inside — the light gray concrete ceilings and floors, the wood-frame windows and redwood paneling — are true to the original design. For furniture, they chose midcentury classics, along with Trowbridge’s own custom design for the beds.
They removed the rough stucco covering the concrete walls and ceiling and then troweled on smooth cement with a wax finish. They used other Lautner buildings as reference for colors, keeping the concrete and redwood their natural colors, adding a pop of red to the steel beams as in Wright’s Taliesin West drafting room.
The homeowners’ goal was to be respectful of Lautner’s original design while also updating the interiors for today’s comfort and standards. The big moves inside — the light gray concrete ceilings and floors, the wood-frame windows and redwood paneling — are true to the original design. For furniture, they chose midcentury classics, along with Trowbridge’s own custom design for the beds.
Photo by Dan Chavkin
The kitchens and bathrooms had been changed over the years and the original finishes lost. The couple replaced the bathroom fixtures and finishes but retained the original layout. They used new tiles from Heath Ceramics, a company that has been designing and making tile in California since 1948. The light fixture is from Liz’s Antique Hardware in Los Angeles. The sink is from Duravit.
The kitchens and bathrooms had been changed over the years and the original finishes lost. The couple replaced the bathroom fixtures and finishes but retained the original layout. They used new tiles from Heath Ceramics, a company that has been designing and making tile in California since 1948. The light fixture is from Liz’s Antique Hardware in Los Angeles. The sink is from Duravit.
Photo by Mike Schwartz
The owners did change some elements, including walling in the property to create privacy and to protect it from flash flooding, which has damaged it in the past.
The owners did change some elements, including walling in the property to create privacy and to protect it from flash flooding, which has damaged it in the past.
Photo by Dan Chavkin
They added an outdoor terrace on the east side of Unit 2. Echoing the original design theme by Lautner, the terrace sits below the planted area on the left.
The owners no longer allow cars to enter the grounds. “The inner courtyard is a place for reflection, peace and privacy … not cars,” Beckmann says.
For fans of the Lautner Compound, the tour doesn’t have to end here. Trowbridge and Beckmann rent out its four apartment units as short-term vacation rentals.
More on Houzz
Learn about other historic homes
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They added an outdoor terrace on the east side of Unit 2. Echoing the original design theme by Lautner, the terrace sits below the planted area on the left.
The owners no longer allow cars to enter the grounds. “The inner courtyard is a place for reflection, peace and privacy … not cars,” Beckmann says.
For fans of the Lautner Compound, the tour doesn’t have to end here. Trowbridge and Beckmann rent out its four apartment units as short-term vacation rentals.
More on Houzz
Learn about other historic homes
Work with an architect in your area
Shop for modern-style home products
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Ok, I have to put this on my bucket list! Just beautiful -- thank you for restoring this gem.
Very informative. Thanks
Beautiful bones, gorgeous remodel, congrats !