Architecture
Modern Architecture
Architect Ray Kappe’s Work Debuts in the California Desert
See the modern architect’s newly built design, showcased at Palm Springs Modernism Week, that honors its site and views
Developer Ed Freeman envisioned a community of architectural gems on his 112-acre parcel of land in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains overlooking Palm Springs in Southern California. The houses would nestle in the natural environment amid large, rounded boulders on an alluvial fan, which formed from water that has flowed from the mountains for millennia. Freeman wanted his first speculative house in the development to not only be beautifully connected to the land but also to be true to the tradition of midcentury homes that form the architectural identity of Palm Springs.
He thought renowned architect Ray Kappe would be a perfect choice to design the spec house, which was finished in March 2021. This turned out to be one of the last projects Kappe designed; he passed away just before the home was finished. The house made its public debut soon after completion, opening for tours recently at this year’s Palm Springs Modernism Week, a festival of modern architecture held annually since 2006. It’s a fitting conclusion to Kappe’s career, combining the best elements of midcentury style with today’s focus on environmental stewardship.
He thought renowned architect Ray Kappe would be a perfect choice to design the spec house, which was finished in March 2021. This turned out to be one of the last projects Kappe designed; he passed away just before the home was finished. The house made its public debut soon after completion, opening for tours recently at this year’s Palm Springs Modernism Week, a festival of modern architecture held annually since 2006. It’s a fitting conclusion to Kappe’s career, combining the best elements of midcentury style with today’s focus on environmental stewardship.
Photo by Steve Shaw
A Celebrated Southern California Modern Architect
Kappe was born in 1927 and worked steadily until his death at age 92, designing more than 100 homes in Southern California. He was the founding director of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), which opened in 1972.
Kappe’s homes are known for how sensitively they’re placed on their sites, with minimal disruption of the natural shape of the land. The interiors feature flowing spaces of stepped floor levels and exposed post-and-beam structures that tell the story of how the homes were built. Freeman loved these features, and indeed they were carried through to the house Kappe designed at the Desert Palisades development.
Though he’s recognized as one of Southern California’s greatest modern residential architects, Kappe had never designed a house in Palm Springs, where modern architecture has flourished since the 1930s. The area includes homes designed by Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Albert Frey and many others. Kappe’s lack of experience in the desert didn’t faze Freeman, who was confident Kappe had the energy and creativity to adapt his approach.
A Celebrated Southern California Modern Architect
Kappe was born in 1927 and worked steadily until his death at age 92, designing more than 100 homes in Southern California. He was the founding director of the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), which opened in 1972.
Kappe’s homes are known for how sensitively they’re placed on their sites, with minimal disruption of the natural shape of the land. The interiors feature flowing spaces of stepped floor levels and exposed post-and-beam structures that tell the story of how the homes were built. Freeman loved these features, and indeed they were carried through to the house Kappe designed at the Desert Palisades development.
Though he’s recognized as one of Southern California’s greatest modern residential architects, Kappe had never designed a house in Palm Springs, where modern architecture has flourished since the 1930s. The area includes homes designed by Richard Neutra, John Lautner, Albert Frey and many others. Kappe’s lack of experience in the desert didn’t faze Freeman, who was confident Kappe had the energy and creativity to adapt his approach.
The Desert Palisades site during construction. Photo by Ed Freeman
Kappe Visits Palm Springs
Freeman invited Kappe and his son to visit the development site. According to Freeman, the Kappes were impressed with the environmentally sensitive layout and design standards at the site, where low-profile modern houses were encouraged, materials were to blend with the desert, no fences or walls were permitted between properties and native planting was advocated — all to maintain the desert character.
After a few visits, a southeast-facing lot was chosen for the spec home. Freeman described the property as “loaded with natural power and character, with a gentle slope next to an ancient ravine.” The property also had magnificent views to the south and to the west of the San Jacinto Mountains.
The program called for a 3,200-square-foot house, with an open-plan arrangement for kitchen, living and dining. It needed to contain three bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, as well as terraces and a swimming pool. Specific layout and aesthetics were left to Kappe.
Freeman was pleased with the decision to build the house of steel, concrete and glass, materials that weather well in a desert environment.
Kappe Visits Palm Springs
Freeman invited Kappe and his son to visit the development site. According to Freeman, the Kappes were impressed with the environmentally sensitive layout and design standards at the site, where low-profile modern houses were encouraged, materials were to blend with the desert, no fences or walls were permitted between properties and native planting was advocated — all to maintain the desert character.
After a few visits, a southeast-facing lot was chosen for the spec home. Freeman described the property as “loaded with natural power and character, with a gentle slope next to an ancient ravine.” The property also had magnificent views to the south and to the west of the San Jacinto Mountains.
The program called for a 3,200-square-foot house, with an open-plan arrangement for kitchen, living and dining. It needed to contain three bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, as well as terraces and a swimming pool. Specific layout and aesthetics were left to Kappe.
Freeman was pleased with the decision to build the house of steel, concrete and glass, materials that weather well in a desert environment.
Drawing by Ray Kappe
The Desert Palisades House
The design Kappe came up with is a master class in how an architect can adapt his approach to a new environment and current tastes without abandoning his principles. Kappe made only three drawings of the house, on yellow tracing paper: a floor plan (shown here), a cross section and an elevation — what Finn calls the “treasure chest” for the design. These modest drawings, prepared in 2017, contain all the ideas for the project.
Freeman said Kappe’s warm and modest personality belied a precise and rapid approach to design. Finn describes his father’s design process as working quietly by himself, carefully evaluating the site where the building was to be placed and then working with simple drawing tools to design it.
Though Kappe passed away in 2019, a year and a half before the house was finished, his son credits him with the home’s design. Finn used the three drawings to create the construction drawings needed to build the project. He had enough experience working with his father to be able to interpret his design intent.
Freeman says he “didn’t touch a thing” and that the house was built as conceived by Kappe. This is remarkable given that the process is typically iterative, with the design evolving as the architect absorbs new observations about the site, interior spaces are added or they simply come up with a new idea.
See how the Houzz Pro 3D Floor Planner can help your clients visualize your designs
The Desert Palisades House
The design Kappe came up with is a master class in how an architect can adapt his approach to a new environment and current tastes without abandoning his principles. Kappe made only three drawings of the house, on yellow tracing paper: a floor plan (shown here), a cross section and an elevation — what Finn calls the “treasure chest” for the design. These modest drawings, prepared in 2017, contain all the ideas for the project.
Freeman said Kappe’s warm and modest personality belied a precise and rapid approach to design. Finn describes his father’s design process as working quietly by himself, carefully evaluating the site where the building was to be placed and then working with simple drawing tools to design it.
Though Kappe passed away in 2019, a year and a half before the house was finished, his son credits him with the home’s design. Finn used the three drawings to create the construction drawings needed to build the project. He had enough experience working with his father to be able to interpret his design intent.
Freeman says he “didn’t touch a thing” and that the house was built as conceived by Kappe. This is remarkable given that the process is typically iterative, with the design evolving as the architect absorbs new observations about the site, interior spaces are added or they simply come up with a new idea.
See how the Houzz Pro 3D Floor Planner can help your clients visualize your designs
A view of the house from the ravine.
The house, completed this spring, sits on a gently sloping parcel adjacent to a dry riverbed, or arroyo, where water flows only during major storms. Kappe arranged the long direction of the single-story house to step down with the slope to keep a low profile to the ground. He also showed his sensitivity to the desert climate by facing the short side of the house — with few windows — to the west to avoid the brutal heat of the afternoon sun.
The house, completed this spring, sits on a gently sloping parcel adjacent to a dry riverbed, or arroyo, where water flows only during major storms. Kappe arranged the long direction of the single-story house to step down with the slope to keep a low profile to the ground. He also showed his sensitivity to the desert climate by facing the short side of the house — with few windows — to the west to avoid the brutal heat of the afternoon sun.
The home’s floor plan. Diagram by Colin Flavin
Stepped floor plan. The Kappe-designed house in Desert Palisades is a single story, with three distinct levels. It’s entered on the center level, which contains the foyer and living room (shown here in green). The bedrooms are on an upper level (blue) and the combined kitchen-dining area is on the lower level (red).
Stepped floor plan. The Kappe-designed house in Desert Palisades is a single story, with three distinct levels. It’s entered on the center level, which contains the foyer and living room (shown here in green). The bedrooms are on an upper level (blue) and the combined kitchen-dining area is on the lower level (red).
Drawing by Ray Kappe
This allows the house to follow the contours of the land, as seen in this cross section of the house. It also establishes a hierarchy of privacy, where the bedrooms are on the highest and most private level. Perhaps most important, the house’s stepped profile, when viewed from a distance, is in harmony with the natural shape of the land.
Kappe was renowned for stepping his floor plans to achieve varying ceiling heights and an interplay of planes.
This allows the house to follow the contours of the land, as seen in this cross section of the house. It also establishes a hierarchy of privacy, where the bedrooms are on the highest and most private level. Perhaps most important, the house’s stepped profile, when viewed from a distance, is in harmony with the natural shape of the land.
Kappe was renowned for stepping his floor plans to achieve varying ceiling heights and an interplay of planes.
The entry walk first heads perpendicular to the entry and then turns toward the front door, crossing the dry creek bed on a sleek concrete plank bridge. The bridge is supported on a low concrete wall, with a ribbon of water flowing in a channel in the top of the wall, spilling into an elegant pool of water. The concrete used in the wall and bridge fits in well with the carefully sited boulders and desert landscaping.
Desert-resilient materials. Kappe showed remarkable skill in working with new materials and techniques. He tried out a new repertoire of materials for the house at Desert Palisades. The house is clad in Cor-Ten, a type of steel that achieves a deep red patina of rust that protects the underlying metal. The material needs no maintenance or paint, and its color blends with the desert rocks and shrubs.
Instead of the timber post-and-beam construction he favored during most of his career, Kappe used tubular steel columns and beams (seen here in the lower level looking up to the center level). The materials won’t deteriorate as wood might in the harsh desert environment, and the steel’s greater strength also allows for smaller members and a sleeker aesthetic.
Kappe used smooth finished concrete for the flooring, where he typically would have used wood and carpet. The concrete feels cool underfoot in the hot climate.
Kappe used smooth finished concrete for the flooring, where he typically would have used wood and carpet. The concrete feels cool underfoot in the hot climate.
A wall of glass in the master bedroom slides open to a terrace overlooking the desert. The steel beams, set 8 feet apart throughout the house, give the room a sense of structure. The wall behind the bed faces west, and Kappe carefully avoided adding windows that would face the brutal afternoon sun in the desert.
Ray and Finn Kappe
To date, only a few houses have been built on the 117 lots at Desert Palisades. Freeman is leaving open the possibility of building a few spec houses on some of the lots. For most of the lots, the buyers will be responsible for hiring their own architects and designing their homes.
Freeman is creating a design review committee to review house plans as a way to ensure a level of quality. Meanwhile, the Kappe house will stand as a bellwether of how modern architecture and the desert can live in harmony.
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To date, only a few houses have been built on the 117 lots at Desert Palisades. Freeman is leaving open the possibility of building a few spec houses on some of the lots. For most of the lots, the buyers will be responsible for hiring their own architects and designing their homes.
Freeman is creating a design review committee to review house plans as a way to ensure a level of quality. Meanwhile, the Kappe house will stand as a bellwether of how modern architecture and the desert can live in harmony.
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Join the Houzz Trade Program
The Developer Finds His Architect
Freeman wasn’t content with copying midcentury style for his new development. He wanted an authentic midcentury architect to design its first house in a way that honored the site and history of desert modernism. Freeman hoped the house would inspire property buyers to use their plots to build modern homes that relate beautifully to the surrounding environment.
The developer had been aware of celebrated architect Ray Kappe and loved how his houses responded to the land. Freeman thought a Kappe-designed house in his development could be a gem — setting the standard for innovative design there.
He reached out to Kappe in 2017, who was then in his late 80s. The developer was happy to learn that the architect was still actively working and taking on new commissions with his son, architect Finn Kappe, who had returned to partner with his father again in 2011.
Freeman visited Kappe at his residence and office, a landmark home he designed in 1965 on a steep canyon in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, and he was immediately struck by Kappe’s energy and enthusiasm for architecture. Freeman describes Kappe as “almost running up and down the stairs” between the many levels of the house, made even more dramatic because Kappe, always a maverick, had never installed handrails. Freeman had found his architect.