Notable Architects
Ray Kappe
Richard Neutra
Gerald Horn
Dean Nota
Morphosis Team - Thom Mayne & Michael Rotondi
Grant Kirkpatrick, KAA Design
Patrick Killen, Studio 9one2
Edward Carson Beall
Richard Neutra
Richard Neutra is considered one of the most prolific twentieth-century architects. He profoundly impacted the modernist movement in Southern California and earned international acclaim throughout his career. During his many years in the industry, Richard worked on iconic residences, innovative schools, civic and commercial projects, and more. He was also a civic-minded individual who collaborated on plans for affordable housing and aimed to inspire communities. Many of his works are still standing and remain points of study, intrigue, and debate. He is best known for designing the Kaufmann Desert House in 1947.
Pierre Koenig
Like Neutra, Pierre Koenig is also one of the most recognizable names in Southern California modernist architecture. One of his most well-known works is the Stahl House, located in Hollywood Hills. The Stahl House fame has endured with many famous photographs originating at the property. Koenig’s long and prodigious career helped define the Modernist genre as we know it. A maverick in his field, Koenig strongly believed in using economical materials when possible and natural ventilation. The last home he designed was a two-story beachfront home in Malibu.
Thom Mayne
You’ve probably heard of Morphosis, an interdisciplinary architectural design firm based in Los Angeles. Thom Payne founded the firm in 1972 as a collective of design, urbanism, and architecture. His goals for the company centered on innovation and research. Today, Morphosis is notable for its achievements in sustainability. Mayne and his team have created numerous sustainable designs for civic, cultural, and academic establishments like the Perot Museum of Nature and Science and the Bloomberg Center at Cornell Tech. Mayne has spent the bulk of his career in academia and conducting rigorous studies. He has won numerous awards and accolades.
Ray Kappe
Like his peers, Ray Kappe is an innovator in Modernist architecture. He nurtured a lifelong passion for nature and innovation that continues to inspire legions of aspiring architects and fans to this day. Not only did Kappe receive many awards throughout his career, but he was also an acclaimed teacher with a passion for teaching. Even in his later years, Kappe continued to be a maverick in his field and experiment with techniques based on those he’d used early in his career.
Richard Landry
Richard Landry founded the Landry Design Group more than three decades ago. Since 2000, Landry has been repeatedly featured year after year in the Architectural Digest AD100 list of the world’s top 100 architects/designers. The Landry Design Group has been recognized for creating designs in a broad range of styles. Each team member is a service-oriented professional with the ability to create everything from classical estates to cutting-edge innovative structures.
Cliff May
Despite never attending architecture school, Cliff May studied independently and started designing and building houses in his early 20s within his hometown of San Diego. He later moved to Los Angeles in 1935. He started to combine the Spanish Revival style elements with Modernism to create the relaxed, open layout now so prevalent throughout Southern California. May has been called the “father of the California ranch house” for highlighting outdoor living and a casual lifestyle within the SoCal region. May worked on countless projects throughout his lifetime, including the Cliff May Experimental House and the Fish-Baughman House.
Michael Rotondi
Internationally recognized teacher and architect Michael Rotondi founded RoTo Practice, an international practice based in Los Angeles with satellite offices located around the world. He also co-founded the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in 1972. Today he continues to teach seminars, thesis students, and design studios at SCI-Arc and other educational institutions in the country. His most notable projects include the La Jolla Playhouse, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, and the Carlson-Reges House in Lincoln Heights.
