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Significance and Survival of Richard and Dion Neutra VDL Studio/residences
On November 20 2009 Richard Neutra's youngest son Dr Raymond Richard Neutra will be talking at SciArc in Los Angeles about the Significance and Survival of the Richard and Dion Neutra VDL Studio/Residences compound in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. This live/work space was built in three phases.
View from VDL II toward the 1939 "Garden Wing"
View of west elevation of VDLII
The first designed by Richard Neutra in 1932 accomodated two households and Neutra's office. It was named after Dutch industrialist van der Leeuw who loaned Neutra the money to build it (hence "VDL") The second phase was designed by Richard Neutra in 1939 and accomodated another household. In 1963 a fire destroyed the upper floors of the first phase, and Richard Neutra with his son and partner Dion Neutra designed a replacement for that wing (VDLII) on the original prebricated prestressed concrete basement floor which was preserved to house an apprentices room and dark room. The compound was built on a 60 x 70 foot lot and addressed a number of design questions that are still relevant today: How can we create a beautiful live/work space for multiple households on a small footprint? How can we design landscape so that it beings nature with its sights sounds and smells into this kind of urban dwelling? How can we use new sustainable industrial materials in a beautiful way? How can the social and biological sciences inform our design?
Dr Neutra, Professor Lorenzen (resident direct of VDL) Leo Marmol and Chris Shanley in front of the compound with its sun louvers.
View from patio toward VDLII
Since 2007 Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design (owners of the compound), helped by the Friends of the VDL Research site has established an active web site ( www.neutra-vdl.org) explaining the significance of the compound, presenting plans and images and a video oral history of the place. A DVD on the compound has also been produced. A distinguished honorary committee with such distinguished architects as Tadao Ando, Richard Meier, Renzo Piano and IM Pei among others have indicated their regard for this historic compound. Architects Marmol and Radziner are working with Dion Neutra and the faculty at Cal Poly to repair the leaking roofs.
The college has started student-led drop-in tours for $10.00 every Saturday from 11am to 3:00 pm.
Julius Shulman signing digital archival prints of his portrait of Richard Neutra
More that $60,000 has been raised and the distinguished architectural photographer, Julius Shulman before his recent death signed and numbered thirty five digital archival prints that he took of Neutra on the roof of the compound. Those who give leadership level gifts to the roof campaign can receive one of these prints in appreciation. (see www.neutra-vdl.org for information)
Illustrations: all by Raymond Richard Neutra
Careful fenestration of the living room blocks neighbor roofs and emphasizes trees and mountains
Ripples from Reflection pool on second floor patio reflect light into the interior
Frosted glass in Garden Wing Living room let's in light but blocks view of neighbor
Richard Neutra
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VDL Studio / Residences Building : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
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