NEUTRA INSTITUTE FOR SURVIVAL THROUGH DESIGN'S AIMS AND PURPOSES

The Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design is a non-profit California corporation, established in 1962. Its name is derived from the prophetic book by Richard J. Neutra, one of the architectural greats of the Twentieth Century. The Institute's activities depend on grants and donations, which are tax deductible. Its work is the expansion, implementation, and memorialization of the basic Neutra theme.

The Institute draws from the day-to-day experiences and observations of an ongoing architectural and planning practice of three-quarters of a century -- Richard and Dion Neutra, Architects and Associates of Los Angeles.

Biorealism is the Neutra term chosen by the Institute to represent the firm's ideal of the "person-centered" approach to the planning of the environment and the managing of ecology in ways that will be of lasting benefit to individuals comprising mankind. A current example of this second generation effort is embodied in an article Dion wrote in 2002 which he calls 'The Ultimate CAD Program '. Read this to see his take on how these ideas carry forward some of the concepts embodied in his dad's seminal book.

The projects of the Institute are all conceived with a biorealistic approach to serve or activate people under one or more of the following objectives: (1) Communication, (2) Research, (3) Application, (4) Consumer Education, and (5) Preservation. For more details about the Institute, please read the expanded version of this document.