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Neutra Elegant Living

12 Qualities and Characteristics of Neutra's Work
(From ARCH 322, Great Houses of Los Angeles, Lecturer: Prof. Victor A. Regnier, FAIA, University of Southern California, School of Architecture, 2003.)

1. Modernist Look - (appearance)

• Flat roof
• Stucco and glass materials
  

2. Inside-Outside Relationships

• Nurtured and developed in many different ways
• Courtyards, roof tops, sliding glass walls, edge spaces

3. Built-in Furniture

• Controlling room design and use -- beds, cabinets, bookshelves
• Making it easier to use and clean

4. Use of Industrial/Experimental Materials

• Lots of types -- steel, plywood, diatomaceous materials, commercial type applications, masonite

5. Concern for Human Fit (personal and environmental linkage)

• Occupant interviews
• House fits pattern of living -- could cause a divorce through "faulty" design

6. Transparency and Reflectivity -- (VDL House)

• View nature from a protected setting
• Mirrors reflect views of courtyards and the landscape

7. Nature and Landscape

• Water, plants, edge spaces, trees
• Minimalist ethic -- not just lush landscaping

8. Design with Climate

• Overhangs, cross ventilation, HVAC works

9. Ribbon Windows (around perimeter)

• Roof is separated from the wall below

10. Dramatic Stair Connections

• Between floors - always opened up - aware of where you are going
• Celebrated as part of the sequence

11. Low Maintenance (ease of living)

• Easy to clean
• Taste, imagination, "element of practicality"

12. Minimalist Detailing (simple and elegant)

• Landscaping
• Lack of door trim
• Bases/coves -- very simple

Next: Neutra Lofts in Los Angeles - A Recent Phenomenon

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