California Houses brings together thirty-six houses completed over the past ten years that capture the spirit of California in distinctive ways and respond creatively to context and the environment. They engage forests and deserts, the ocean and city streets. Large or small, they demonstrate the extraordinary range of invention emerging from the offices of established and younger architects. This is a celebration of the best talent as well as clients with the imagination and means to commission houses that are one-of-a-kind and advance the art of architecture.
California is a hotbed of sustainable construction, as mandated by state legislation, and all of these houses employ active and passive strategies to reduce their carbon footprint. There’s a strong emphasis on natural light and ventilation, thermal insulation, and solar panels. Rainwater is harvested for irrigation. These are homes constructed to conserve energy, withstand earthquakes and, often, to resist wildfires, but without losing their aesthetic appeal.
The selection ranges from a landscaped concrete dome to an inflatable shelter that can be assembled and relocated as easily as a tent. An expansive ocean-front retreat contrasts with a bungalow that has been transformed on a shoestring budget and a weekend cabin in a desert wilderness. One house cascades down a wooded hillside, another spans a creek, and several more are tucked into confined city lots.
Reviews
Webb brings his encyclopedic knowledge and rich experience of Golden State Architecture. California Houses: Creativity in Context inspires and informs with an insider's insights into one of the most varied architectural landscapes on the planet.
— Wallpaper
It does every architect—and architecture lover—good to see a fine selection of high-quality recent houses, and this compilation by the accomplished Michael Webb does the job magnificently.
— World of Interiors
Elegant… The judicious selection of houses emphasizes the playful and unusual, and Webb's assured commentary illuminates the inventive ways architects engage with municipal and natural constraints. It’s a striking survey of some of the Golden State's more remarkable homes.
— Publishers Weekly
Contributors
Michael Webb
Author
Michael Webb is a Los Angeles-based writer who has authored thirty books on architecture and design, most recently Architects’ Houses, and Building Community: New Apartment Architecture, while contributing essays to many more. He is also a regular contributor to leading journals in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Growing up in London, he was an editor at The Times and Country Life, before moving to the United States. He lives in the Richard Neutra apartment that was once home to Charles and Ray Eames.