Maury and Bernice Sorrells House

Maury and Bernice Sorrells House

Richard Neutra’s house for Maury and Bernice Sorrells was in the remote town of Shoshone, one of the primary entrances to Death Valley, which the architect characterized as a place of “primeval solitude” and “fantastic contrast.” His clients owned and managed a store, gas station, and café nearby. The extended lines and planes of the house’s walls are stretched for both practical and aesthetic purposes; they serve as barriers to the dusty winds while engaging with the barren landscape. The horizontals in the composition are interwoven with vertical elements, too. A variety of outdoor spaces—including a terrace along the living and family rooms, a patio to the north with a fireplace, and a walled courtyard—provide access to the surreal landscape. A small bathroom in the carport allowed the family to wash away any remains of the dusty desert before entering the house. The house was designed to accommodate three generations, and a guest room with a private entrance allowed for more independent living while also opening onto a landscaped courtyard connected to the house’s wing of bedrooms.

Adapted from Neutra – Complete Works by Barbara Lamprecht (Taschen, 2000), p. 328.