Neutra Office Alumni

Harwell Hamilton Harris

Harwell Harris was an early and influential contributor to regional modernism in both California and Texas. Born in Redlands, CA, Harris grew up in the Southern California climate and moved to Los Angeles, CA to study drawing and painting at Otis College of Art and Design. He enrolled at the Frank Wiggins Trade School and began working for Richard Neutra and Rudolf Schindler. While in Neutra’s office, Harris worked on the Lovell Health House and Rush City Reformed.

In 1933, he established his own practice in Los Angeles, applying the Modernist principles learned in the offices of Neutra and Schindler. Towards the end of his career, Harris lived in Dallas and worked on designing houses adapted to the harsh Texas climate. Harris accepted a teaching position at the NCSU School of Design where he worked until his retirement.

Research Links

1. https://usmodernist.org/harris
2. https://www.lib.utexas.edu/about/collections/harwell-hamilton-harris-collection
3. https://modernlivingla.com/architect/harwell-hamilton-harris/

Donald Giffin

Donald Giffin was an American architect who played a role in the development of modernist architecture. One of the notable periods in his career was his work with the renowned architect Richard Neutra from 1931 to 1932. During this time, Giffin was exposed to and influenced by Neutra’s innovative and functional design approaches, which were characteristic of the modernist movement.

After his tenure with Neutra, Giffin went on to establish his own architectural practice and contributed to various projects, although specific details about his most notable works may require access to detailed architectural archives or historical documents.

Ragnhilde Liliedahl

Ragnhilde Liliedahl was a Norwegian-American architect who made significant contributions to the field of architecture, particularly in the mid-20th century. One of the notable aspects of her career is her work with the renowned architect Richard Neutra, specifically on the Rush City Air Transfer project in 1930. Liliedahl was part of Neutra’s practice, where she was exposed to and influenced by his modernist and functional design philosophies.

While specific details about her projects and achievements are limited in publicly available sources, her association with Neutra’s practice underscores her involvement in the development of modernist architecture.

Research Links

1. https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/9209/
2. https://www.archinform.net/arch/112914.htm

Raphael Soriano

Raphael Soriano was a leader in California Mid-Century Modern architecture. He was born in Rhodes, Greece and later moved to Los Angeles, CA to study architecture at the University of Southern California. During his studies, Soriano interned for Richard Neutra. After his time at Neutra’s office, Soriano worked with the County of Los Angeles for several Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects. Soriano’s solo works featured f floating roofs, transparent exterior walls, open plans, and the indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

Research Links

1. https://modernlivingla.com/architect/raphael-soriano-2/
2. https://usmodernist.org/soriano.htm
3. https://rafaelsorianofoundation.org/

Griswold Raetze

Griswold Raetze was an American architect who contributed to the development of modernist architecture. One of the significant periods in his career was his work at the office of renowned architect Richard Neutra in 1934. During this time, Raetze was exposed to and influenced by Neutra’s innovative and functional design approaches.

Research Links

1. https://rosettaapp.getty.edu/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE24663
2. https://findingaids.princeton.edu/catalog/AC105-03_c768

Otto Winkler

Otto Winkler was a notable architect of the 20th century, particularly known for his work in the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Winkler relocated to San Francisco where he married Mary E. Lafler in 1931 and resided at her property on Telegraph Hill. In 1934, Winkler shared a studio with the renowned architect Richard Neutra at 1441 Montgomery Street, and later at 251 Kearny Street in 1939, collaborating on a dozen residences in the Bay Area that introduced elements of the International Style. Although his marriage to Mary ended in divorce in 1936, Winkler continued to design apartments for the Lafler property on Telegraph Hill. Mary E. Lafler Winkler passed away in Burlingame in 1976, and Otto Winkler himself passed away in New York City in 1993, leaving behind a legacy of architectural contributions to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Research Links

1. https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/person/6478/
2. https://docomomo-us.org/designer/otto-winkler

George Wright

George Wright was an architect who contributed to the development of modernist architecture. In 1936, Wright worked at the office of renowned architect Richard Neutra, where he was exposed to Neutra’s innovative and functional design approaches. Although specific details about his subsequent career and notable projects are limited, his time at Neutra’s office would have significantly influenced his architectural style.

Charles Granger

Charles Granger was an architect who worked with Richard Neutra in 1936. During his tenure at Neutra’s office, Granger was familiarized with the modernist principles that Neutra advocated. After his time with Neutra, Granger’s career path and notable projects are not well-documented, but his experience would have shaped his understanding of modern architecture.

Peter Haller

Peter Haller was an architect who collaborated with Richard Neutra in 1936. His work at Neutra’s office introduced him to the principles of modernist architecture, which likely influenced his subsequent designs. However, specific details about Haller’s independent career and notable projects are scarce.

A.F. Murray

A.F. Murray was an architect who gained experience working with Richard Neutra in 1936. This period would have introduced Murray to Neutra’s modernist and functional design philosophies. However, there is a lack of detailed information on Murray’s independent projects and achievements.

Peter Pfisterer

Peter Pfisterer was an architect who worked at Richard Neutra’s office in 1936. His experience there would have shaped his understanding of modernist architecture, but specific details about his subsequent career and notable projects are not well-documented.

A.B. Barnett

A.B. Barnett was an architect who worked at Richard Neutra’s practice in 1936. During this period, Barnett was exposed to Neutra’s modernist design principles, which likely influenced his subsequent work. However, detailed information about Barnett’s independent career is limited.

Joseph Allen Stein

Joseph Allen Stein was an architectural idealist and modernist. The architect was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and began his architectural education at the University of Illinois. He then studied in France at the Ecole des Beaux Arts de Fountainebleau, and later returned to Illinois to pursue graduate studies. He attended the Cranbrook Academy in Michigan as a Fellow in Architecture and City Planning before moving to New York to work for Ely Jacques Kahn. In 1938, Stein moved to Los Angeles and began working for Richard Neutra. Stein was a great admirer of Neutra’s work and began his journey in environmental concerns while working for Neutra. Later on, Stein opened his own practice in San Francisco and worked in collaboration with John Funk, Garrett Eckbo and Robert Royston. In 1952, Stein moved to India where he served as the head of the department of architecture at the Bengal Engineering College in Calcutta. His own firm became the largest in India at the time. He spent the remainder of his career in India and retired in 1995.

Research Links

1. https://aap.cornell.edu/news-events/lecture/between-worlds-lecture-life-and-work-joseph-allen-stein-us-and-india
2. https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/know-your-architects/a299-life-and-works-of-joseph-allen-stein/
3. https://www.stirworld.com/inspire-people-ode-to-steinabad-joseph-allen-steins-affair-with-light-landscape-and-architecture
4. IN CONVERSATION – LATE JOSEPH ALLEN STEIN
5. Garden of the Heart with Joseph Allen Stein

Stanley Vallet

Stanley Vallet was an architect who worked at Richard Neutra’s office in 1936. Although details about his subsequent career are limited, his time at Neutra’s office would have shaped his understanding of modern architecture. Vallet’s experience with Neutra would have been instrumental in his development as an architect.

Julius Shulman

Julius Shulman was a prominent architectural photographer born in 1910. At the age of ten, he moved to California with his family from a small farm in Connecticut. His career in architectural photography began in 1936 when he presented Richard Neutra with photographs of Neutra’s Kun Residence in Los Angeles. Neutra was impressed and subsequently asked Shulman to photograph more of his houses, initiating a long-term collaboration.

Shulman went on to photograph the majority of Neutra’s work and was introduced to other notable modernist architects in Southern California, including Charles and Ray Eames, Raphael Soriano, John Lautner, Pierre Koenig, Rudolf Schindler, and Frank Lloyd Wright. His photography not only documented but also interpreted significant architectural works, making him one of the most influential architectural photographers in history.

Shulman’s images are often associated with Neutra’s work, as Neutra acknowledged, “His work will survive me. Film is stronger and good glossy prints are easier to ship than brute concrete, stainless steel, or even ideas.” Shulman retired from active architectural photography in 1989 but continued to have his work published in numerous magazines and books. He received several honors, including honorary lifetime membership in the American Institute of Architects and a lifetime achievement award from the International Center of Photography (ICP) in 1998. Julius Shulman passed away in 2009, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of architectural photography.

Research Links

1. https://www.yanceyrichardson.com/exhibitions/julius-shulman-richard-neutra
2. https://www.holdenluntz.com/magazine/new-arrivals/julius-shulman-midcentury-modern-architecture/

Charles Day Woodford

Charles Day Woodford was an architect who made significant contributions to the field of modernist architecture. Born in Laramie, Wyoming, Woodford pursued his architectural education, completing his B.Arch. at the University of Minnesota in 1934. He began his career as a draftsman for the National Park Service from 1935 to 1936, followed by a stint with H. Roy Kelley, Architect, in Los Angeles from 1936 to 1937.

In 1937, Woodford joined the office of renowned architect Richard Neutra, where he worked as a draftsman until 1940. This period exposed him to Neutra’s innovative and functional design approaches, which likely influenced his subsequent career. After his time with Neutra, Woodford worked as a designer for Donald B. Parkinson, Architect, from 1940 to 1945.

Woodford’s career advanced significantly as he became a partner in several architectural firms. He was a partner at Parkinson, Powelson, Briney, Bernard, and Woodford, Architects, from 1945 to 1956, and later at Woodford and Bernard, Architects, from 1955 to 1984. Woodford was also actively involved in professional service, serving on the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) from 1964 to 1966 and contributing to the California Council of the AIA’s lobbying efforts in the California Legislature.

Woodford’s professional achievements were recognized with his election as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) in 1963. He was one of four Southern California architects to receive this honor that year. Woodford was also active in the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce during the late 1940s and 1950s.

Research Links

1. https://www.archinform.net/arch/108975.htm
2. https://www.archinform.net/projekte/31941.htm

Geraldine Haas

Geraldine Haas worked with the renowned architect Richard Neutra in 1938, a period that would have exposed her to Neutra’s innovative and functional design approaches.

Haas’s career was marked by her involvement in Neutra’s practice, where she would have been influenced by the modernist principles that Neutra advocated.

Max Cetto

Max Cetto was a German-Mexican modernist and functional architect. Born in Germany, Cetto studied engineering and architecture at the Technische Hochschulen in Darmstadt, Munich and Berlin and graduated in 1926. After working for a number of years in Germany, Cetto moved to San Francisco in 1938, where he worked for Richard Neutra on projects including the Kahn House.

After his time in California, and with a natural affinity with the landscape, Cetto decided to settle down with his family in Mexico, where he practiced architecture until his retirement. The respect for nature he had learned from Neutra is evident in his handling of the volcanic terrain of the Jardines del Pedregal, Mexico City, where he collaborated with Luis Barragán, constructing various houses amid the impressive scenery of the place without disturbing the volcanic lava or the vegetation. Cetto combined a Modernist approach with a respect for ecology, and his work was highly influential in Mexican domestic architecture.

Research Links

1. https://casaestudiomaxcetto.com/articles/
2. https://openhouse-magazine.com/max-cetto/

Keith Underwood

Keith Underwood was an architect who worked with the renowned architect Richard Neutra in 1940. During this period, Underwood was exposed to Neutra’s innovative and functional design approaches, characteristic of the modernist movement. Although specific details about his subsequent career and notable projects are limited, his experience with Neutra would have significantly influenced his architectural style.

L.E. Love

L.E. Love was an architect who collaborated with Richard Neutra in 1940. Working at Neutra’s office introduced Love to modernist and functional design principles, which likely shaped his subsequent architectural work. However, detailed information about Love’s independent career and achievements is limited.

Fred Frankel

Fred Frankel was an architect who worked at Richard Neutra’s office in 1940. This period exposed Frankel to Neutra’s modernist design philosophies, influencing his understanding of architecture. While specific details about Frankel’s subsequent career and notable projects are scarce, his time with Neutra would have been instrumental in his development as an architect.

Dietrich Neyland

Dietrich Neyland was a notable architect known for his innovative and modernist design approaches. He attended architecture school at Tulane University, where he laid the foundation for his future career. Neyland gained valuable experience working under the renowned American Modernist, Richard Neutra, in California, a period that significantly influenced his architectural style and philosophy.

After his time with Neutra, Neyland often collaborated with fellow architect Robert Millett, who had studied under Walter Gropius at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Together, they worked on several significant projects, including the Student Unions at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in 1951 and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1957.

One of Neyland’s most iconic projects was the design of the Museum of Automobiles, commissioned by Winthrop Rockefeller. When approaching this project, Neyland and Millett aimed to create a structure as progressive and iconic as the man who commissioned it. They designed a tensile structure with concrete towers at the corners and a series of cables supporting the roof, allowing for an open, flexible space with no interior columns and a dramatic exterior. This innovative design, though not widely popular at the time, predated similar structures by Frei Otto in the late 1960s.

Research Links

1. https://archivessearch.bsu.edu/subjects/1002

Betty Duveneck

Betty Duveneck was an architect who collaborated with Richard Neutra in 1941. Working at Neutra’s office introduced Duveneck to modernist and functional design principles, which likely shaped her subsequent architectural work. As one of the few female architects of her time, Duveneck’s career was marked by her pioneering role in a male-dominated field. However, detailed information about her independent career and achievements is limited.

Arthur Wolfe

Arthur Wolfe was an architect who worked with the renowned architect Richard Neutra in 1942. Although specific details about his career are limited, Wolfe’s experience at Neutra’s office would have exposed him to modernist and functional design principles. This period likely influenced his subsequent architectural work, but without access to more detailed sources, information about his notable projects and personal life is scarce.

Alfonso Carrara

Alfonso Carrara was an architect who collaborated with Richard Neutra in 1942. During his time at Neutra’s office, Carrara would have been introduced to Neutra’s innovative and functional design approaches, characteristic of the modernist movement. However, detailed information about Carrara’s subsequent career, notable projects, and personal life is not readily available.

Leon A. Roy

Leon A. Roy was an architect who worked with the renowned architect Richard Neutra in 1943. During his time at Neutra’s office, Roy was exposed to the principles of modernist architecture that Neutra championed, which emphasized functionality, simplicity, and integration with the surrounding environment. Although specific details about Roy’s subsequent career and notable projects are not well-documented, his experience working under Neutra would have significantly influenced his architectural style and approach.

Research Links

1. https://lrculturevulture.com/tag/tiller-house/

John Blanton

John Blanton, one of Richard Neutra’s trusted architects, was very influential in Mid-Century modern architecture. Originally born in Houston, Blanton went to Rice University where he received a B.A. and a B.S. in Architecture. He began working for Richard Neutra upon moving to Los Angeles, where he worked his way up from apprentice to collaborator, becoming one of Neutra’s trusted lead project architects. During his time with Neutra and beyond, Blanton’s works received local and national recognition and were included in international publications. Blanton was also an architectural writer and wrote reviews and critiques for the AIA Journal, Society of Architectural Historians, Southern California, and for his own newspaper column, “Better Buildings.” He worked with Neutra until 1964, when he established his own practice and focused on residential buildings.

Research Links

1. https://barbaralamprecht.com/2016/06/11/lost-richard-neutras-mid-century-modern-fenestration-by-john-blanton/
2. https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8tf032k/

Al Boeke

Al Boeke was an American architect and developer. Boeke was born in Denver, Colorado and graduated with an architecture degree from the University of Southern California. After his graduation, Boeke worked for Richard Neutra. He then worked as a developer for various companies in Hawai’i.

Boeke is most notably known for Sea Ranch, California, a developed town that was to be an affordable alternative to high density development for middle and upper-middle class homeowners. The development of Sea Ranch included an emphasis on environmental impacts, as the American Institute of Architecture stated that Sea Ranch “formed an alliance of architecture and nature that has inspired and captivated a generation of architects” at the time.

Research Links

1. https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-al-boeke-20111120-story.html
2. https://www.thesearanchlodge.com/story/

Maxwell Starkman

Maxwell Starkman was a Mid-Century Modern architect based in Los Angeles. The Canadian-born Starkman moved to Los Angeles, CA after graduating from the University of Manitoba. Upon arrival he worked for Richard Neutra. Later, he started his own firm along with fellow architect, Fritz Reichl. During his career, he had a remarkable influence on Los Angeles, designing various modern shopping malls and residential buildings.

Starkman is most well known for designing the Zenith Tower, Sony Pictures Plaza, and the Museum of Tolerance all located in Los Angeles, CA.

Research Links

1. https://projects.archiexpo.com/project-259769.html
2. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-05-me-starkman5-story.html

Donald Wexler

Donald Wexler was an influential Mid-Century modern architect. He was born in South Dakota and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1950. Upon relocating to Los Angeles, Wexler began working for Richard Neutra. He later moved to Palm Springs, CA to work for William Cody. After setting up offices with a colleague, Richard Harrison, the two amicably parted ways and Wexler established Donald A. Wexler Associates in 1963. His major works can be seen in Palm Springs, CA.

He is known for the use of steel framing in residential architecture. Naturally, Wexler and Harrison’s Steel Development Homes are some of Wexler’s most notable works.

Research Links

1. https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/wexler-steel-houses/
2. https://www.dezeen.com/2018/02/22/steel-development-houses-donald-wexler-richard-harrison-prefabrication-palm-springs-modernism-week/
3. https://usmodernist.org/wexler.htm

Benno Fischer

Benno Fischer was a Midcentury modern architect who designed homes, churches, and schools in Southern California. Fischer was born in Poland and graduated from the University of Warsaw in 1939. That same year, he was sent to Nazi forced labor camps and later became the lone survivor of his family. After the war, Fischer and his wife, Anna, moved to Los Angeles. Fischer began working with Richard Neutra and spent 15 years at the Neutra office. In 1963, Fischer established his own architectural firm in Los Angeles. He enjoyed designing expensive homes in Beverly Hills, schools and churches. His proudest design was the Los Angeles Martyrs’ Memorial he created in 1978 for the American Jewish Federation building.

Research Links

1. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-sep-26-me-26860-story.html

Donald Perry Polsky, FAIA

Donald Perry Polsky was an architect who notably brought Mid-Century Modernism to the Midwest. Polsky was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and went to the University of Nebraska for his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. While serving in the U.S. Air Force, Polsky designed and built a radar installation, housing and storage facilities. After his time in the Air Force, Polsky moved to Los Angeles and became an apprentice for Richard Neutra. He quickly became a Neutra job captain from 1953-1956. After his time with Neutra, Polsky became the architecture director for MCA Inc., a predecessor to NBCUniversal Media, before moving his young family to Omaha, Nebraska, to establish his own practice in 1964.

Polsky served as president of the Omaha chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1968 and of the Nebraska Society of Architects in 1976. He was elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects in 2003.

Research Links

1. https://preservation.cityofomaha.org/collection/polsky-collection/
2. https://valleymodern.com/new-blog/2016/1/19/mid-century-modern-1958-don-polsky-architect

Erich Schneider-Wessling

Erich Schneider-Wessling was a German Modernist architect and university professor. He graduated from the Technical University of Munich with degrees in civil engineering and architecture. He then obtained a Fulbright scholarship and studied architectural history at the University of California, Los Angeles. While in the U.S., Schneider-Wessling interned for Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra.

Schneider-Wessling returned to Germany and ran his own architecture firm in the context of the Fluxus movement in Cologne. In 1968, he founded the Bauturm architectural group in Cologne with Peter Busmann. He is most notably known for bridging California modernism with German functionalism.

Research Links

1. https://thespaces.com/modernist-villa-aachen-erich-schneider-wessling/
2. https://www.archinform.net/arch/203.htm

Paul Wolff

Paul Wolff is a German-American architect, advocate, and professor. Wolff was born in 1929 in Hamburg, Germany. After his father’s arrest during Kristallnacht in 1938, young Paul and his family fled Nazi occupation to London, England in 1939. His family moved to San Francisco that same year. In the 1950s, Paul was drafted into the US Army and served in Europe. After his service, he enrolled in the graduate program of architectural studies at The Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. After graduation, Wolff began his architecture career working with architect Richard Neutra in Los Angeles. Wolff later started his own architecture practice in Palo Alto. In 1971, Wolff began teaching Architecture at Cal Poly State University. He obtained another graduate degree in Environmental Psychology and returned to Cal Poly where he introduced Environmental Psychology and Universal Design into the School of Architecture’s curriculum. Wolff and his wife, Marion, were active in accessibility and ADA advocacy in San Luis Obispo County.

Research Links

1. https://www.cfsloco.org/ada-paul-wolff/

Ebbe Videriksen

Ebbe Videriksen was a Mid-Century Modern architect, planner, and builder who is known for his large tract homes, apartment developments, and commercial high-rise buildings. Videriksen worked for Richard Neutra from 1958-1959. Upon opening his Los Angeles-based practice in 1965, Videriksen went on to design commercial buildings. He designed the mid-rise office tower in Ventura, the tallest building between LA and SF at that time. He designed the Danish Lutheran church in Yorba Linda and is responsible for many banks and hotels and numerous apartment complexes in Marina del Rey, Santa Barbara, and the Channel Islands.

Videriksen much preferred designing houses, closely related to Richard Neutra’s work, and designed numerous houses for private clients. Pictured are photos of Videriksen and his ex-wife, Ann’s home that they designed together.

Research Links

1. https://www.archinform.net/entry.htm?ID=imncmootp227orqj62frbahno9&loc=%2Farch%2F112563.htm
2. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-03-02-re-1180-story.html

Joseph Hansen

Joseph Hansen, graduated from UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design and worked in the Neutra Office in the late 1950’s, he designed residential and commercial projects in Berkeley, Hong Kong and Redding California.

Charles Bello

Charles Bello is an architect, environmental activist, ecologist, artist, and farmer. In the 1950’s, Bello was a practicing architect and worked under Richard Neutra. After his time with Neutra, Bello designed ‘Speculation Houses’, artistic and architectural concept homes, but without ready buyers in mind. Upon his disenchantment with urban life, he and his late wife, Vanna Rae Bello, bought 400 acres in a remote, redwood-covered stretch of northern California, where Bello still lives. At age 92, after 55 years living off the land, Charles Bello still spends long days growing his own food and managing his off-grid infrastructure.

“The true architects of this world are the spider, the snails, the bees, and a million other species created by nature, for us to admire and be inspired by.” – Charles Bello

Bello emphasizes the importance of learning from nature’s designs rather than destroying them, reflecting his lifelong commitment to preserving and restoring the redwood forests on his 400-acre property.

Charles built and designed 3 homes for him, his wife, and their 2 sons, including an A-frame and the architecturally-significant Parabolic Glass House, which with its 2 curved walls of windows forms a transparent home enveloped by trees.

Research Links

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXwzDeD6ldw
2. https://www.outsideonline.com/gallery/bello-ranch-california-sustainable-living/
3. https://youtu.be/Kx02U4VvT2M?si=7DZpw6c08kVAaEcQ