Mid Century Modern Home

West Los Angeles, California

LOCATION:
 West Los Angeles, California

ARCHITECT:
 Victor Gruen

OWNERS:
  Mr. and Mrs. Edward Rubin
 
COST FACTS:
$19,300 in 1952. Square footage: 1650 for house, 400 carport, 35 for storage. About $11 per square foot.

MATERIALS:
Concrete slab on grade; timber post and beam with 2 inch roof sheathing. Material mainly wood, plus masonry accent. Limited use of plaster. Finish floors asphalt tile and carpet. Poured concrete fireplace and chimney (firebrick and terra- cotta lined). Ready-built metal shower.

PLAN FACTS:
Architect Victor Gruen points out that for this house the framing system of post and beam construction proved to be both economical and, flexible; also, it offers a pleasant architectural expression of wood construction.

The Rubins, who have three children, wished to have a separation of parents' and children's activities but with a reasonable integration of the two for supervision. They also wanted a large living room for entertaining, and a compact kitchen-utility area for servantless living.

The plan (shown on opposite page) indicates how two units accomplish the separation of activities for adults and youngsters, and at the same time are closely related. The change in levels between the two wings, as the house steps upward and follows the natural inclination of the ground, emphasizes this division further.

The present bedroom #1 will ultimately be combined with the bedroom hall (by removal of one partition wall) to become a play-recreation area for the three children whose bedrooms surround that space.

When this change takes place, the parents will have their bedroom suite at the east end of the living room, as indicated by dotted lines on the plan.

ECONOMIES:
Durable and basic materials utilized throughout; equal spacing for structural framing members; roof plank exposed as finished ceiling. All materials and construction methods were economical. Deferment of parents' bedroom and bath until children are older saved original cost.