Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT

Transcription

1 Los Angeles Department of City Planning RECOMMENDATION REPORT CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMISSION HEARING DATE: March 7, 2013 TIME: 10:00 AM PLACE: City Hall, Room N. Spring Street Los Angeles, CA CASE NO.: CHC HCM ENV CE Location: W. Rochedale Lane Council District: 11 Community Plan Area: Brentwood Pacific Palisades Area Planning Commission: West Los Angeles Neighborhood Council: None Legal Description: Lot 59 of Tract PROJECT: REQUEST: OWNER: PREPARED BY: RECOMMENDATION Historic-Cultural Monument Application for the RICE RESIDENCE Declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument William Herd Rochedale Lane Los Angeles, CA Historic Preservation Partners 419 Concord Ave. Monrovia, CA That the Cultural Heritage Commission: 1. Not declare the property a Historic-Cultural Monument per Los Angeles Administrative Code Chapter 9, Division 22, Article 1, Section Adopt the report findings. MICHAEL J. LOGRANDE Director of Planning [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Lambert M. Giessinger, Preservation Architect Office of Historic Resources Prepared by: [SIGNED ORIGINAL IN FILE] Edgar Garcia, Preservation Planner Office of Historic Resources Attachments: Historic-Cultural Monument Application

2 Rice Residence CHC HCM Page 2 of 3 SUMMARY Built in 1950, this single story single-family residence exhibits character- defining features of Modern and International Style residential architecture. The rectangular plan subject building has a pitched roof clad in gravel. No discernible entrance is visible from the main elevation but entry is gained through sliding French doors on the northern and eastern elevations of the building. Windows are metal casement including large sliding windows with large expanses of clear glass. Character-defining elements of the structure are the extensive use of glass expanses, wood panels, and a prominent concrete block fireplace. Significant interior spaces include the exposed post-and-beam ceiling. Secondary buildings consist of an attached carport structure constructed in The subject building was designed by noted architects A. Quincy Jones and Whitney R. Smith, with engineer Edgardo Contini. Jones was a prolific modernist architect and green space advocate, working with Paul Williams and housing developer Joseph Eichler. Smith designed several noteworthy modern residential buildings in Los Angeles and Southern California. Jones and Smith worked together on a collection of homes for the Mutual Housing Association Community between in Crestwood Hills. The subject property is related to this early cooperative development. Jones was later hired by William Pereira to work on the development of Irvine, California in The proposed Rice Residence historic monument is part of the Crestwood Hills development, the only successful large-scale cooperative housing development in California and a neighborhood that today has a high concentration of significant modernist residential architecture. The Cultural Heritage Commission and the City Council have previously approved 16 other Crestwood Hills homes as Historic-Cultural Monuments. Alterations include the construction of a carport in 1958, addition of a pool in 1964, and reorientation of the carport to the Broom Way entrance. CRITERIA The criterion is the Cultural Heritage Ordinance which defines a historical or cultural monument as any site (including significant trees or other plant life located thereon) building or structure of particular historic or cultural significance to the City of Los Angeles, such as historic structures or sites in which the broad cultural, economic, or social history of the nation, State or community is reflected or exemplified, or which are identified with historic personages or with important events in the main currents of national, State or local history or which embody the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period style or method of construction, or a notable work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual genius influenced his age. DISCUSSION The written nomination argues that the Rice Residence meets specified Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) criteria, that it embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architecturaltype specimen, inherently valuable for a study of a period, style, or method of construction. The Cultural Heritage Commission has previously designated 16 Crestwood Hills homes as Historic-Cultural Monuments. Recently in 2012, the CHC designated two properties in the area, the Stein House (HCM #1015) and the Schneidman House (HCM #1016) both which exhibited a high level of architectural integrity. Because of the number of existing HCMs, their duplicative nature as model homes, and the level of integrity expected for these homes, staff finds that the subject building exhibits enough alterations to render the Rice Residence ineligible for local

3 Rice Residence CHC HCM Page 3 of 3 designation. The addition of the carport, changes to interior openings and finishes, and the condition of the setting and landscaping present enough integrity issues to compromise the eligibility of the subject property. Future rehabilitation work that meets the Secretary of the Interior s Standards may allow for the Rice Residence to meet HCM criteria once the work has been completed. Based on these findings, the subject property does not appear to be eligible for local designation as a Historic-Cultural Monument. BACKGROUND At its meeting of January 10, 2013, the Cultural Heritage Commission voted to take the application under consideration. On February 7, 2013, the Cultural Heritage Commission toured the subject property.

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