Rhythmic House with History - Page 2

"He's had the courage to keep it all original in terms of its [layout] program," Doe says of the owner without giving his name. Noting that the location of the oven was moved toward the laundry area, he conceded, "They did modify the kitchen."

Doe called the design "true Miesian" and noted that the 1961 construction photos are stored in a library at UC Santa Cruz, and the original floor plan drawings are at Cal Poly Pomona.

Ellwood studied structural engineering at UCLA but was not a licensed architect, frequently working as a team with his staff. He described his philosophy in a 1976 edition of L.A. Architect magazine, stating, "The purposed of architecture is to enrich the joy and drama of living. The spirit of architecture is its truthfulness to itself: its clarity and logic with respect to its material and structure."

"It's a very, very rhythmic house. It just sings!" raves Doe of the Daphne House, which he is showing by appointment only. "The whole thing is very calming, with the pool in the center of the house."

Doe said the house's best feature may be "the mathematical precision with which it was put together," but he concedes that its age and unique design may explain why it hasn't sold yet.

"The house is in generally good condition," says Doe, speaking last week by phone while driving to Marin County to see the Case Study House there. He expects the Daphne House to spend at least a few more weeks, and perhaps months, on the market, concluding, "It's not an easy sell because there are some complexities."

For more information on the Daphne House listing, click here.