Architectural and Mid-Century Homes in Los Angeles
Architect-designed homes are the core of what we do. The Missig Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties has represented homes by Pierre Koenig, Calvin Straub, Burton Schutt, Lorcan O'Herlihy, Aaron Neubert, Rex Lotery and Edward Fickett, from Laurel Canyon to Silver Lake.
I came to real estate from fashion, photography and an interest in architecture and design, and that shapes how we sell these homes. We know who designed the house, what makes it significant, and how to present it to buyers who care. With 25 years at BHHS California Properties, I lead a team that treats every architectural sale as a piece of design history changing hands.
Our Architectural Portfolio
Each entry below is a home we have represented.
Pierre Koenig: The Squire House, c. 1953
Pierre Koenig AIA is best known for Case Study Houses #21 and #22, two of the defining works of postwar Los Angeles modernism. The Squire House came first: one of his earliest residential commissions, built in 1953 in the Alta Canyada area of La Cañada Flintridge. The steel, glass and concrete pavilion has a full glass rear wall, original stone floors and a masonry fireplace. We represented the buyer. Featured in Dwell.
Calvin Straub: The Ebbink Residence, 1953
Calvin Straub FAIA is known as the father of California post and beam architecture. The Ebbink Residence has terrazzo floors, floor-to-ceiling glass and the open indoor-outdoor plan Straub championed. We represented the seller. We have also represented a second two-story Straub home with a pool and dining patio.
Burton Schutt: The Landsberg Residence, 1954
This Hollywood Hills post and beam home by Burton Schutt was built for Klaus Landsberg, the original station manager of KTLA. Its multi-sided form is unusual for the period. It has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a double-sided fireplace. We represented the seller. Featured in the LA Times.
Lorcan O'Herlihy: Streamline Moderne, Hollywood Hills
Built in 1946 and later redesigned by Lorcan O'Herlihy AIA. The home pairs Streamline Moderne lines with a second-story primary suite, an infinity pool and an outdoor cabana. We represented the seller.
Aaron Neubert: The Tilt-Shift House, Silver Lake, 2017
Aaron Neubert FAIA designed this award-winning home of stacked volumes, skylights and floor-to-ceiling glass. It has 3 bedrooms plus an office and 4 bathrooms, with sunset views. It won a 2018 Residential Architecture Citation Award from AIA Los Angeles and a 2017 Single Family Housing Award at the Los Angeles Business Council's 54th Los Angeles Architectural Awards. We represented the buyer, and later the seller. Featured on Realtor.com.
William Kesling: Wallace Beery's Hollywood Hideaway, 1936
Wallace Beery, an Oscar winner and in 1932 the world's highest-paid actor, commissioned William Kesling to design this Streamline Moderne home at 947 N Martel Avenue, completed in 1936. It is one of only 15 surviving family homes by Kesling, with rounded corners, a flat roof, painted horizontal bands, steel casement windows and original 1930s tilework. A pool and a prefab ADU, added with Cultural Heritage Commission review, now sit behind it. Los Angeles declared it Historic-Cultural Monument No. 1172 in 2018. We represented the buyer. Featured in the LA Times (2011 and 2023), Dwell, The Spaces and the Beverly Press.
More architect-designed homes we have represented
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The Spanner Residence
Rex Lotery FAIA, c 1968
Woodland Hills, CA
We represented the Buyer.
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The Hollywood Riviera (Historically Designated)
Edward Fickett FAIA, c 1953
West Hollywood, CA
We represented the Seller.
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Sunset Penthouse Condominiums
Frank P Schneider AIA, C 1962
West Hollywood, CA
We represented the Buyer, and later the Seller.
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Urban Farm on 1.5 acres
Leonard Steinbrueck AIA
Calabasas, CA
We represented the Seller.
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The Walter Daniels Duplex
Streamline Moderne
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
We represented the Buyer, and later the Seller.
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The Rodenberg Residence
Mid-Century Post & Beam, c 1954
Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, CA
We represented the Buyer, later the Seller, and later again the next Seller.
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Original Hollywoodland model home and sales office.
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6201 Quebec Drive
Tony Ngai, c 1980
Hollywood Hills, CA
We represent the Seller (current listing)
Buying an architectural home in Los Angeles
Architect-designed homes need a different kind of diligence. Here is what we walk every buyer through.
Confirm the attribution. A famous name raises value, so verify it through original permits, drawings and architectural archives.
Check historic status. A Historic-Cultural Monument or a home in an HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone) carries review rules for changes. It may also qualify for a Mills Act contract, which can lower property taxes.
Inspect the original systems. Post and beam framing, flat roofs, large single-pane glass and radiant heat all need specialists who know mid-century construction.
Plan renovations with respect. The most valuable homes keep their original character. Insensitive updates can cost more than they add.
Price against the right comps. An architectural home rarely compares to the tract house next door. We price against other architect-designed sales.
Know the hillside. Many of these homes sit on slopes, so review geology, retaining walls and fire insurance early.
Where architectural homes cluster
We work most often in these neighborhoods.
HOLLYWOOD HILLS
Mid-century post and beam, Streamline Moderne and 1920s Hollywoodland homes
LOS FELIZ
Period Revival, Tudor and early modern homes
LAUREL CANYON
Post and beam retreats on wooded hillside lots
WEST HOLLYWOOD
Mid-century courtyard buildings and architect-designed condominiums
SILVER LAKE
Contemporary architect-designed homes, Streamline Moderne and historic monuments
Frequently asked questions
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The Missig Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties in Beverly Hills specializes in architect-designed and mid-century homes. We have represented homes by Pierre Koenig, Calvin Straub, Burton Schutt, Lorcan O'Herlihy and Aaron Neubert.
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A post and beam house uses a frame of vertical posts and horizontal beams instead of load-bearing walls. That frees the walls for glass and open plans. Calvin Straub is credited as the father of the California post and beam style.
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Often, yes. A verified name, original condition and historic status can command a premium over comparable homes nearby. Pricing should be based on other architect-designed sales.
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The Mills Act is a California program that can lower property taxes on qualifying historic homes. In exchange, the owner agrees to preserve and maintain the property.
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Yes, with limits. Homes that are Historic-Cultural Monuments or inside an HPOZ need review before exterior changes. We help buyers understand those rules before they make an offer.
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The Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, Silver Lake and Los Feliz have some of the city's strongest concentrations of mid-century and architect-designed homes.
Buying or selling an architectural home?
Whether you own a significant house or are searching for one, we would like to talk.