1642 Pleasant Way

The Laing House | Harwell Hamilton Harris, 1935. The architect's second built home, which came after he had spent several formative years in the office of Richard Neutra. One of the many things he learned there was the importance of the module, having witnessed Neutra's design and assembling of the Lovell Health House. Harris found that he could create harmony and rhythmic patterns working within a modular system, and did so with great effect here and throughout his career. It was the work of Frank Lloyd Wright however that had sent him down the path toward architecture- the seeds having been planted by a visit to the Hollyhock House years prior. It can be seen at the Laing home, with its stucco walls, broad eaves, ribbon windows, and boxed-in balcony. Designed for Caltech professor Graham Laing and his wife, not only as a home but also as a suitable space for him to lecture 25-30 students and store volumes of books. Stepping up from the street, the one-story home consists of two distinct volumes, separated at the entrance. The house reveals the centerpiece of its design after a sharp 90-degree turn from the entryway- an 18 by 30 foot living and dining room with glass paneled doors that swing open at both corners of the room. This grand central room doubles as the professor's lecture hall. To the northeast, a front balcony expands outward towards breathtaking views of the San Gabriel Mountains. In the southwest corner, doors open to the adjacent patio and gardens. A bookshelf wraps the corner ending at the fireplace hearth. The well organized kitchen is adjacent, with a vast countertop placed below a south facing band of windows. Both guest and primary bedrooms include an entire south facing of glass doors that open to the rear yard. Throughout the home- original windows, doors, cabinetry, hardware, and light fixtures remain for the most part remarkably intact. Spaces of the home unfold into each other in such a way that makes each room feel part of another, and much larger than its measurement would suggest. Privacy and natural light are provided for in abundance throughout. The original garden plan was composed of California native plants, and was devised in consultation with Theodore Payne. Situated within Pasadena's Poppy Peak historic district, making it an excellent candidate for the Mills Act program and its potential property tax savings.