Case Study 6

Ryne Morse

ID 162-001

28 January 2016

Case Study 6 – Chemosphere

            For this analysis, I will be conducting as if I was a casual dinner guest in the Chemosphere house. Upon arrival, as I start climbing the deck that carries you the last 20 feet or so of elevation from the driveway to the front door, one that architect of the house John Lautner dubbed the “hillavator,” I immediately notice the terrace that possibly will give you the best view in all of Los Angeles, and the full-wall fixed glass windows that make artificial lighting in the kitchen, living and dining rooms during the daytime unnecessary. I also notice that there are eight walls total in the octagon-shaped house, four of which have pan windows for walls to symbolize the more public and open area of the house. This section of the house also happens to be orientated toward the city of Los Angeles, mainly to give a breathtaking view but also symbolism of the welcoming feel to the public section of the home. Like I mentioned earlier, this section of the house includes the kitchen, living room, and dining room; the three main areas where guests will spend time. On the other hand, the four opposite walls are not see through by any means, and are tucked away from the city at the rear of the house. This includes bedrooms, bathrooms, and things usually for permanent residents or trusted company only. A very interesting yet basic design choice by John Lautner.

Getting back to my visit, I enter in to the right, around the bar and into the open dining/living space. Although the house as a hole does not pack a whole lot of square footage, the fact that there are no walls diving these rooms, and only a sitting bar partially separating the kitchen from it, it seems much larger than in actually is. The full sized windows and the large, sectional couch lining the semi-circle-shaped inside wall add to this effect quite a bit as well. With the combination of a not too large but adequate dinette set, and utilizing the sectional couches to line the walls instead of placing a sofa out in the middle of the room, Lautner really packed as much luxury and efficiency into a rather small design as he could. All in all it is a quite brilliant set-up. It is easy to get lost in the view from the dining table and the petite sitting area planted right in the middle of the house; you almost forget you have basically been in the same room the whole time. The futuristic, UFO-shaped design of the house will bring out the kid in anyone, and immediately put a smile on your face.