Los Angeles-based Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects (LOHA) has restored and up to date the Julius Shulman Residence and Studio in the Hollywood Hills, exactly where the influential photographer lived for 6 decades .
Composed of a series of steel and glass boxes, the 4,000-square-foot (372 square metres) dwelling is situated on a house that overlooks a nature protect.
Developed in 1950, the residence was created by architect Raphael Soriano, whom Shulman had commissioned.
Soriano, who died in 1988, was a mentioned Mid-Century Modern day architect who helped pioneer the use of modular, prefabricated steel and aluminium in residential and industrial projects.
The Shulman Property is a single of 12 remaining developed Soriana tasks, and it is the only a single with an unaltered steel frame. The City of Los Angeles designated the property a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1987.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to engage an superb design by Raphael Soriano,” said founder and principal of LOHA, Lorcan O’Herlihy, when asked about operating on the task.
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“As the last remaining steel frame property by Soriano, this property reflects a important second in the history of architecture, especially in Southern California.”
“I have numerous fond recollections of visiting Julius there, so it was personally a extremely critical undertaking to me,” O’Herlihy added.
Shulman – one of the most influential architectural photographers of the 20th century – is properly identified for his iconic images of Modernist homes in California. He photographed buildings by several illustrious architects, which includes Pierre Koenig, Charles Eames and Richard Neutra.
The photographer lived in the dwelling till he passed away in 2009 at the age of 98.
When new owners acquired the Shulman Residence in 2010, they employed LOHA to restore and update the home to meet the needs of a young family members.
The building was not in excellent shape: plywood panelling on the interior was peeling off, the bathroom and kitchen have been outdated, and the heating program necessary to be replaced.
“Considering the condition the house was in when we received the undertaking, the primary challenge was to recognise and restore the historically significant characteristics even though at the identical time supplying a home for the new owners, modern to the way we dwell now,” O’Herlihy informed Dezeen.
The company carried out substantial analysis into the materiality and design intentions of the unique constructing, as effectively as other architecture from the same time period. The residence was restored under strict preservation suggestions by the city’s Office of Historical Assets.
“Due to the home’s standing as a residence and not a museum, we had been granted much more versatility in upgrading the residence with essential modern attributes and critical amenities,” stated LOHA.
The company utilised a “sensitive and light technique” in order to deliver out the timeless and classy good quality of the authentic layout. The firm matched unique materials wherever attainable, and preserved “important experiential moments,” such as the all-cork entry sequence.
“1 of my favourite characteristics is correct when you walk in, when you are greeted with the all-cork entry, which was a component of the unique Soriano style,” mentioned O’Herlihy.
Shulman popularised the indoor-outside California life style in his photographs – and his personal house, with its series of screened-in patios, embodied the very same spirit.
LOHA restored the patios’ aluminium framing and sliding glass doors, and added a method of adjustable screens behind the glass.
“The transitional spaces produced by way of these screened-in patios were a important facet of the Shulman family’s enjoyment of the house, and a pivotal component of the architectural legacy, which the new owners proceed to honour,” explained the company.
One modify to the unique property was the substitute of present built-in storage and furniture. LOHA launched custom cabinetry and woodwork, such as an integrated shelving method and cantilevered bench.
Exterior of the home prior to renovation
Small, energy-effective heating, ventilating, and air conditioning methods have been integrated into the cabinetry, “making sustainable climate zones that eradicated the need to have for a centralised cooling method that would have interrupted the home’s flat roof line”, mentioned the company.
The kitchen and bathrooms had been fully redesigned, and all plumbing and water heating systems have been updated “to exceed current specifications”.
Living room prior to renovation
The firm removed shag carpeting and poured a new concrete floor. It also reconfigured the home’s layout to develop a guest bedroom and extra a skylight above a hallway.
Office prior to renovation
The Shulman Home is the latest in a increasing portfolio of renovation and adaptive reuse projects by LOHA. The company has renovated two Richard Neutra houses in California and updated an 1847 coach residence in Dublin.
Other projects by LOHA incorporate bus shelters in Santa Monica, California, and a multi-household housing project in West Hollywood.
Diagram showing alterations 
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Screen diagram
