1642 Pleasant Way, Pasadena, CA 91105

The Laing House | Harwell Hamilton Harris, 1935. The architects 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 Neutras 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 professors 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 wr