"The purpose of Architecture is to improve human life. Create timeless, free, joyous spaces for all activities in life. The infinite variety of these spaces can be as varied as life itself and they must be as sensible as nature in deriving from a main idea and flowering into a beautiful entity." -- John Lautner

JOHN EDWARD LAUTNER, JR. FAIA
(1911-1994)

John Lautner was born in Marquette MI of academic parents at a local college now called Northern Michigan University. He first attended the University of Michigan but left soon after starting. In 1933, he graduated from Northern Michigan University and began a six-year job with Frank Lloyd Wright -- in the first class of Taliesin Fellows at Spring Green, WI. Wife Mary (MaryBud) Faustina Roberts Lautner (1913-1995) was also an early Taliesin Fellow.

For Wright, Lautner supervised Fallingwater in Pennsylvania and the Johnson Wax Building in Wisconsin. He also oversaw a Wright design for his mother-in-law in Michigan. He moved to California in 1937 to oversee the construction of Wright's Sturges and Oboler houses.  Like most who came from Wright's Taliesin, Lautner believed that changing the design of affordable housing could improve society.  However, Lautner's designs did not catch on in Los Angeles and he was forced to work for Wright and others through WWII.

Lautner went into practice in 1945 with partner Douglas Honnold who was primarily an interior designer. In 1947, Lautner departed the firm when he took up with Honnold's wife, Elizabeth Gilman (Gilly) Honnold. That put an end to the formal partnership although the two men remained friends. After divorcing MaryBud in 1950, he married Elizabeth. MaryBud returned to Marquette with their children, Karol (born 1938), Michael (born 1942), and Mary Beecher (born 1944). 

Lautner received his architectural license in 1950. His clients were "either rich bastards or poor geniuses," according to his stepdaughter, Elizabeth Honnold Harris.

Known for his residences, Lautner was also well-known for the commercial genre named for Lautner's design of Googie's Coffee Shop in Los Angeles. Distinctive for its expansive glass walls, arresting form, and exuberant signage oriented to automobiles, Googie became a fixture in 1950s America but was regularly ridiculed by the architectural community. Lautner's reputation suffered, despite that fact his designs were as good as ever.  Following some lean years, he rose again in the 1960s with the “Chemosphere” pedestal house and poured-concrete houses, notably the Elrod Residence in Palm Springs.

His wife Elizabeth died in 1978. In 1982 Lautner married her caretaker, Francesca.  John Lautner was named Olympic Architect for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Upon his death, brilliant Lautner protégé Helena Arahuete took over the firm - which continues today.  He was the subject of the documentary Infinite Space.

Please note that this list does not include: additions, remodels, or pools for houses Lautner did not design; or projects he did for Wright. 

Additional Resources:

The John Lautner Foundation

Extensive 1986 Oral History

Hats off to Martin Daoust, who assembled an extraordinary online library of Lautner resources that disappeared in 2008.

1940 - The John Lautner House,  2007 Micheltorena Street, Los Angeles CA.  He lived here until the 1970's. 1244 square feet.  Built by Paul Speer.  As of 2007, the owners were Clare and Eric Frith.  Top photo by Edward Van Altena.

1940 - The Norman Springer House, a one-bedroom in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles CA.  This was his first attempt to start a solo practice.  Built by Paul Speer.   

1941 - The Bell House, 7714 Woodrow Wilson Drive, West Hollywood CA.  Built by Paul Speer.  Restorations started by Lautner in 1993, finished by architect John Ash.  As of 2007, sold to Larry and Laura Worchell.

1942 - The Astor Farm Caretaker's Cottage, Indio CA.  Destroyed.

1946 - The Hancock House, in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles CA.  Sold to the Todd family. 
Remodeled by Lautner for the Todds in 1989.  Photo by Tycho Saariste.

1947 - The Foster Carling House, 7144 Hockey Trail, Los Angeles CA.  Sold to Eicher.  Lautner did a remodel in 1991.  Sold to current owner Steve Ramser.  Available for monthly rental of $10,000 in 2010.

1947 - The Edgar and Allison Mauer House, 932 Rome Drive, Los Angeles CA.  Built by the owners. 

1947 - The Jacobsen Residence, 3544 Multiview Drive, Hollywood CA.  Sold to Daniel E. Schneider.  Sold in 2005 to Barbara Cangas and William Childers.  Photos by Melissa Gluck.

1947 - The Florence Polin House, next door to Jacobsen and very similar, 3542 Multiview Drive, Hollywood CA.  Sold in 2004 to current owner Brent Bolthouse.

1947 - The Eisele Ski Cabin, Big Bear CA.  Unbuilt.

1948 - The William Adams Residence, Pasadena CA.  Unbuilt.

1948 - The Ferber Residence, Altadena CA.   Unbuilt.

1948 - The Ross Residence, Los Angeles CA.   Unbuilt.

1948 - The Stiff Residence, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1948 - The Mayer Residence, Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1948 -The Arthur Eisele Guest House, Los Angeles CA.  Commissioned in 1946 for Eisele's mother, Hazel.  In 1956, Eisele sold the house to Lloyd Rigler, who over the years protected the amazing views by buying up surrounding lots and keeping them unbuilt.  Upon Rigler's death, the house transferred in 2003 to nephew Jamie Rigler who did a restoration.  Bottom photo by Jan-Richard Kikkert.

1949 - The W. F. and Dorothy Gantvoort House, 3778 Hampstead Road, La Canada Flintridge CA. Built by the owners. The engineer was Edgardo Contini.  Sold in 2004.  Two owners since.  Photos by Dorothy Tomlinson.  1804 square feet.  On the market in 2009.

1949 - The Schaffer Residence, 527 Whiting Woods Road, Montrose area of Glendale CA.  Designed for the mother of one of Lautner's employees, James Schaffer.  Sold to Evelyn L. Ellis.  Sold to David Zander.  Went on the market in 2008, then off, then back on in 2009.  Featured in the film A Single Man.  Bottom two photos by Tim Street-Porter.

1949 - The Grant Dahlstrom House, 780 Laguna Road, Pasadena CA.  1853 square feet.
As of 2007, owned by Raimund and Judith Brendel.  Was on the market in early 2009.

1950 - The Leo M. and Lena Harvey House, aka the Harvey Aluminum House, 2180 West Live Oak Drive, Los Feliz area of Los Angeles CA.  A variety of owners had worn the house to the point it was advertised as a teardown.  Sold to Mitch Glazer and Kelly Lynch, pictured above, in 1998 and restored from 1998 to 2001 by Lautner principal Helena Arahuete.  John de la Veaux was the original builder and came back for the restoration to work with general contractor Robin Poiner.  George Haney and Son did the mechanical.  Landscaping by Good Earth Enterprises.  Lighting by Gilbertson Electrical. House photos by Alan Weintraub.  Glazer and Lynch photo by the New York Times.

1950 - The Louise Foster House, 4235 Las Cruces Road, Sherman Oaks CA. 
Owned by Richard and Marjorie Foster as of 2007.  Bottom photo by Tycho Saariste.

1950 - The Monroe House, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1950 - The Noerdlinger House, Playa del Ray CA.  Unbuilt.

1951 - The George and Grace F. Alexander House, 5281 East El Roble Street, Long Beach CA. 
Red brick construction.  Bottom photo by Tycho Saariste.

1951 - The Shusett House, Beverly Hills CA. 
Extensively altered, inconsistent with Lautner's original design.  Photo by Tycho Saariste.

1951 - The Baxter Hodiak Remodel, 8650 Pine Tree Place, Los Angeles CA.  Behind a Norman facade lives a Modernist interior designed for Frank Lloyd Wright's granddaughter, Anne Baxter.  Sold to agent Hal Gefsky in 1966, who owned it for over 40 years.  Sold in late 2009.  Color photo by Scott Mayoral.

1952 - The Bick Residence, Brentwood area of Los Angeles CA.  Destroyed 1990.

1952 - The Ewing Residence, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1952 - The Fern Carr House, Los Angeles CA.  Has been extensively renovated.

1952 - The Nouard Gootgeld Residence, 1167 Summit Drive, Beverly Hills CA.  Built by Lautner and Gootgeld; Doug Hannold did the interiors.  Sold to the Cameo family in 1958 when Gootgeld passed away.  Sold to the Rothchild family.  There may have been yet another owner.  Sold around 1981 to Priscilla Presley, who restructured the house down to its beams to create a giant Italianate villa.  Photos from Carolyn Gootgeld Levine.  The shadow in the bottom two photos is John Lautner.

1952 - The Harry A. Williams Residence, 3329 Ledgewood Drive, Los Angeles CA.  Built by Kenneth V. Johnson.  Still owned by Williams.

1953 - The Tyler House, 3612 Woodhill Canyon Road, Studio City CA.  A porn film, Aria, was shot there in 2001.  As of 2007, owned by Peter Tangen.

1953 - The Ted Bergren House, 7316 Caverna Drive, Los Angeles CA.  Burned down in the late 1950's.  Lautner rebuilt it plus an addition.  Sold to Teri Sue Wolf.  Sold in 2004 to Robbie E. Brenner. Sold again in 2004 to Christian Lamb.  In 2009 it was a rental house.

1953 - The Howe Residence, Los Angeles CA. Bottom photo by Tycho Saariste.

1953 - The Pittenger House, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1954 - The Lawrence E. Deutsch Residence, Los Angeles CA.  Photo by Tycho Saariste.

1955 - The Coneco Corporation House, Sherman Oaks CA. 
Sold to the Thiele family.  Addition in 1962 by Lautner. 

1955 - The Fischer House, Los Angeles CA. 

1955 - The Baldwin House, Los Angeles CA.  Photo by Tycho Saariste.

1956 - The Willis Harpel Residence I, 7764 West Torreyson Drive, Los Angeles CA. Sold to Annette Fulgelso.  Mark Haddawy bought it in 2006 and did a complete restoration, including ripping out a second story addition and recreating Lautner's original interior details.  Photos by Gary Friedman.

1956 - The Stanley Johnson Residence, Laguna Beach CA. 

1957 - The Carl and Agnes Pearlman Cabin, 52820 Middle Ridge Drive, Idyllwild CA. 
Currently owned by the Pearlman's daughter, Nancy.

1957 - The Paul Zahn Residence, 2880 Hollyridge Drive, Los Angeles CA.  Built by Kenneth V. Johnson.  Sold in 1992 to Howard Rodman and Anne Friedberg, who had Lautner do a renovation that year.   Third photo by Tycho Saariste.

1958 - The George Hatherall House, 10160 Maude Avenue, Shadow Hills CA.  Sold in 1999 to Ted Sprague and Bill Hargate.  On the market in August 2009.  Top photo by Zachary Cornwell.  3.36 acres.

1958 - The Ernest S. and Mildred Lautner House, aka the Round House, 539 El Cerrito Place, Pensacola FL. The client was Lautner's cousin.  The house is circular with brick walls that taper, using 67 radial Douglas Fir beams and a 14-foot central pillar.  The home was featured in the Pensacola News Journal of November 2, 1958.   Sold to Max Lautner.  Addition in 1991 by Lautner. The house today is in mint condition.  Stephen Lautner, grandson of Ernest, the original client, now owns it.  Color photos by Tycho Saariste.

1958 - The Pearlman House, Santa Ana CA.  Unbuilt.

1958 - The Sawyer House, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1958 - The Sheanin House, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1959 - The Glazier House, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt. 

1958 - The Iwerks House, Sherman Oaks CA.  Dramatically altered by architect James Charlton.  Photo by Tycho Saariste.

1958 - The Lindenberg House, Sherman Oaks CA.  Unbuilt.

1960 - The Leonard J. Malin Residence, aka Chemosphere, 776 Torreyson Drive, West Hollywood area of Los Angeles CA.  Built by John de la Vaux.  Location for the movie Body Double.  In 1976, the house's second owner, Dr. Richard Kuhn, was stabbed to death there in a robbery. Sold in 2000 to current owners Benedikt and Angelika (Lauren) Taschen.  Restored in 2001 by Frank Escher of Escher Gunewarda.

1960 - The Concannon Residence, Angelo View Drive, Beverly Hills CA.  Sold to Keruzhage.  Remodeled by Lautner in the early 1980's.  Sold to Walters.  Remodeled by Lautner in 1989.  Sold to neighbor James Goldstein, who destroyed it in 2002 for a tennis court.

1960 - The Alto Capistrano House, San Juan Capistrano CA.  Unbuilt.

1961 - The Akers House, Malibu CA.  Unbuilt.

1962 - The Russ Garcia House, aka Rainbow, 7436 Mulholland Drive, West Hollywood, CA.  Featured in Lethal Weapon 2.  Once described by the New York Times as a "Quonset hut made of glass," the home was restored in 2008 by architects Marmol Radziner and by New York decorator Darren Brown. The current owners are Bill Damaschke and John McIlwee.

1962 - The Martel Residence, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1963 - The Fell Residence, Beverly Hills CA.  Unbuilt.

1963 - The Mann Residence, Huntington Beach CA.  Unbuilt.

1963 - The Morris Residence, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1963 - The Paul and Helen Sheats House, aka the Sheats-Goldstein House, 10104 Angelo View Drive, Beverly Hills CA, high above Benedict Canyon. Billionaire and rabid Lakers fan James Goldstein bought the house in 1972, and has restored and renovated it since. The house has been featured in The Big Lebowski, Bandits, and Charlie's Angels Part II: Full Throttle.  In 2009, he turned part of the house into a nightclub.  Yes, you read that right.  Stay tuned.

1963 - The Marco Wolff House, 8530 Hedges Place, West Hollywood CA.  Guest wing and pool added by Lautner in 1963.  Sold to Michael LaFetra.  Bought by Vincent Gallo, who may have sold it in 2009.

1964 - The Reiner-Burchill Residence, aka Silvertop, 2138 Micheltorena Street,  Los Angeles CA.  Built ty Wally Niewiadomski.  Originally owned by Ken Reiner, who commissioned it in 1956.  Reiner's business got in trouble, his wife left him, and the house sat for a decade, mostly complete but still unfinished. Reiner never lived there.  It was sold in 1974 to current owners Jacklyn and Phillip Burchill.

1964 - The Bay Cities Mortgages Residence, Palos Verdes CA.  Unbuilt.

1964 - The Bisherat Residence, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1964 - The Fink Residence, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1964 - The Goldsmith House, Sherman Oaks CA.  Unbuilt.  

1965 - The Clark Residence, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1966 - The Willis Harpel House #2, Stanford Drive, Anchorage, Alaska. 
Located on Lake Otis.  The builder was John de la Vaux.

1966 - The Moser Residence, Oakview CA.  Unbuilt.

1968 - The Arthur Elrod House, 2175 Southridge Drive, Palm Springs CA.  Featured in the James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever.  9000 square feet on 23.25 acres.  Five bedrooms and five and a half baths.  Lautner did remodels in 1971 and again in the late 1970's.  Photos by Joshua White.  In 2009, it was briefly part of a timeshare network of three iconic Palm Springs Houses but late in the year was put up for sale.   

1968 - The Dan Stevens Residence, 23524 Malibu Colony Road, Malibu CA.  Lautner did a remodel in 1985.  Sold to Steve Austin in 2004.  Bought by Michael LaFetra in 2007.  No public access, gated community.

1968 - The Wayne Zimmerman Residence, Studio City CA. 
Lautner did an addition in 1982.  Photo by Tycho Saariste.

1968 - The Peters House, Thousand Oaks CA.  Unbuilt.

1968 - The Robertson House, Lake Hollywood CA.  Unbuilt.

1968 - The Walker House, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1969 - The Douglas and Octavia Walstrom House, 10500 Selkirk Lane,
Los Angeles CA.  Photos by Joshua White.

1970 - The Garwood Residence, Malibu CA.

1970 - The Nichols House, Farmington NM.  Unbuilt.

1971 - The Lueck House, San Diego CA.  Unbuilt.

1971 - The Moen House, Laguna Beach CA.  Unbuilt.

1971 - The Gary and Elizabeth Familian House, 1011 Cove Way,  Beverly Hills CA.  May have been owned by Rock Hudson (unverified).  Sold to Frederick M. Nicholas.  Lautner did a renovation in 1987.  Sold to Robert (Bobby) and Nina Kotick as of 2007.  Photo by Tycho Saariste.

1973 - The Jeronimo Arango House, aka Casa Marbrisa, Acapulco, Mexico.  25000 square feet.  Structural engineer, T.Y. Lin.  Helena Arahuete designed this with Lautner her first year at his firm.  She now runs the firm.  Second photo by Sarah Sackner. 

1973 - The Franklyn House, northwest of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Unbuilt.

1973 - The Hurd Residence, Horseshoe Bay TX.  Unbuilt.

1974 - The Lautner Mountain Cabin, Three Rivers, Tulare.  Unbuilt.

1974 - The Lucy Residence, Horseshoe Bay TX.  Unbuilt.

1974 - The Rosenthal Residence, Las Vegas NV.  Unbuilt.

1974 - The Ann and Peter Tolstoy House, Hillside Road, Rancho Cucamonga CA.  Commissioned way back in 1961!  The Tolstoys did much of the construction themselves over 13 years.  The property is now used as a weekend barbecue house by the developers of the surrounding acreage. Bottom photo by Tycho Saariste.

1974 - The Doumani Duplex, Marina Del Rey CA.  Unbuilt.

1975 - The Marco Wolff Mountain Cabin, aka Windsong, 48700 Twin Pines Road, Idyllwild (Banning) CA. Bottom photo by Tycho Saariste.  Was for sale in 2009. 

1976 - The Curtiss Residence, Hunting Valley OH.  Unbuilt.  Recalled by Lautner associate Warren Lawson.  The project architect was Kay M. Henderson.

1976 - The Familian Beach House, Malibu CA.  Unbuilt.

1976 - The Starr Residence, Bell Canyon area of Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1976 - The Stephen (Steve) R. and Audrey Bosustow Cabin,
Lake Almanor, Chester CA.  Commissioned 1972.  Built. 

1976 - The Hellinger Residence, Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1978 - The Johanna and William Jordan House, 1617 Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach CA.  Sold to current owners Tricia and Mike Berns.  Lautner was working on a renovation when he died.  Commissioned 1973.

1978 - The Goldsmith Residence. Unbuilt.  Helena Aruhuete was the project architect.

1979 - The Joann and Gilbert (Gil) Segel Residence, 22426 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. Sold to David and Courtney Cox Arquette.  Sold in 2007 to current owners Frank and Jamie McCourt.  The McCourts bought the three-bedroom, three bathroom house next door in 2008 as a guest house. Top photo by Julius Shulman.

1979 - The Bob and Dolores Hope Residence, Southridge Drive, Palm Springs CA.  Close to the Elrod House.  Has 17,531 square feet, has six bedrooms and nearly ten bathrooms.  Located in a gated community, no access.  Dolores Hope made sweeping changes to the design - so much so that Lautner eventually  distanced himself from the project.  Commissioned 1973.

About 1979 - The Ron Popeil Residence, Colewater Canyon area of Los Angeles CA, recalled by Lautner associate Warren Lawson.  Unbuilt.

 About 1980 - The DePortillo Residence, located near Wright's Ennis House, recalled by Lautner associate Roger Bennett.  The client, Mrs. DePortillo, wanted the most beautiful house in Los Angeles.  After many drawings, the client decided not to build.

1980 - The Robert and Marjorie Rawlins Residence, 804 South Bayfront, Newport Beach CA. 
Built on the last bayfront lot on Balboa Island.

1980 - The Bornstein House, Los Angeles CA.  Unbuilt.

1981 - The Turner Condominiums, Marina Del Rey CA.  Unbuilt.

1981 - The Lynn Residence, Santa Barbara CA.  A 5000 square foot concrete house.  Unbuilt.

1981 - The Ellersieck Residence, Altadena CA.  Unbuilt.

1982 - The Allan Turner and Jude Risk-Turner Residence, 51 Heather Lane, Aspen CO.  Designed with William Poss.  Two million pounds of post-inch steel run under the house, holding it together like a bow and arrow. When snow piles on the house or when there's a change in humidity or heat, the roof moves up or down.   Sold in 2002 to current owners Milton and Saralyn Sidley.

1982 - The Alden Schwimmer Residence, 1435 Bella Drive, Beverly Hills CA.  Top two photos by Marissa Gluck.  Sold to Harriet Selling-Canepa who did renovations led by architect Duncan Nicholson. Sold in 2009 to Fred Droesch.

1983 - The Shirlin and Stanley Beyer Residence, 6515 Point Lechuza, Malibu CA  Commissioned 1975.  Various disputes with the California Coastal Commission and cost overruns took the project way over time and budget.   Sold by the Beyers in 1998 to current owner Sam Zell.  Warren Lawson was the project architect.  Third photo by Mike Burns.  Bottom two photos by Tycho Saariste.

1983 - The Krause House, 24444 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. According to Roger Bennett, the project architect, the original owners intended it as a spec house but loved it so much they stayed.  Has been sold several times.  Sold to current owners Richard (Dick) and Cindy Troop.  Middle photo by Jan-Richard Kikkert.  Bottom photo by Tycho Saariste.

1984 - The Ring House, Malibu CA. Unbuilt.

1986 - The Roven House, Beverly Hills CA.  Unbuilt.

1988 - The Haagen Residence, Malibu CA.  Unbuilt.

1990 - The Levy Residence, aka the Concrete Castle, aka the Pacific Coast house, aka the Concrete Contemporary, 32402 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA.  Engineering by Andrew Nasser.  Built by Wally Niewiadomski.  Lautner had a rarity -- a client with a virtually unlimited budget.   Commissioned 1980.  As of 2007, owned by Iteco Ltd and Ken Hellie.  Top two photos by Mike Burns.

1990 - The Townsend Residence, Malibu  CA. Unbuilt.

1990 - The Yokeno House, Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles CA. 
7000 square feet.  Project stopped just after construction started.

1992 - The Shearing House, 15 Green Turtle Road, Coronado Cays, Coronado CA.  Was on the market for a while in 2007.  The 3675 square foot house has four bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths.  For rent as of September 2009.

1993 - The Wood/Greenhouse Residence, Malibu CA.  Unbuilt.

1994 - The Whiting Residence, Sun Valley.  Unbuilt.

Sources include: John Lautner Foundation, vtrammel.com, Martin Daoust, Wikipedia, Blockshopper, Modern San Diego, LALife, YouAreHere, Pacific Coast Arch Database, Judith Lautner Remembers, Warren Lawson, Roger Bennett, The Architecture of John Lautner, by Alan Hess.