Event

AIA|LA Tours: Sawyer House (11am)

AIA|LA Tours: Sawyer House

Date/Time: Sunday, April 19th. 11am
Location: Sawyer House.

Join us for this special tour of the Sawyer House led by Michael Rachlin of Rachlin Partners Architects

Transformation of the Sawyer House began with gutting the entire interior of the 2,000-
square-foot structure in two phases. A typical 1950s California residence, the house
lacked a definable style and was in poor condition due in part to damage from the 1994
Northridge earthquake. Outdated avocado-colored kitchen appliances finalized the
decision to entirely modify this quintessential California house. Only the foundation,
exterior bearing walls and roof structure were retained.

Michael Rachlin's approach to redesign of the structure blurs the line between traditional
and modern, reinterpreting the archetypal vernacular using a minimalist language. Due
to its relative small footprint, the house reflects a modern-day cottage delineated by the
geometric forms of hipped or gabled roofs with a series of cupolas added to the mix for
visual interest.