| Weston Havens House |
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Perched on Panoramic Hill just above the UC Berkeley campus lies a hidden gem, a masterpiece of twentieth century California modernist architecture. Behind an understated ivy-covered wall, a carefully choreographed entrance invites the visitor into a time capsule of inspired mid-century-design living, projecting into a magnificent expanse of sky, cityscape, and bay.
This is the visionary Weston Havens House, designed in 1940 by architect Harwell Hamilton Harris for the philanthropist John Weston Havens Jr. Following a lineage of enlightened sensibility from Frederick Law Olmsted to Frank Lloyd Wright, Harris belonged to that generation which sought to transform the American suburb into a place of culture. As the grand nephew of Francis Kittredge Shattuck, a pioneer founder of Berkeley and Oakland, Weston Havens inherited not only his great-uncle’s legacy but also his progressive spirit. Havens selected Harris to design his home because he understood that they shared the same regional modernist values — values that became the foundation for a life-long friendship between the two men. The Havens House is now under the enlightened stewardship of the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design (CED). Currently being used as a residence for distinguished visiting CED professors and as a site for studio investigations and projects, the house provides a culturally and historically valuable haven to attract world-class talent. The wisdom these esteemed professionals share with our future environmental designers is what motivates, inspires, and guides them in shaping a more beautiful and conscientious future. Even before the first timber was erected, the Havens House was recognized for its structural innovation and aesthetic appeal. As an influential work of architectural significance, it has been compared to Richard Neutra’s Lovell Health House and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water. In 1944 Elizabeth Gordon, editor of the highly influential House Beautiful, proclaimed it "one of the most perfect examples of contemporary American architecture." Today, it continues to be honored, most recently in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) exhibition California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way," the first major study of California mid-century modern design (at LACMA October 2011 through March 2012). But this landmark is in critical need of support. Next: The Need: Realizing Potential and Ensuring a Lasting Legacy |
