229 San Juan Ave
Venice, CA 90291, USA

Caplin House

Los Angeles architect Frederick Fisher is known for his irreverent, whimsical designs, so it should come as no surprise that his first solo project has a wave-shaped roof and a central atrium designed to feel like a courtyard between separate buildings.

Completed in 1979, the Caplin House was designed for the family of artist Laurie Caplin and composer Loren-Paul Caplin. Laurie had lived on a boat in the Seine and wished to bring some of that nautical feeling to her new home. Fisher responded with a curved roof that looked like a boat hull from the inside and a rolling wave from the outside—an homage to the nearby ocean and the surf culture of Venice. Even more remarkable than the curving roof is the two-story central atrium, the heart of the house and the connector of all its parts. It is illuminated by a large skylight that makes it feel like an outdoor courtyard, an illusion enhanced by Fisher's irregular arrangements of doors and windows looking onto the atrium.

The arrangements give the atrium walls a suggestion of separate building façades, and also allow sunlight to flow from the skylight through the other rooms of the house. Fisher said of the Late Modern/Deconstructivist design, "The Caplin house was my apprenticeship. It was my first project, and I tried to pack every idea I had into it...I was lucky the design came off, more or less."

The Caplin House - For Sale $3,495,000

HE CAPLIN HOUSE - Frederick Fisher, AIA - 1979 An iconic house in an iconic neighborhood, the "Caplin House" is the first solo project of world-renowned architect Frederick Fisher (Annenberg Community Beach House; MoMA P. S. 1 Contemporary Art Center; Bergamot Station and Galleries; Natural History Museum of LA "Commons Project" - underway). An architecturally significant home that has been meticulously restored, maintained, and updated, the "Caplin House" has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal, and many architecture books, journals, and magazines. Fisher worked in Frank Gehry's then-six person office in the 1970s, and one can observe Gehry's influence in Fisher's "deconstructivist" approach to this dramatic Venice dwelling with its tall, expansive open spaces that maximize sunlight and a design concept that replicates a boat's hull and a rooftop in the shape of a breaking wave. The home's different design elements converge in a spectacular central atrium with an exposed beam ceiling, oversized skylights, and lofted balconies. The Los Angeles Conservancy describes the atrium as "the heart of the house and the connector of all its parts it feels like an outdoor courtyard, an illusion enhanced by Fisher's irregular arrangements of doors and windows. " Just off the atrium is a gourmet chef's kitchen with stainless steel Viking appliances, a double oven, and built-in microwave. From the kitchen, step down into an inviting office/screening room featuring custom-built handcrafted furniture by master woodworker Shin Okuda of Waka Waka Studio. Framing the atrium, a double staircase leads to three upstairs bedrooms, which are separated on either side of the house by a library catwalk style balcony. The primary bedroom is open and bright and includes ample storage and closet space. Enjoy sunny views from a charming window seat nook that extends out above the front yard. The sun drenched ensuite bathroom features an elegant skylight, a double-shower, and modern bathtub. There are two guest bedrooms, one with a built-in loft and a private balcony. A whimsical yellow staircase leads to a spacious roof-deck with stunning 360-degree views. Two outdoor "surfer" showers and gated parking for two cars complete Frederick Fisher's breakout solo design. The "Caplin House" enjoys a prime location in the heart of Venice Beach, one block from the boutique shops and world-class restaurants on Abbot Kinney Boulevard (called "the coolest block in America" by GQ magazine), and two blocks from the surf and sand of the world-famous Venice Boardwalk, the most popular tourist destination in Los Angeles.

229 San Juan Avenue, Venice, CA, USA