2300 Silver Lake Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA

Richard Neutra and Dion, VDL Research House II (Silverlake Research House) - National Register of Historic Places

Statement of Significance

In evaluating the eligibility of the VDL Research House II, the National Register felt that the nomination materials did a fine job of documenting the unique position of this home and studio complex within the expensive career of master architect Richard Neutra. The National Register of Historic Places, however, has a longstanding policy regarding listing resources associated with living individuals still actively practicing in their respective fields, particularly architects, artists, and designers. Such properties generally are not considered eligible for inclusion in the National Register. While the design for the VDL Research House II is associated with the later years of Richard Neutra’s career, as currently written the construction of VDL Research House II appears to have been a collaborative effort between the aging architect and his architect son Dion, who is still living.

In many respects, the nomination appears to say that the elder Neutra’s contributions were secondary to Dion’s contributions, ‘‘‘'Since Richard and Dione were often traveling and conducting lecture tours, Dion was responsible for many of the construction documents, bidding, supervision of the construction and design details. {%.!) ...At Dione’s request, Dion designed a large, sliding glass window...” (8.10). And in Dion’s own words, ‘To make a three-year story short, after much reflection and hiring an insurance advocate, we did decide to rebuild against many odds. I presided over the research, plan preparation, and construction [emphasis added]; even got remarried on the roof in the framing stage; and my parents lived very happily in this house for another four years after its completion in 1966, although they traveled much in those years. ” (“Thirty Years: A Paen to Richard Neutra at the First VDL Open House ofthe 2P* Century,” speech presented at the VDL Research House in Los Angeles on the 30* anniversary of Richard Neutra’s death, April 16, 2000.)

In light of the NPS prescription against listing the work of living designers, the nomination needs to clearly address the relative contributions made to the creation of VDL II by the elder Neutra, clearly establishing the work as an important product of the master architect. For example, what exactly was the collaborative process for designing this house? How active was Richard Neutra in the design effort? Did the elder Neutra prescribe certain features, design motifs, or overriding principals to be followed by his son, or was Dion given free reign to develop the designs based on accepted “Neutra” forms? The nomination needs to very clearly document how the buildings being nominated represent the significant contributions of Richard Neutra to the body of American modem design in the twentieth century.

The evaluation of the significance of this property at the national level further necessitates such direct documentation of the consultation/collaboration process for the property.
(The nomination of properties associated with living persons still actively practicing or participating in their chosen fields is discouraged in order to avoid the use of the National Register to endorse the work or reputation of such individuals, as well as to consider the need for adequate historic perspective in evaluating the full body of their work. This policy has been reiterated through program guidelines and directives since the early establishment of the National Register program.)

Verbal Boundary Description
The nomination needs to provide the Assessor’s parcel number or Lot/Block number for the property and/or draw clear lot lines on the plans/site map.