Gehry Residence in Santa Monica, California, is a landmark of Deconstructivism
where Frank Gehry transformed a 1920s Dutch Colonial bungalow into a "laboratory" of architectural experimentation. Completed primarily in 1978, the floor plan is defined by the "wrapping"
of the original structure with a new, aggressive envelope of industrial materials like corrugated metal, chain-link fencing, and plywood. Ground Floor Layout The ground floor exemplifies Gehry’s concept of
, where the new additions literally surround and intersect the old house. The Original Core
: The interior of the pink bungalow remains largely intact, though "edited". In some areas, plaster was stripped to reveal the raw redwood framing The New Perimeter : New spaces—the kitchen, dining area, and breakfast area gehry residence floor plan
—were added as a wrap-around extension on the north and west sides. The "Asphalt" Kitchen
: The kitchen was built directly over the existing driveway, famously retaining the original asphalt floor to emphasize the building as an "addition" to the site. Tilted Glass Cubes
: Distinctive skylights and glass structures "poke" through the original exterior, flooding the kitchen and dining areas with light. Upper Floor and Private Spaces
The second level focuses on privacy while maintaining the experimental theme of exposed materials. The First Frank Gehry House in Santa Monica - ArchEyes Gehry Residence in Santa Monica, California, is a
Why do architects obsess over this specific floor plan? Because it broke every rule of "Good Design" in 1978.
Before Gehry, residential floor plans were designed for comfort, predictability, and the "hearth." The Gehry Residence floor plan is designed for event. It is uncomfortable. The angles are wrong. The exposed studs collect dust. The chain-link rusts.
And yet, it is a masterpiece because it is honest. The floor plan reveals its own construction. You can see the studs as lines on the plan; you can see the old house vs. the new house.
This floor plan predicted the digital age of architecture. Today, architects use software like Rhino and Maya to create "blob" architecture. But Gehry did it with a utility knife, a cardboard model, and a broken Dutch colonial house. Part 5: The Legacy – How This Floor
When you hear the name Frank Gehry, you likely think of titanium-clad masterpieces like the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao or the Walt Disney Concert Hall. These buildings dance with light, defying the rigid boxes of traditional architecture. However, long before the global fame, there was a small, unassuming bungalow in Santa Monica, California. This house, known as the Gehry Residence, is arguably the most important architectural dwelling of the 20th century.
For architects and design enthusiasts, searching for the "Gehry Residence floor plan" is not just about finding room dimensions. It is an archaeological dig into the origins of Deconstructivism. It is about understanding how Gehry took a conventional 1920s Dutch Colonial house and exploded its interior logic to create a manifesto.
In this article, we will dissect the floor plan, circulation, material thresholds, and spatial philosophy of the Gehry Residence (1978).
To understand the genius, you first need the canvas. The original structure was a 1920s Dutch Colonial bungalow—a classic, symmetrical box with a pitched roof and a predictable layout:
It was safe. It was boring. And for Frank Gehry and his wife Berta, it was the perfect cage to break open.