Every Fixture Tells a Story: Neutra’s Reunion House

When is a light fixture not just a light fixture? When it helps tell the story of a remarkable home designed, and lived in, by one of the twentieth century’s greatest architects.

The 1951 Reunion House in L.A.’s Silver Lake neighborhood was designed on spec by Richard Neutra. It housed Neutra and his family as his home/studio down the street was rebuilt after a fire, and it served as the long-time home/studio of his son, architect Dion Neutra.

In this episode, we hear how students Brannon Smithwick and Jesús (Chuy) Barba Bonilla learned about materials conservation by poring over switch plates and climbing on the roof of Reunion House. We also talk with instructor Peyton Hall, FAIA and Sian Winship of the Neutra Institute for Survival through Design, the home’s new steward. If you think studying lighting, roofs, windows, and wood is boring, think again. This episode will give you a new appreciation of the materials in a historic home—with a love story thrown in for fun.

	Jesús (Chuy) Barba Bonilla was born in Mexico and grew up in Zacatecas, a Spanish colonial mining city declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which is where he became passionate about history and architecture. Jesús obtained his BA in architecture in 2012 from the Universidad del Valle de Mexico and moved to California in the same year. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Heritage Conservation at the University of Southern California while working as an Architectural Designer in the firm of Page & Turnbull.
	Brannon Smithwick is a dual-degree masters student currently studying Heritage Conservation in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning: Design of the Built Environment in the Sol Price School of Public Policy. She recently completed a planning/architecture historian internship with Architectural Resources Group in Los Angeles, and hopes to pursue a career in heritage planning upon graduating.
	Sian Winship is an architectural historian, marketing researcher, and writer, specializing in modern architecture and cultural history. As President of the Society of Architectural Historians/ Southern California Chapter, she has curated numerous architectural tours and events. A two-time graduate of USC, she obtained a degree in Business and a Master’s in Historic Preservation in 2011.
	Peyton Hall, FAIA is Adjunct Professor, School of Architecture, University of Southern California and Principal Architect Emeritus of Historic Resources Group. He serves on the Boards of the Angelino Heights Historic Preservation Overlay Zone and Friends of the Schindler House. He is a Trustee of the U. S. National Committee, International Council of Monuments and Sites.
	Podcast co-host Cindy Olnick recently interviewed the Arch 551 team about their work at the  Reunion House. Cindy is a communications pro who loves L.A. and thinks historic places are magic.

Want to know more about some of the ideas and places mentioned in this episode? Check out:

The Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design – the stewards of the Reunion House and the “client” for the materials conservation class

Docomomo US is the United States chapter of Docomomo International, a non-profit organization dedicated to the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement for nearly 25 years.

Interested in more information on specific materials conservation strategies? Check out the National Park Service Preservation Briefs

The Association for Preservation Technology is the premier cross-disciplinary organization dedicated to promoting the best technology for conserving historic structures and their settings.

Architectural historian Barbara Lamprecht is the author of several books on the work of Neutra, including Neutra: Complete Works (Taschen, 2000)

USC Heritage Conservation Programs

 Credits on About page