Core77

Harry Gesner's Cantilevered House Designs from the 1950s

Not for the acrophobic

By Rain Noe - April 24, 2018

in Architecture

On a recent trip to L.A. I stayed in the Hollywood Hills. My host drove me past this series of structures, which at first glance appeared to be a row of carports.

Enter a caption (optional)

However, when I later passed these on foot, I noticed something interesting:

Enter a caption (optional)

As you can see, these "carports" extend far beyond the car parking space, and they have a second story built beneath street level. In the shot below you can see the window cut into this lower level.

Enter a caption (optional)

In this shot, you can see a yellow addition has also been built, providing another room.

Enter a caption (optional)

So yeah, these are proper houses, cantilevered over the valley. Photos cannot adequately convey how steep the slope is. I have a fear of heights so looking over this precipice caused automatic ass-clenching.

Enter a caption (optional)

I could barely find any windows on these, and imagined the parts of the house I couldn't see would have massive clerestory windows to compensate.

When I got back to New York I looked these houses up. Called "Boathouses," they were designed by the unconventional architect Harry Gesner in the 1950s. Executing their fanciful design on such a challenging site was reportedly so difficult that Norwegian shipbuilders had to be hired to do it. Here's what they look like from the valley side:

Enter a caption (optional)

And here are what some of these look like on the inside:

Enter a caption (optional)

The friend I was crashing with said she actually looked into buying one of these when it was on the market, but was put off at the open house walkthrough; she said the precariousness of the height made her uneasy. I couldn't live in one of these things either, but I'm impressed at the sheer bravery of the design.

o

Favorite This
Q
3

Comment

Comments

John Kestner

6 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I can see the coolness of having a window slanted down over the valley, but what functional purpose do the slanted walls on the top serve? Seems like it's aesthetic on the outside, but reduces walkable space in what must already be a small house.

!Report as spam
- Rain Noe
  
  John Kestner
  
  6 years ago
  
  Z
  
  Z
  
  Reply
  
  John, my only guess is to deflect wind and prevent wracking on the structure. Gesner is still alive, so if I'm lucky enough I'll get to one day interview him and ask him.
  
  !Report as spam
Ashley McCorkle

6 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Must be an adventure during an earthquake.

!Report as spam