SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

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SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

JOIN

SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

JOIN

THE SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

JOIN

SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

JOIN

Author: Brent Eckerman

Gonzalez on Early LA Architects

Please join us at the Neutra Office Building in Silver Lake (or virtually via Zoom) as we celebrate the publication of Early Architects of Los Angeles: Fifteen Profiles, 1884-1951 (McFarland, 2026) by Antonio Gonzalez. Professional architects first began to arrive in California in the 1880s. These architects wanted to practice their profession in their hometowns, […]

Van Slyck on Playhouses

Join SAH/SCC as Abigail A. Van Slyck discusses her book, Playhouses and Privilege: The Architecture of Elite Childhood (University of Minnesota Press, 2025). The book explores children’s playhouses built on British and American estates between the 1850s and the mid-1930s. Different from the prefabricated structures that later populated suburban backyards, these playhouses were often fully […]

Exhibition Tour: Alfred Preis Displaced

Join SAH/SCC for a walkthrough of the exhibition “Alfred Preis Displaced” with curator Prof. Axel Schmitzberger, RA, at the historic Neutra Office Building. Schmitzberger and his co-authors previously presented the catalogue Alfred Preis DISPLACED: The Tropical Modernism of the Austrian Emigrant and Architect of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor (Doppelhouse Press, 2022), for […]

Dunlop on Modern Gardens

Bringing the outdoors in is essential to midcentury modern architecture, as author Beth Dunlop shows in her book Gardens for Modern Houses: Design Inspiration for Home Landscapes (Rizzoli, 2025). Join SAH/SCC for an inside look at the importance of modern landscape designs with the author. The book features 30 gardens from across the US—half in […]

Harley Earl & The Architecture of Automotive Design: SAH/SCC Zoom Presentation

Longtime SAH/SCC Member and vintage car collector Richard Stanley will discuss the life and contributions of influential industrial designer—and Hollywood native—Harley Earl (1893-1969). Developing his flash on the West Coast, Earl then took it East to Detroit. He literally invented the modern design studio that made General Motors so dominant. At the time of his retirement […]

Kelton Apartments: SAH/SCC Program

Hungry to experience architecture? What better way to feed your Modernist appetite than to visit the Kelton Apartments (Richard J. Neutra, 1942) Join us for a very special afternoon as we spend time in this delightful Westwood apartment building. Described by author Thomas Hines as “modest but fetching,” the Kelton Apartments were designed by Neutra […]

The Assassination of Jean Welz, Part 2: SAH/SCC Zoom Presentation

SAH/SCC welcomes back author and filmmaker Peter Wyeth, whose string of discoveries excavated from the most fragmentary evidence has uncovered the architecture career of perhaps the leading South African painter, Jean Welz. In 2022, Wyeth presented his book, The Lost Architecture of Jean Welz (DoppelHouse, 2022) to SAH/SCC. Although Welz’ masterpiece Maison Zilveli has since been […]

Schmitzberger, Sarnitz, & McGuire on Preis: SAH/SCC Zoom Program

Tune into SAH/SCC for a panel discussion celebrating the new book, Alfred Preis DISPLACED: The Tropical Modernism of the Austrian Emigrant and Architect of the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor (Doppelhouse Press, 2022). Learn about the work and arts advocacy of this Viennese modernist who fled Nazi-occupied Austria and transformed regional Hawaiian architecture. We will […]

Preserving the California Capitol: SAH/SCC Panel Presentation

Join the SAH/SCC as we learn more about the history and recent preservation challenges associated California’s Capitol in Sacramento. We will be joined by Dick Cowan; Wayne Donaldson, FAIA and former State Historic Preservation Officer; and Paula Peper, Urban Forester. Recently, the California Legislature decided not to even consider rehabilitation when it proposed The Capitol […]

Lukather on Byrd: SAH/SCC Zoom Program

When is a ranch-style house not just a ranch house? When it is a Byrd house. Join author Chris Lukather as he explores the fairytale ranch houses designed by Robert Byrd (1904-1978) and his son, Gary (1939-2008), as featured in his new book, Homes by Byrd: The Art & Architecture of Robert Byrd and His […]

Svetlana Petrović

Working in support of SAH/SCC for more than twenty years, Svetlana is an art director and graphic designer living and working between Los Angeles, California and Belgrade, Serbia. She designs our quarterly newsletter and is also responsible for our beautiful new website which was created by her and her partner’s design and build agency, CATCH ME CREATIVE.

Agnie Agostino

Angie Agostino, the owner of AgostinoCreative, has been working in the multimedia industry providing graphic design, photography, social media and interactive projects for over 20 years. She has also teamed up with author Jeffrey Crider and the two of them have published several books focusing on the history of various cities in the southern California region — many, of which, have recently been added to the Library of Congress.

Julie D. Taylor, Hon. AIA

Julie is Founder/Principal of Taylor & Company, a company providing public relations and marketing services to professionals and organizations involved in architecture, design, and furnishings. A self-described “design evangelist,” she has written three books including Spa: The Sensuous Experience (2006); Bars, Pubs, and Cafes (2000); and Outdoor Rooms (1999), in addition to countless articles on design, architecture, marketing, and art. Julie has been editor of SAH/SCC News since 1998, and was the West Coast correspondent for ArchNewsNow.com. She is a frequent guest lecturer on marketing architectural services at conferences and universities. Julie is on the advisory board of USModernist, and was the co-founderof CANstruction LA. She was given honorary AIA/LA membership in December 2007 and received an Allied Professions Achievement Honor from AIA California Council in 2012. Julie was the 2014-2016 Public Director on the National AIA Board of Directors and was granted national honorary AIA status in 2018.

Lilian Pfaff

Lilian Pfaff, Ph.D. is an award-winning author, educator, curator, and real estate agent at MODERN CALIFORNIA HOUSE. She earned her Master in Art History from University of Hamburg, her Master of Advanced Studies in Architectural Theory from ETH Zuerich and her Ph.D. in Architecture History from the University of Zuerich. She is the author of J.R. Davidson (Birkhauser, 2019), Escher GuneWardena (Birkhauser, 2017), and numerous other books and articles. She is a member of the adjunct faculty at Cal Poly Pomona, Pasadena City College and Woodbury University—teaching architectural history and theory. She is a board member of the HPOZ Board Highland Park – Garvanza.

David Coffey

David Coffey is the owner of Richard Neutra’s Davis House (1937) in Bakersfield, CA, as well as the steward/caretaker of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ablin House (1959). He has curated and produced multiple historical architecture events in Bakersfield, including “Masters of Modernism: Neutra & Wright in Bakersfield” with SAH/SCC’s Sian Winship in October 2009, and “Bakersfield Built: 1930s” in conjunction with CSUB’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of the publication of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath.  Other programs with the Bakersfield Museum of Art, CSUB Library Special Collections Department, and the Kern County Museum to curate and produce “Bakersfield Built: 1960s” in September of 2019 and Bakersfield Built the 1950’s in September of 2024. He is working with the University of Uruguay in Montevideo on ongoing programs promoting the rich modernist building in Uruguay titled Montevideo Modernism.  He is a board member of the Bakersfield Museum of Art and is currently on its Exhibition Committee. David grew up in Cincinnati, OH, and graduated from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music with a BA in electronic media.

Jean Baaden

Jean Baaden has worked in the building industry since 1987. From commercial general contractors to custom builders, she is proud to have contributed to projects like Terminal 2 (removal of the ‘bubble’ satellite terminal) at LAX, the historic renovation of the Kaufmann House, LAUSD upgrades, and the largest residential swimming pool at 420 linear feet. Jean is eager to continue expediting issues with the Los Angeles Mayor’s office, collaborating with creative teams, and making a difference in rebuilding the city through Boyd Contracting. Outside of work, Jean enjoys hiking hidden trails & staircases, swimming, quality cinema, spending time with family & friends, clean gourmet food, LA’s historic sites, and music in the parks. She looks forward to continuing her travels in Europe as well as exploring sites across the United States.

Brent Eckerman

Internet Editor

Brent Eckerman is an architect who has worked in Los Angeles for the past forty-one years. He received his architectural degree from Cal Poly Pomona. During his career, he spent many years as a Senior Associate at Frederick Fisher and Partners in Los Angeles. He currently works for VTBS Architects in Santa Monica. He has an interest in Modern Architecture and particularly in Mid-Century Modernism. Brent also has a strong background in computer technology and acted as the driving force behind the SAH/SCC Website. 

Rina Rubenstien

Membership

Rina Rubenstein’s family came to Los Angeles a century ago. Her father, a landscaper who took her to his construction sites including UCLA, JPL, & Century City, instilled in her a strong connection with the built environment of Southern California. After high school, Rina moved to Israel to work on a kibbutz, milking cows and weeding cotton. While studying Biblical Archaeology & Classical Art History at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, she worked summers on excavations and winters in the Israel Museum. Since then, she has held mostly library and information management positions. Rina was Treasurer of a SAH/SCC for several years. She lives in a 1913 Craftsman home in West Adams, where she’s active in neighborhood affairs. 

John Berley

Treasurer

John Berley has been a Board Member since 1994 and was President of the SAH/SCC from 1996 to 1999. He is a former Senior Associate at Frederick Fisher and Partners, Architects and for 14 years served as a Landmarks Commissioner for the City of Santa Monica (2003-2017). John has been responsible for rehabilitation projects including the Annenberg Community Beach House (2009), Grand Central Air Terminal (Henry Gogerty, 1930), as well as the Sunnylands Center and Gardens in Rancho Mirage.  Over the years, John has created such memorable SAH/SCC programs as On Parallel Lines: The Sarasota School of Architecture and the Case Study House Program; Creative Space: Architects Offices, and Beyond the Bauhaus: The Legacy of Walter Gropius in Boston. He is also the leader of the ongoing Modern Patrons series, which offers thoughtful dialogue with homeowners who commissioned the modern masters. Additionally, He has written on the early influence of Irving Gill, A. Quincy Jones, and the Post-War development of Modern Architecture in America.

Jay Platt

Vice President

Jay Platt is the Principal Planner for Historic Preservation with the City of Glendale Community Development Department. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Heritage Conservation program at USC.  Over the last thirty years, Jay has served in various roles in the public, private, non-profit, and education sectors in New York City, Philadelphia, and his hometown, Los Angeles.  And, most days, he’s still into it!  He received his undergraduate degree from UCLA and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania.  He and his wife Kathleen enjoy life in Eagle Rock with a couple of amusing beagles.

Sian Winship

President

As a member of the SAH/SCC Board for the past twenty eight years, Sian Winship has created numerous educational programs celebrating modern residential architecture in Southern California and across the country. In 2011, Sian earned her Masters of Historic Preservation (MHP) from USC. Sian is the author of the award-winning Japanese American Context and Women’s Right’s Context for SurveyLA. She has also authored a number of successful National Register nominations including the Bakersfield Woman’s Club, A.Q. Jones Residence #3, the St. Vincent Seminary Historic District. She has researched and written historic context statements for Ventura, Bakersfield, Paramount, and was the principal author of the award-winning Long Beach Suburbanization and Race Context Statement. She is also on the board of the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design. She is an adjunct professor in the Heritage Conservation Program at USC.