Brick, Timber and Glass: The Reinvention of a Midcentury Modern House

Hutter House: Reinterpreting Midcentury Modernism Through Architecture and Memory Originally designed by architect Everett Lee in the early 1950s, Hutter House is a midcentury modern residence in Los Angeles, California, whose recent transformation by Chu-Gooding explores the relationship between architectural heritage, Japanese influences and contemporary living. Built for Dr. Charles Hutter, the house has remained connected to the same family for generations. Its renovation, commissioned by his grandson Karl Hutter and his wife Jen, sought to recover the architectural character of the original residence while adapting it to a new chapter of family life. Working within the historic footprint, the project involved a comprehensive redesign of the main house, a reconsideration of its outdoor living spaces and the addition of a guest house and private office. At the heart of the renovation is the relationship between refuge and openness. Drawing from the traditions of California modernism and Japanese residential architecture, Chu-Gooding reinforced the contrast between solid, protective surfaces and expansive transparent openings. Brick walls, timber cladding and generous glass planes establish a sequence of spaces that connect the interiors to the surrounding courtyards, mature trees and canyon landscape. One of the project's most significant interventions involved the restoration and reinterpretation of the original brickwork. A green-gray wire-cut brick wall, discovered beneath layers of plaster, became the starting point for a broader architectural composition inspired by Japanese folding screens. Extended beyond its original boundaries, the brickwork now connects interior and exterior spaces, defining gardens, patios and intimate areas while contrasting with large sliding glass doors and clerestory windows. The roof was equally important to the transformation. Its expressive beams and extended eaves were redesigned through carefully crafted sheet metal details, drawing inspiration from the geometry of traditional Japanese armor. The architects even employed origami models to study the complex folds and construction sequences, bringing precision and durability to elements that had deteriorated over time. Materiality establishes a dialogue between the house and its natural surroundings. Walnut interiors, exterior redwood and ipe, textured brick and dark metal finishes reflect the earthy tones of the canyon, while carefully introduced colors and furnishings bring warmth to the modernist composition. In collaboration with Cheryl Brantner Design, the interiors combine architectural restraint with a layered selection of furniture, decorative lighting and textiles, balancing the openness of the glass pavilion spaces with a sense of domestic intimacy. Rather than treating preservation as a return to the past, the project reinterprets the original architectural language through contemporary craftsmanship, reinforcing the qualities of transparency, materiality and connection to nature that defined the house from the beginning. In this film, we take a poetic and cinematic journey through Hutter House, exploring its layered architectural history, expressive rooflines, textured brick walls, warm timber interiors and carefully framed relationships with the surrounding landscape. Moving between its intimate courtyards, transparent living spaces and sculptural architectural details, the film reveals how Chu-Gooding brings together restoration and contemporary design, allowing the legacy of California midcentury modernism to unfold through light, materiality and spatial experience. Project: Hutter House Architecture: Everett Lee Location: Los Angeles, California Film by: Film Curatorship by: Architecture Hunter Get to know other recent videos: Interviews with the Creators: Studio MK27’s Biribinhas Private Beach House:    • Interviews with the Creators: Studio MK27’...   Gem of Private Brazilian Beaches: Studio MK27's Biribinhas Coastal Masterpiece:    • Gem of Private Brazilian Beaches: Studio M...   Interview: The Vision of Jacobsen Inside a Suspended Beach House in Rio de Janeiro:    • Interview: The Vision of Jacobsen Inside a...   Hunt, Watch & Read: https://architecturehunter.com/ Instagram:   / architecture_hunter  . LinkedIn:   / architecturehunter   TikTok:   / archihunters   Pinterest:   / architecture_hunter   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/31rpvbv... Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://architecturehunter.com/newsle...