Last Saturday, my cell phone interrupted my pleasant dream (…of god knows what…) with its constant vibration and high pitched ring… after hitting the snooze button five times, I guess it means that it is time to wake up. I begrudgingly got out of the covers… c’mon its 8:00 on Saturday morning… After a pleasant breakfast with my family, I took a shower, got dressed and left. Armed with my note cards in my back pocket (courtesy of Sandeesh) and a cold water bottle in my cup holder, I head north to Silverlake, an artist colony in Los Angeles, while singing and dancing (ala temptations complete with shoulder movements and hand gestures) to Jamiroquai in my tiny red car. This 30 minute commute from Long Beach is vital to put myself in a good, positive and happy mood which is crucial for my Saturday duties…


Exterior Shot (photo by: Julius Schulman)

I am a house docent for Richard Neutra’s VDL Research House (by the way its noi-tra not nuu-tra). This was his private residence and the National Register of Historic Places recently added the house to their roster of historically significant sites in America (YEY!)


Roof Pond (photo by: Julius Schulman)

My school Cal Poly Pomona, headed by Prof. Sarah Lorenzen, has been adamant in fund raising in order to fully restore this architectural landmark. So if anybody needs a place for film or photo shoots, seminars, conferences, and retreats… VDL is the place to be.


Living Room (photo by: David Hartwell)


Built-In Detail (photo by: David Hartwell)


Guided tours are open to public pretty much every Saturday from 11:00am to 3:00pm by Cal Poly Pomona Architecture Students (like me) for $10 per person and all the proceeds will go towards repairs and maintenance of the house… and if anybody feels very generous... we welcome donations which can be arranged through our website

So if you’re in the neighborhood or planning to visit L.A... (as Bob Barker would say)C'mon Down! And if I’m there I’ll throw in a “John’s L.A.: Things to do, Things to see and Things to eat” guide for free… tempted?

Oh by the way, last saturday my friend and I were asked to shovel out the gravel on top of the lower roof to prep its repair... I thought it was cool...


Jose Diaz in action...


...and your's truly...