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DIMITRY K. VERGUN (1933-)

Vergun was born in Prague.  His family moved to Russia and later Germany.  The family was captured by the Nazis in 1941 and he was taken to a labor camp. By 11, his father had died in one of those camps and his mother sent him to the US as the war ended to be with his grandparents and four aunts. Vergun graduated from Lamar High School and won a scholarship to the Memphis Academy of Art, but he decided to attend the University of Texas studying enginering instead.  He graduated from MIT in architecture in 1956 where he was co-captain of the basketball team.  He graduated with a MS in Structural Engineering from Stanford in 1957.  Vergun worked 1957-1959 for SOM in San Francisco, with projects including the Norton Building in Seattle, the John Hancock Building in San Francisco, and inspections for the Winter Olympic Games in Squaw Valley.  From 1959-1960, he worked for Bechtel in San Francisco on power plants.  From 1960-1969, he was Chief Engineer for Reid and Tarics in San Francisco.   From 1969-1972 he was EVP of  Dukor Modular Systems, Redwood City CA, specializing in factory-built housing using lightweight steel.  From 1992 until he retired, he was in private practice while serving as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Building Science and Architecture at USC. He specialized in earthquake and environmental safety and as an expert witness for litigation cases.   He is co-author with James Ambrose of:

  • 1980 - Simplified Building Design for Wind and Earthquake Forces, 2nd edition 1990, 4th edition 1994, 5th edition 1997.

  • 1985 - Seismic Design of Buildings

  • 1987 - Design for Lateral Forces

  • 1999 - Design for Earthquakes,  1st Edition  

Vergun was the structural engineer for many Modernist houses by architects Pierre Koenig and Ed Niles, plus Ray Kappe,  Eric Owen Moss,  John Mutlow,  Frank Dimster and Arnata Isozaki, among many others: 
1978 - aka Deconstructivist Open House by Coop Himmelb(l)au
1990 - The David and Karen Gray House, Malibu CA, designed by David Gray.
 1991 - The Mark Cigolle and Kim Coleman House, aka Canyon House, Santa Monica CA, designed by the clients.
1992 - The David and Margaret Lederer Renovation, AKA Anderson House, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA, designed by Finn Kappe.

2011 - Rose Avenue Residence and Studio, Venice CA.  Designed by Reed Architectural Group.  Won a 2011 Concrete Masonry Design award for Vergun. 

1987 - aka Brentwood Architectural High Tech, 12500 Cloud Lane, Los Angeles CA.  Interiors by David Hertz.  1.5 acres.  Has been renovated.  Was a rental for many years.  Status unknown.

Sources include: Dimitry Vergun; Ed Niles; Mina Chow; AD Profiles 36 Los Angeles August-September 8-9/1981.