PIERRE FRANCIS KOENIG, FAIA (1925-2004)

Pierre Koenig was born in San Francisco and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1939. After attended the University of Utah in Engineering, he served in the Army from 1943-1946 then attended Pasadena City College, and USC-LA, graduating in 1952. He apprenticed with Raphael Soriano; Edward Fickett; Kistner, Wright and Wright; and Jones and Emmons. He established a private design practice in 1952 and was known for exposed steel-and-glass buildings. While in practice, he taught at the USC School of Architecture for 40 years. He was named both Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Professor at USC in 1998.

Structural engineer William Porush was Koenig's frequent (and necessary) partner for these innovative steel buildings; later it was Dimitry Vergun. He married Merry Thompson in 1953 and they had one son, Randy; married Gaile Carson and they had one daughter, Jean Pierre; married Gloria Kaufman in 1985. Research by Catherine Westergaard Cramer.

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1950 - The Pierre Koenig House #1, 2002 Los Encinos Avenue, Glendale CA. 1000 square feet. Also built by Koenig. Structural Engineer, William Porush. According to son Randy Koenig, it was disassembled in the early 1970s for the expansion of the Glendale 2 Freeway. It's unknown what happened to the parts.

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1953 - The Edward Lamel House, 1884 Los Encinos Avenue, Glendale CA. 1200 square feet. Structural Engineer: William Porush. Sold to William Walsh. Bottom photo by Michael Locke. Sold in 1989 to Jessie and Matthew Clemente who still owned it as of 2024.

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1953 - The William Squire House, 5323 Palm Drive, La Cañada Flintridge CA. Structural Engineer: William Porush. Sold around 1986 to Margaret and Frank South. Sold in 1988 to Chris Campbell. Sold in 1998 to the Joseph A. Schier Family Trust. Underwent renovations and alterations including covered formerly exposed ribbed-steel ceilings, the open carport enclosed into a garage, and an added a third bathroom. Preserved original features of note include wood cabinetry, a full-height masonry fireplace, stone tile flooring, and colorful bathroom tile and fixtures. Sold in 2020 to Eric Fehlbert and Asami Tamura. Bottom three photos by Michael Locke.

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1953 - The Edwin M. and Aurora Scott House, 10300 Haines Canyon Avenue, Tujunga CA. 1250 sf interior; 816 sf covered porch. Engineered and built by William Porush. Sold for the first time in 2014 to Nikolaus Kraemer and Heather van Haaften who did a restoration. Available for short term rental. Bottom two photos by Michael Locke.

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1958 - The Henry E. and Ruth Softley Burwash House, 9520 Amoret Drive, Tujunga CA. 1250 sf. Structural Engineer: William Porush. Built by James A. Stottelmyer. Sold to A. Bruce Whitehead who commissioned Koenig to design an addition in 1966. Sold to Treesa Drury. Sold in 1996 to Juan Cristales and Beth Baker who commissioned former Craig Ellwood associate James Tyler for an addition in 2008. Bottom two photos by Michael Locke.

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1958 - The Frank K. Danzig Remodel, 1156 San Ysidro Drive, Beverly Hills CA. Built. Destroyed around 2004.

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1958 - The Walter C. and Mary Bailey Residence, aka Case Study House #21B, 9038 Wonderland Park Avenue, Los Angeles CA. At 1320 sf, it was built for $20,000. According to Koenig's son, Randy, Walter Bailey was a black former football player; his wife was a psychologist. Structural engineer: William Porush. Built by Pat Hamilton. The two-bedroom structure is balanced by five pools. Sold to Edwin Newquist, for which Koenig planned a renovation (unbuilt). Sold to Daniel Craccioli. Koenig oversaw a complete renovation in 1998. Sold in 1999 to Michael LaFetra. Sold to Mark Haddawy. Sold at auction in 2006 to Song W. Hong and Seomi Gallery. Deeded in 2012 to Antway Corporation, controlled by Song Hong. Sold in 2019 to Raye White and Allison Sarofim. Renovation by Mark Haddawy.

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1958 - The Arnold Metcalf House, 7958 Silver Lake, Los Angeles CA. Could also be 2342 Moreno Drive, needs verification. Structural engineer, William Porush. 2600 square feet. Unbuilt.

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1959 - The Albert A. Dzur House and Guest House, San Pedro CA. Unbuilt.

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1959 - The Paul and Louise Veneklasen Renovation, 2179 Mandeville Canyon Road, Los Angeles CA. Original house designed by Kenneth Lind. Renovation built by Tom Seidel. Sold in 1960 to Fred and Ellen Hoffman. Renovated in 1961 by Josef van der Kar, built by Sanford Williams. Sold in 2018 to Olive Ohaha Properties LLC. Bottom photo by Michael Locke.

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1960 - The Clarence H. (Buck) and Carlotta Gates Stahl House, aka Case Study House #22, 1636 Woods Drive, Los Angeles CA. It is Koenig's most well-known house. 2600 square feet plus 1500 square feet in covered areas. William Porush was the structural engineer. A crew of five completed framing in one day. Interiors by Van Kepple Green. Robert J. Brady was the builder. The Stahls could not get financing because of the unusual design; they ended up turning to architect Paul Williams and the Black-owned Broadway Federal Savings and Loan for a mortgage. In 1989, the LA Museum of Contemporary Art recreated the Stahl house full-scale along with the Ralph Rapson Greenbelt house. According to curator Elizabeth A. T. Smith, they were dismantled and recycled after the show. This is the West Coast's most famous Modernist house and has been the scene of many television shows and feature films including Visual Acoustics. A book endorsed by the Stahl family was published in 2021; a documentary is in development. As of 2022 still in the Stahl family as BCS Investment Group. Open to the public for tours. Bottom three photos by Elizabeth Daniels.

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1960 - The P. E. Philbrick Porch, 530 Georgina Avenue, Santa Monica CA. Unbuilt.

1960 - The Andrew Whittlesey House. Unbuilt.

1960 - Venice Development Company, prefab Houses in St. Jean, Quebec, Canada. Unbuilt.

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1960 - The Tom Seidel and Jean Hagen House, 2727 Mandeville Canyon Road, Los Angeles CA. Structural Engineer: William Porush. Sold around 1962 to Lorain and Steven Valensi, who did two additions with Koenig. Sold to Della and Gary Rolle, who had Koenig add a second story in 1984 plus a second renovation in 1995. For both renovations, the structural engineer was Dimitry Vergun and the contractor was R. G. West. As of 2012 still owned by the Rolle family. Bottom photo by Michael Locke.

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1961 - The Tom Seidel and Jean Hagen Beach House, 42560 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. Built by the owner. Carport addition designed in 1961 by Koenig, unbuilt. Renovated in 2006 by Busch Design. Sold around 1992 to Sandi Stewart and Barnet Bain. Sold in 2016 to the Fradin Family LLC. Sold in 2019 to B. Alan and Sharon M. Beard Family Trust.

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1961 - The Francis and Larry Beidleman House, 1050 Hanley Drive, Los Angeles CA. Koenig developed two schemes for the house. None were built. Another house was built at 1052, the same lot readdressed, in 1965 by Palm Springs architect William (Bill) Mader.

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1961 - The Jeromett (Gerry) A. and Robert Wilheim Rebuild, 1355 North Bundy Drive, Los Angeles CA. 1800 sf. William Porush was the structural engineer. Built by Seidel Associates. Sold in 1990 to John Huncke. Sold in 1994 to Allan Peter Cramer. Featured in Modern Magazine, 8/9/2017. Sold in 2021 to the Emily Serebryany Trust. Bottom photo by Michael Locke.

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1961 - The Jules Alan Plaut House, unbuilt.

1961 - The Elizabeth Donahue House, unbuilt.

1961 - The Stover Apartments, Stoner Avenue, Los Angeles. Developed by Tom Seidel. Unbuilt.

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1961 - The Felicia and Leon Papernow Addition, 989 Corsica Drive, Pacific Palisades CA. Original house built in 1949. Sold to Robert C. and Mary Ellen Mortimer. Sold in 1989 to Agnes and Phillip Peters, still owners as of 2023. Photos by Michael Locke.

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1962 - The Elizabeth and Cyrus Johnson House, 54 La Rancheria, Carmel Valley CA. 3800 square feet. Structural Engineer was William Porush. Built by Charles Strathmeyer. Structural Engineer: Dimitry Vergun. Built by Robert Roux. Landscape design by Garrett Eckbo. Featured in GA Houses 54. Photos by Julius Shulman and Juergen Nogai.  Sold to Cynthia and Fred Riebe who had Koenig do a 1990-1995 restoration and carport addition, bottom two photos. Interiors by Cynthia Riebe.  As of 2024 still owned by the Riebes.

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1962 - The Peter deWinter House, 6331 Deep Dell Place, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

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1962 - The David Herrington House 1, 1907 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills CA. Sold to the Whitney Trust. Sold in 2003 to Jess Bendixen. Sold in 2004 to Cathleen Saba Perrou and Linda Saba. Sold in 2006 to Krishnaven and Murugesa Thangavel.  Deeded in 2019 to Ananthan Thangavel.  

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1962 - The Janet and Meyer Oberman House, 24 Crestwind Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes CA. Original address was 5200 Crestwind Drive. 1810 sf. William Porush was the structural engineer. Built by Oberman. This was Koenig's only all-glass house. Sold to Robert Schillhahn. Sold in 1988 to John W. Williams. Sold in 1994 to Geoffrey Wainwright. Sold to the Grielje Van Dyk and Wainwright Trust. Over time, Koenig's Modernist design has been unfortunately altered, removing much glass and adding a pitch roof, bottom photo.

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1963 - The Richard and Viki Iwata House, 912 Summit Place, Monterey Park CA. 12,000 square feet. Structural Engineer, William Porush. Built by Colletta and Edgle. Altered in 1976. Sold in 2014 to Hsiu-Hua Wang and Kai-Win Chuang. Bottom photo by Michael Locke.

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1963 - The David Herrington House 2, 1911 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills CA. Sold in 1991 to Ricardo and Trinidad Abellan. Sold in 1999 to Michael and Jacquelyn Diener. Sold in 2020 to Wesley Widjaja. Photo by Michael Locke.

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1963 - The Alice M. and Robert Beagles House, 17446 Revello Drive, Pacific Palisades CA. Robert Beagles majored in Electrical Engineering at Oregon State University. During World War II he worked in research laboratories for RCA. He continued working in research in military electronics until his retirement in 1986. He held a number of patents. Structural Engineer, William Porush. Built by Bruce Koch. Deeded to the Beagles Trust. Sold for the first time in 2022 to Kwan Ching Cuo. Bottom 4 photos by Michael Locke.

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Around 1964 - The Ira Lawrence House, 3442 Meier Street, Los Angeles CA. Former address was 3440 Meier Street. Sold around 1980 to Carol May and Robert van Der Linde. Koenig designed an addition, unbuilt.

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1964 - The Jacob Rosenberg House. Unbuilt.

1964 - The Wilma and Robert Alan Franklyn Cabana, 782 West Portrero, Thousand Oaks CA. Unbuilt.

1965 - The Neil Levine House. Unbuilt.

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1966 - The Harold and Martha Henbest House, aka Henbest/Birkett House, 7127 Crest Road, Rancho Palos Verdes CA. Mostly unaltered over the years, includes terrazzo, polished brick and concrete flooring; radiant floor heating; walnut cabinetry and paneling; and built-in buffet. Overlooks the ocean. Top photo by Michael Locke. Sold in 2002 to Jeffrey Vanetek. Sold in 2009 to Jeffrey Pitt. Sold in 2011 to Stephen and Elizabeth Birkett, who did a renovation designed by architect Robert Sweet, bottom two photos. Sold in 2018 to Stephen and Anne Ubl, still owners as of 2024.

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1964 - The Carol and Richard Bosley House, 9579 Mentor Avenue, Mentor OH. Unbuilt.

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1967 - The Alban Katz Renovation, 1301 Summitridge, Beverly Hills CA. Original house built in 1926. Unsure if built.

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1967 - The Alica and Carmine Pagano House, Navesink Park, Monmouth County NH. Status unknown.

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1968 - The Marianne and Jacob Marschak House. Unbuilt.

1968 - The Howard E. Johnson House. Unbuilt.

1968 - The Matthew Colwed House, Vannetta Drive, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1970 - The Joe Koener House, 9119 St. Ives Drive, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1970 - The Mort Freeman and Marion Kanter House, unbuilt.

1970 - The Evelyn Heller House, 1773 Dlinda, Maui HI. Unbuilt.

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1970 - The Samuel (Sam) West House, 125 Seawind Drive, Vallejo CA. 3600 sf. Structural Engineer, William Porush. Built by Carquinez Builders. West passed away before he could move in. Eventually, the house was destroyed and the land claimed as right-of-way by a utility company.

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1971 - The Bev and Al Larson House, 1218 North Sepulveda, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

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1971 - The Josef and Rozanna Korzeniowski House, 6520 Vista Del Mar, Playa Del Rey CA. Sold in 1978 to Warren J. Winick, who engaged architect Warren Wagner to design an addition to the house in 1998. Sold in 2022 to Karl Israel and Valerie Suzanne Carlson. Three middle photos by Michael Locke.

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1972 - The Patricia and John Dye Remodel, 1201 Kings Road, Newport Beach CA. Unbuilt.

Around 1972 - The Therona and John Whittemore House, 3504 Coast View Drive, Malibu CA. Unbuilt.

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1975 - The Michael Nemo Remodel, 2685 Hollyridge, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.

Around 1975 - The Rose Peterson Remodel, 810 Mildred, Venice CA. Status unknown.

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1976 - The Chemehuevi Prefab Housing Tract, Lake Havasu CA. Status unknown.

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1976 - The Hubert H. Grebe Garage Addition, 12567 Everglade, Los Angeles CA. Original house built in 1946 by the United Building Company of California.  Still owners as of 2023.

 

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1979 - The Christine (Christy) and Ferrell Burton III House, aka Pole House, 31371 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. 2400 square feet total. The structural engineer was Tom Harris. Still owned by the Burtons as of 2023.

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1979 - The Milt and Mildred Holland House.  Unbuilt.

1982 - The Shirley Bayer House, 3500 Mandeville Canyon Road, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

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1983 - The Michael G. Gantert House, 6431 La Punta Drive, Los Angeles CA. Commissioned around 1979. 1800 sf. Structural Engineer, Dimitry Vergun. Built by the owner. Koenig considered the Gantert House his most demanding commission: designing a home on an "unbuildable," steep 45-degree slope. The architect answered the challenge by innovative design: prefabricated steel was brought by truck to the lower edge of the site and hoisted by crane. The steel frame became its own scaffolding, with all interior components installed from within the structure. In 2003, Koenig started an extensive renovation of the house, shortly before his passing. The work was completed under the direction of architect James Tyler, Koenig's personal choice. Sold to John Lugar. Sold in 1989 to Gina Wendkos. Sold in 2003 to Bill and Amy Rose. Sold in 2005 to Leland Russ. Remodeled in 2005 with Billy Rose Design. Sold in 2012 to Ehren S. Kruger. Last photo by Michael Locke.

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1984 - The Eiko and Frank Stuermer House, Alina Place, Kaneohe, Oahu HI. 2700 square feet. Structural Engineer: Dimitry Vergun. Unbuilt.

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1984 - The Cassandra and Pierce Brosnan House. Unbuilt. The project did no go further than initial discussions.

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1985 - The Pierre and Gloria Koenig House #2, 12221 Dorothy Street, Los Angeles CA. 3,000 square feet with a 600-square-foot carport. Built by Koenig. Two additions. Structural engineer, Dimitry Vergun. Deeded to the Koenig Trust. Featured in GA Houses 44. Sold in 2017 to Adam and Maria Bustria Glickman. Color photos by Michael Locke. Sold in 2024 to the Zehner Family Trust, Stephanie Ann Yu and Matthew Zehner.

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1985 - The Pam Wayne Addition, 425 32nd Street, Manhattan Beach CA. Sold in 1993 to Charles Parker.  In 2010 deeded to Charles Parker and Nancy Edwards. In 2019 changed to Parker-Edwards Trust.  In 2023 changed to Parker-Edwards Survivors Trust with Nancy Edwards as Trustee.

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1988 - The Arlette Mosher Carport Remodel, 12229 Dorothy Street, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

1990 - The Jeffrey Ressner Addition, 12217 Dorothy Street, Los Angeles CA. Unbuilt.

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1994 - The Martin A. Schwartz and Melrose S. Cunanan House, 444 Sycamore Road, Santa Monica CA. 2700 square feet. Built by R. G. West Corporation. Structural engineer, Dimitry Vergun; mechanical, Zeilich Uber. Koenig designed a basement conversion to habitable space completed in 1996. This was Koenig's last design built in his lifetime. Featured in GA Houses 44. Sold in 2021 to 444 Sycamore Inc / Franc Arnold. For sale in 2024. Photos by Michael Locke.

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1996 - The John Hunke House. Unbuilt.

1997 - The Nick Sands Apartment Remodel, New York NY. Unbuilt.

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1998 - The Randy Koenig House, aka Laguna Project, Laguna CA. 3000 square feet. Designed for his son. Commissioned in 1997. Mechanical by Rusher. Builder was to be RG West. Featured in GA Houses 52. Unbuilt, project cancelled.

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1999 - The Cynthia and William Koppany Pool House, 5786 Valley Oak Drive, Los Angeles CA. Main house designed in 1952 by James Garrott for Ben Margolis.  Photo by Michael Locke. Sold in 2012 to Austin Ame and Max Leon. Sold in 2020 to Kashy and Laura Khaldedi.

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1999 - The Hilre Hunt and Henry Frost House, 5141 Horseshoe Trail, Dallas TX. Unbuilt.

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2001 - The Jeffrey Ressner Renovation and Addition, 12217 Dorothy Street, Los Angeles CA. Original house 1947.  Adjacent to Koenig House II. Sold in 2018 to the Rina Echavez Living Trust. Bottom photo by Michael Locke.

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2003 - The Vida Tarassoly and Mohsen Mehran House, lot 131 between 31427 and 31508 Anacapa View, Malibu CA. 4500 square feet. Structural Engineer: Rubicon Engineering. James Tyler was supposed to finish the house after Koenig died but it did not get built.

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2003 - The H. Winters House, Dallas TX. Unbuilt. 2000 square feet.

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2012 - The Michael LaFetra Beach House, 6525 Point Lechuza Drive, Malibu CA. Commissioned 2000. Project was in progress when Koenig died. After many years, the house was finished by architect James Tyler. 4080 square feet. Structural Engineer: Ficcadenti & Waggoner. Sold in 2018 to Jeffrey Fish. Top photo by Michael LaFetra; bottom photo by Elizabeth Daniels.

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Sources include: Randy Koenig; Koenig by Neil Jackson; Michael LaFetra.