Title
At Home in the Subtropics: Richard Neutra and the Hispanic Patio
Abstract
In the twentieth century the ancient atrium was resurrected and adapted for Modern residential architecture in order to ventilate and illuminate interior spaces, to provide privacy and exposure to the natural elements, and to abide by the constraints of urban density. For inspiration architect Richard Neutra turned to the Hispanic version of the atrium—the patio—for inspiration. His update of the Hispanic patio produced houses that were especially suited to the climate, culture and tradition of the American subtropics. By focusing on several houses he designed in California between 1925 and 1939, this poster will graphically document the increasing use of the Hispanic patio in Neutra’s work, as well as the enduring importance of this architectural prototype throughout his professional career. This poster results from a paper of the same title that was originally presented at the 2013 ACSA Fall Conference with partial funding from the UTC.
Core Theme
Knowledge
Disciplines
Architecture
Start Date
24-10-2014 2:30 PM
End Date
24-10-2014 3:30 PM
At Home in the Subtropics: Richard Neutra and the Hispanic Patio
In the twentieth century the ancient atrium was resurrected and adapted for Modern residential architecture in order to ventilate and illuminate interior spaces, to provide privacy and exposure to the natural elements, and to abide by the constraints of urban density. For inspiration architect Richard Neutra turned to the Hispanic version of the atrium—the patio—for inspiration. His update of the Hispanic patio produced houses that were especially suited to the climate, culture and tradition of the American subtropics. By focusing on several houses he designed in California between 1925 and 1939, this poster will graphically document the increasing use of the Hispanic patio in Neutra’s work, as well as the enduring importance of this architectural prototype throughout his professional career. This poster results from a paper of the same title that was originally presented at the 2013 ACSA Fall Conference with partial funding from the UTC.