Mutual Fulfilment
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The Mutual Housing Association Site Office, used by the original architects and engineers for nearly a decade, was later renovated into a home after a brief stint as the community’s arts building. In 2000, after architects Cory Buckner and Nick Roberts moved in, it was established as Historic-Cultural Monument number 680 by the city of Los Angeles.Photo by: Darcy Hemley -
Near floor-to-ceiling window walls frame views of the landscaped hillside.Photo by: Darcy Hemley -
In his writing geared toward builders, A. Quincy Jones encouraged using large panes of glass and sliding doors to bridge the exterior and interior. Here, Nick Roberts puts the philosophy to good use for a weekend barbecue.Photo by: Darcy Hemley -
The clerestory windows were originally screens covered by sliding plywood panels that could be opened to allow in light and air.Photo by: Darcy Hemley -
Buckner and Roberts both expressed admiration for Jones’s thoughtful details—including the sloping glass, angled columns, and Wrightian light shelf.Photo by: Darcy Hemley -
Buckner takes time out for the newspaper and a cup of tea in a lounge off of the couple’s bedroom. The bedroom, which sits within the cantilevered section of the house, was at one time a covered deck. The storage units are from a later renovation, but Buckner, who has expert knowledge of all of the original MHA homes, surmises that “something very similar” would have been in its place.Photo by: Darcy Hemley -
The rear facade.Photo by: Darcy Hemley
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