The VDL House is a restored modernist home and studio embodying Richard Neutra’s biorealism—uniting architecture, nature, and wellness—now a public landmark, educational hub, and digitally accessible archive.
Tucked into a modest lot overlooking Los Angeles’ Silver Lake Reservoir, the Richard Neutra VDL House is a mid-century modern landmark and a living laboratory of architectural ideas. Originally built in 1932 as the Van der Leeuw Research House, the residence reflects Neutra’s pioneering design philosophy of biorealism; a belief in architecture as a bridge between humans, their psychological needs, and the natural world.
Funded by Dutch industrialist C.H. Van der Leeuw, the house served as both Neutra’s family home and studio. It was a bold experiment in affordable yet deeply humane modernism. With its floor-to-ceiling glass, built-in furnishings, and layered terraces, the VDL House expanded the boundaries of indoor-outdoor living. Neutra employed reflective surfaces and natural light to give the illusion of spaciousness, creating an environment that was as much about mental well-being as physical shelter.
A tragic fire in 1963 destroyed the original structure, along with Neutra’s personal archives. Undeterred, Neutra and his son Dion rebuilt the home between 1964 and 1968 atop its original concrete foundation. The new iteration maintained the spatial clarity of the original but introduced new verticality and complexity—most notably in the rooftop penthouse solarium and a reflecting pool that mirrored the reservoir below. The rebuilt VDL is a materialisation of Neutra’s ideals, layered with Dion’s evolving vision.
Today, the house is preserved as the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences and operated by Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design. It is the only Neutra-designed home in Los Angeles open to the public, hosting exhibitions, tours, and educational programs. The house remains a hub for exploring themes of sustainability, wellness, and the future of domestic architecture.
Recently, the VDL House has undergone a digital transformation, designed by LA-based Mouthwash Studio. With rich imagery shot on film and a carefully curated archive, the site offers an evocative online extension of the VDL’s physical presence—bringing Neutra’s ideas to a global audience.
Whether experienced in person or virtually, the VDL House endures as a beacon of modernist ideals. It is not merely a preserved house, but an active space that continues to provoke, educate, and inspire.
Tucked into a modest lot overlooking Los Angeles’ Silver Lake Reservoir, the Richard Neutra VDL House is a mid-century modern landmark and a living laboratory of architectural ideas. Originally built in 1932 as the Van der Leeuw Research House, the residence reflects Neutra’s pioneering design philosophy of biorealism; a belief in architecture as a bridge between humans, their psychological needs, and the natural world.
Funded by Dutch industrialist C.H. Van der Leeuw, the house served as both Neutra’s family home and studio. It was a bold experiment in affordable yet deeply humane modernism. With its floor-to-ceiling glass, built-in furnishings, and layered terraces, the VDL House expanded the boundaries of indoor-outdoor living. Neutra employed reflective surfaces and natural light to give the illusion of spaciousness, creating an environment that was as much about mental well-being as physical shelter.
A tragic fire in 1963 destroyed the original structure, along with Neutra’s personal archives. Undeterred, Neutra and his son Dion rebuilt the home between 1964 and 1968 atop its original concrete foundation. The new iteration maintained the spatial clarity of the original but introduced new verticality and complexity—most notably in the rooftop penthouse solarium and a reflecting pool that mirrored the reservoir below. The rebuilt VDL is a materialisation of Neutra’s ideals, layered with Dion’s evolving vision.
Today, the house is preserved as the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences and operated by Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design. It is the only Neutra-designed home in Los Angeles open to the public, hosting exhibitions, tours, and educational programs. The house remains a hub for exploring themes of sustainability, wellness, and the future of domestic architecture.
Recently, the VDL House has undergone a digital transformation, designed by LA-based Mouthwash Studio. With rich imagery shot on film and a carefully curated archive, the site offers an evocative online extension of the VDL’s physical presence—bringing Neutra’s ideas to a global audience.
Whether experienced in person or virtually, the VDL House endures as a beacon of modernist ideals. It is not merely a preserved house, but an active space that continues to provoke, educate, and inspire.
