Completed in 1929, the Demonstration Health House, known as the Lovell Health House was conceived as a home for natural living for the family of the naturopathic doctor Philip Lovell and his wife Leah. A major restoration project for the current owners began in 2021 to bring the house back to its original configuration, with the exception of a study designed by Neutra protégé Gregory Ain in the 1930s and a bathroom added in the 1950s.

Major structural reinforcement of the hillside retaining walls, and foundations of the house and garage/schoolroom buildings were undertaken. All electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems were upgraded to mitigate contemporary usage requirements. Extraneous interventions on the interior and exterior of the house were removed or replaced to align with the original design intentions. Neutra’s original description written in German, informed the restoration of the original wood casework, flooring, and finishes to its previous condition. The landscape is being reinterpreted in keeping with Neutra’s original intention to include California plantings in hues of blues and greens. The entire process was aided by a thorough historical analysis by Dr. Barbara Lamprecht. The project is slated for completion in Fall 2025.

Frank Escher & Ravi GuneWardena have been founding partners of Escher GuneWardena Architecture since 1995. The firm’s range of work includes collaborations with artists, exhibition design projects and historic preservation projects encompassing works by Schindler, A. Q. Jones, Charles and Ray Eames, Paul R. Williams, Richard Neutra and John Lautner.

Dr. Barbara Lamprecht is a leading Neutra historian, teacher and author of Neutra. Complete Works (Taschen, 2000) the definitive publication on this architect’s work.

eschergunewardena.com barbaralamprecht.com