Landmarks: Horatio West Court

Horatio West Court • Location: Santa Monica, Calif. • Architect: Irving Gill • No. of units: Four • Notable: Gill focused on small-scale, low-cost housing, of which Horatio West Court is an acclaimed example. An early nod to multifamily living, the project, built in 1919, is designed as attached houses with shared pedestrian and vehicle access. It features inexpensive tilt-wall construction, which allowed the architect to blend the California Mission style of his day, using elements such as arched entryways and small patios, with a more modern design. In 1977, the building became the first in Santa Monica to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Courtesy Wikipedia

Horatio West Court • Location: Santa Monica, Calif. • Architect: Irving Gill • No. of units: Four • Notable: Gill focused on small-scale, low-cost housing, of which Horatio West Court is an acclaimed example. An early nod to multifamily living, the project, built in 1919, is designed as attached houses with shared pedestrian and vehicle access. It features inexpensive tilt-wall construction, which allowed the architect to blend the California Mission style of his day, using elements such as arched entryways and small patios, with a more modern design. In 1977, the building became the first in Santa Monica to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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Horatio West Court is more beautiful today than when it was built. It’s also more relevant. For 90 years, Irving Gill’s project has informed Modernism in regard to planning and use of ­materials to enhance the quality of life. Gardens, space, light, and air are the hallmarks of this historic treasure.

—Lawrence Scarpa, principal in charge of design, Brooks + Scarpa, Santa Monica, Calif.

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Jennifer Popvec

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