Around this core, Gehry constructed a dramatic new exterior made of what he called "cheap tech"—corrugated steel, plywood, glass, and chain-link fencing—materials typically found on construction sites. The resulting floor plan is not a single, unified shape but a collection of angular, protruding spaces that wrap around the original structure, a strategy that creates unique, light-filled areas while leaving the older house visible and intact.
The result is not a machine for living, but a machine for looking at living.
It read: I like the 88-degree kitchen. Don’t straighten it.
It teaches us that a home does not need to be quiet. It can be loud. It does not need to be insulated from the street. It can embrace the noise. And a floor plan does not need to be a circle. It can be a collision. gehry residence floor plan
The materials used in the addition are as unconventional as the floor plan. Gehry employed "mundane materials not traditionally used in high architecture, such as corrugated steel, plywood, and chain-link fencing—materials you might find at a construction site or at a hardware store". This "cheap tech" aesthetic stood in stark contrast to the traditional neighborhood. The chain-link fencing, in particular, was a novel choice; critic Paul Goldberger noted that Gehry's "goal was not to provoke irritation but recognition that chain link is a ubiquitous material". This radical material palette was integral to achieving the home's raw, unfinished look.
This creates unique internal vistas where walls act as screens rather than solid barriers. 3. The Glass Cube and Light Wells
The defining characteristic of the Gehry Residence floor plan is its "envelope" concept. Instead of demolishing or building a standard extension onto the existing two-story Dutch Colonial home, Gehry chose to wrap the exterior of the original house with a new architectural skin. Around this core, Gehry constructed a dramatic new
Features an open-plan kitchen and dining area with asphalt flooring, which connects to the outdoor spaces, creating a dramatic, non-traditional interior landscape. The original "pink" house remains on the ground floor. Upper Floor:
Used for the roof additions and parts of the wall, allowing for light manipulation and aesthetic "toughness."
Passing from the outside world into the deepest recesses of the house requires crossing multiple thresholds. You move from the street, through a courtyard, past a corrugated metal wall, across an asphalt floor, and finally through the ghost frame of a 1920s window into the central living room. Controlled Chaos It read: I like the 88-degree kitchen
If you search for the original drawings (held by the Getty Research Institute), you will notice something peculiar: The drawings are messy. There are erasures. There are cross-outs. There is tape holding the velum together.
The ground floor plan is characterized by a continuous flow between new and old spaces. Perhaps the most distinctive feature is the presence of two front doors, a quirk born from the remodeling process. The centerpiece of the ground floor is the , which was part of the main addition and is notably constructed in what was originally the garage, giving it an unconventional asphalt floor that challenges traditional notions of domesticity. Adjacent to the kitchen, the dining room stands as a testament to Gehry's belief that a home should be a personal gallery, famously lit by his iconic fish lamps and furnished with treasured artworks from friends. The living room , which underwent a significant expansion during the original 1978 remodel, features large, tilted glass cubes that act as conservatory-like spaces, flooding the interior with natural light.
The second level focuses on privacy while maintaining the experimental theme of exposed materials. The First Frank Gehry House in Santa Monica - ArchEyes