Norton House

The first work of Frank Gehry -before the Guggenheim effect and his later work – had different and simultaneous work strategies. Some of the most important was breaking down the buildings in several independent volumes, using materials and techniques from construction catalogs with an apparent lack of detail or articulation, and the volume composition using primary colors in a carefree way. All these strategies were especially successful in his residential projects because he designed dwelling spaces that combined the architect's intentions with the domestic created by its inhabitants. El primer Frank Gehry- anterior al efecto Guggenheim y todo lo que vino asociado – era una arquitecto con varias líneas de trabajo simultáneas, de las cuales destacaban la descomposición de sus edificios en varios cuerpos independientes, el uso de materiales sacados de catálogos de construcción sin un aparente detalle o articulación, y la composición volumétrica empleando colores primarios de una forma desenfadado. Todas estas estrategias fueron especialmente exitosas en sus proyectos residenciales al conseguir crear espacios habitacionales de gran calidad donde las intenciones del arquitecto se fusionaban con la propia domesticidad de sus habitantes. The Norton House, located in the Venice district of Los Angeles, occupies a long lot in front of the beach without any visual barrier to the sea and with an east-west orientation. The house takes up most of the ground floor space and starts to dismantle in the upper floors. On the ground floor, there is a garage for two vehicles, two small rooms that seem to be bedrooms because of their windows and built-in closets, a small living room, and two bathrooms. Besides an interior staircase, this level has a secondary staircase that gives access from the beach to the second floor.