3893 Deervale Dr, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

The Meyer Residence, Ray Kappe, FAIA, 1961/1996 is an extraordinary story of joy following destruction by the Northridge earthquake. Built in 1961, it was so idyllic place to live that the owners asked him not for a new design but the rebuild the old. Kappe's hilltop post-and-beam design exemplifies the master architect's conviction that renewable resources such as finely crafted clear heart redwood, timber beams, red brick, and glass could be employed in the special interpretation of Modernism that made the radical Sci-Arc founder famous. His homes are handsome and big-boned yet warm and serene; their interiors open onto a variety of landscapes and terraces. Offset at an angle from the street, its arresting roofline framing the carport clearly sets the home apart from its neighbors. Throughout the interior, prominent exposed beams acknowledge its Japanese design origins; for his mid-century clients, Kappe enriched that elegant template by creating an open floor plan in common spaces while carefully delineating spaces such as the bedrooms, office, and bathrooms, to secure intimacy and privacy. One of his ten points of being a successful architect reads: ''Know yourself and keep your work consistent with who you are and how you think.''