42 DIGS.NET | 12.11.2020
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L I M E L I G H T | LO V E L L H E A LT H H O U S E
r. Philip Lovell's weekly column in the Los Angeles Times
had this byline: "One-third of what we eat supports us; the
other two-thirds supports the doctors and undertakers."
It was the 1920s, and this well-known naturopath was a
vocal proponent of clean eating and nature cures, such as
outdoor sleeping and nude sunbathing. Lovell's advice was
holistic, extending to how the design of one's home could have a posi-
tive impact on their health. So when he and his wife Leah sought an
architect for their Los Feliz home—someone who would understand,
and to put into practice their principles regarding home and health—
they commissioned Richard Neutra, still a little-known architect who
had transplanted from Vienna to Los Angeles.
When completed in 1929, Lovell Health House was the first steel-
framed residence in the nation—and much more. Neutra had understood
Lovell perfectly, down to the home's outdoor sleeping balconies and
fresh-air swimming pool, neatly wrapped for privacy. at, and the
home's bounty of glass, expertly composed for streaming in the sunshine
and panoramic views afforded on this high hillside. Even the kitchen
was designed for health, with a water filter—new for its time—and a
countertop system to readily dispose of fruit and vegetable scraps. e
home created a sensation, putting Neutra on the map as an architect and
meriting inclusion in the Museum of Modern Art's famed 1932 catalog,
"Modern Architecture: International Exhibition"—a hyper-exclusive
happening that included the likes of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe.
Built nearly 100 years ago by R ichard Neutra, Lovell Health
House still proves that superb design makes for better living
DESIGNED FOR LIFE
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W R I T T E N B Y C O N S TA N C E D U N N
