C. J. Berne Residence, C. Raimond Johnson, Architect 1937

C. J. Berne Residence, C. Raimond Johnson, Architect 1937, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Certainly one of the more imposing homes in Silver Lake, this handsome Mediterranean residence sits on a lot of over 16,000 square feet and must have spectacular views of the lake. The architect was a favorite of the University of Southern California designing the Italian Romanesque Methodist Episcopal University Church (now United University Church) in 1931, the Hancock Foundation Building in 1939 and Kerckoff Hall in 1949. Johnson also had a hand in designing the Biegler Hall of Engineering (in cooperation with architects John and Donald Parkinson) in 1939.

The C.J. Berne Residence is located at 2023 Redcliff Street in the Moreno Highlands neighborhood of Silver Lake.

Erez-Eisenberg House, bau10, LLC Sustainable Design 2009

Erez-Eisenberg House, bau10, LLC Sustainable Design 2009, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

The Silver Lake house designed for Nimrod Erez and Isaac Eisenberg is the transformation of an existing two story 1903 residence into a three story house, with a separate lower level rental unit. I learned about the house thanks to Stan Monahan, who lives n the rental unit on the lower level.

The redesign takes advantage of hilltop views by creating three outside spaces: an upper level kitchen patio facing the street, an upper level deck toward the garden, and a roof deck. The upper level patio serves as an extension of the kitchen, an outside room framing the view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline.

The Master Bedroom and Living Room access the garden deck, with views towards Griffith Park, Hollywood, Century City and the entire Wilshire corridor, and the roof deck provides 360º views toward downtown and the Pacific Ocean .

A main design element is the staircase, which serves as a chimney to provide natural vertical ventilation, leading from the lower level entry porch to the upper level kitchen and dining room and finally to the roof deck.

The subfloors and most wall studs of the original 1903 residence were reused and reclaimed, the brick footings were used for landscaping and walkways. Located at 827 N. La Fayette Park Place in the Silver Lake Neighborhood of Los Angeles

Jay Brick Residence, A.C. Munson, Architect c.1965

Jay Brick Residence, A.C. Munson, Architect c.1965, a photo by Michael Locke on Flickr.

Architect A.C. Munson designed the house for Jack Brick in 1965. The only reference I could find for A.C. Munson was in the January 1913 Edition of the publication "The Architect and Engineer of California". A.C. Munson is mentioned as being on the organizing committee for the Fourth Annual Architectural Exhibition in Los Angeles, "under the auspices of the Architectural League of the Pacific Coast." Also serving on the committee were Myron Hunt and Arthur R. Kelly. Could it be that the same A.C. Munson designed the Brick House some 52 years later? It certainly is in the realm of possibility. The Brick House is located at 2030 Keilworth Avenue in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The house is currently on the market (June 2011) and priced at $1,200,000.