George Washington Smith, widely regarded as the founder of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, designed scores of houses in and around Santa Barbara during an architectural career that lasted only a dozen years before his death in 1930. Today those houses, with their signature mix of whitewashed walls, red-tiled roofs, balconies, courtyards, fountains, elaborate carved woodwork and wrought iron, are keenly sought after, according to area real estate agents.
Architects including Wallace Neff and Lloyd Wright built in a variety of styles while preserving the essential character of the neighborhood - an upscale charm that survives to this day. Every popular style of the 1920s can be found in Hancock Park, which makes it one of those magical L.A. places where movies that are set around the world can be filmed, all without leaving the 30-mile zone.
The project seeks to harmonize historical architecture with contemporary design, prioritizing high-quality housing while preserving features like the original street façade that represent the past.