1937 Richard Neutra Darling House Tour and Conversations with Dr. Raymond Richard Neutra Hon. AIALA

1937 Richard Neutra Darling House Tour and Conversations with Dr. Raymond Richard Neutra

This private reception and tour will be held in the little known San Francisco 1937 Darling Residence, designed by Richard J. Neutra. Owners Gary Strang and Gayle Tsern Strang will be joined by Cindy Olnick, Executive Director of the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design, and special guest Dr. Raymond Richard Neutra, Hon. AIALA, the architect’s son and President of the Neutra Institute.

Completed the same year as the Golden Gate Bridge when modern architecture meant art deco classicism, and situated next to arts and crafts neighbors, this diminutive house epitomized Neutra’s interwar exploration, synthesizing International Style modernism with California materials and landscape. Neutra became Frank Lloyd Wright’s most prominent apprentice, commissioned by the owner of Fallingwater to design the west coast counterpart in Palm Springs - the iconic Kaufman House. Richard Neutra is now considered to be the godfather of mid-century modernism.

Situated at the base of Mt. Sutro in San Francisco in an historic garden, the Darling House is one of Neutra’s earliest surviving designs in original condition in Northern California, and regularly hosts salons and live performances since 2019.

The Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design was founded by Richard Neutra in 1962 to advance scientific research that would inspire human-centered architecture. The Institute continues to promote research-based design that serves people and the planet, while preserving and sharing the Neutra legacy through educational programming, access to archives, and stewardship of three historic properties.

This event will include an opportunity to tour the Darling Residence and hillside garden, and a short panel discussion, “In Conversation with Raymond R. Neutra”. This is also a book signing opportunity for Raymond Neutra’s memoir Cheap and Thin about life with his father, or any book from your own collection. The event’s proceeds will go to support both the AIASF Center for Architecture + Design, and the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design.

Website

Instagram

Raymond Neutra, Hon. AIALA - Neutra’s youngest son.

By the time he was eight, his older siblings were in their twenties, so he was effectively an only child. He was precocious, and read his father’s book “Survival Through Design” when it first came out while he was in high school. As a result, he resolved to follow a research career in medicine. Ultimately he added a doctoral degree in epidemiology to his medical degree and had a long career in environmental public health. The video below from the international society for environmental epidemiology is an interview with Dr. Neutra as he describes his role as founding president of that society.

Cindy Olnick - Executive Director of Neutra Institute

A preservation professional with a communications background, Cindy has a personal connection to the Neutra Institute. She volunteered for Dion Neutra soon after moving to Los Angeles for its midcentury modernism. Inspired by Dion’s preservation advocacy, Cindy forged a career helping people convey the value and impact of historic places. She served as the first communications director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, a communications consultant for preservationists nationwide, and Associate Director of Heritage Conservation at the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Cindy co-hosts the award-winning podcast Save As: NextGen Heritage Conservation, serves on the boards of the National Preservation Partners Network and Photo Friends of the Los Angeles Public Library, and authored L.A. Landmarks: Lost and Almost Lost.

Gary Strang 

Gary Strang is Principal of GLS Landscape/Architecture in San Francisco, where for the past 25 years, he has focused on the design of contemporary urban landscapes. Blurring the lines between disciplines, his multi-disciplinary team seeks to improve the livability of cities through the integration of architecture, infrastructure, and landscape. Recent projects include 2 acres of waterfront outdoor space at the Exploratorium ‘Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception’ at Piers 15 & 17 in San Francisco, The New Stanford Hospital, and the expansion of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. As a young professional he was a regular lecturer in the Department of Landscape Architecture at UC Davis and in the Departments of Architecture and Landscape at UC Berkeley. During that time, he explored with his students those architects whose work was in an equal dialogue with the landscape, and he came to an appreciation of Neutra’s work, along with others such as Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia, Frank Lloyd Wright, Carlo Scarpa, and the Case Study Architects. Gary is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, a licensed architect, and currently is Co-Chair of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) Design Review Board.

Gayle Tsern Strang

Gayle Tsern Strang, AIA, is Assistant Circuit Executive for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where she oversees the circuit’s architectural and facilities portfolio. She brings a background in commercial and institutional design and management, in both international and regional design projects. Gayle serves as a Commissioner on San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Commission, and advises UC Berkeley as a member of its Design Review Committee. Outside of her professional work, she is a volunteer violinist in the Berkeley Symphony and serves on the boards of SoCal Chamber Music and Noe Music.

Hosted by the Center for Architecture + Design in collaboration with AIASF. While registration is processed through AIASF, 100% of ticket proceeds directly support the Center for Architecture + Design's public programs, exhibitions, and educational initiatives, helping us advance design awareness and foster meaningful conversations about the built environment.