By JACQUELINE PRIMO | Reporter
Richard Blumenberg, founder of the award-winning architectural firm RLB Architecture, is a Los Angeles native and a Palisadian of more than 30 years. As consulting architect for Pacific Palisades organizations, including the California Riviera Homeowners Association (HOA), Huntington HOA, Riviera Estates HOA and the Pacific Palisades Civic League, Blumenberg is the go-to source for all things architecture.
The Palisadian-Post spoke with Blumenberg about his career, current architecture trends in the Palisades and what changes he expects to see in the next 10 years.
Jacqueline Primo: What was your first job?
Richard Blumenberg: My father had a dry cleaning company that handled all the dry cleaning for Disneyland. The work had to be done at night and early in the morning so they would have clean uniforms the next day. My first job was pressing pants.
Primo: How did you get into architecture?
Blumenberg: I was always interested in art, constructing models and building things. The practice of architecture seemed like the perfect synthesis of those interests.
Primo: How long have you been an architect? What are some projects that stand out in your memory?
Blumenberg: I have been practicing architecture for over 30 years. One [memorable] project on San Remo consisted of a 50-foot wide by 250-foot long concrete deck that was covered with earth and lawn to enlarge the property’s back yard, and there was a 4,000 square-foot guest house beneath the deck. Extensive additions to the main house for bedrooms and a screening room were concealed under a large wood deck.
Additionally, I recently completed an extensive historic renovation of a 1928 Wallace Neff home in South Pasadena.
Primo: What are some current trends in architecture when it comes to residential homes, specifically in the Palisades?
Blumenberg: Homeowners want a house to be designed so they can grow old in it and be large enough to accommodate their children and grandchildren. Most of these homes have elevators or spaces that can be converted into an elevator in the future.
Media rooms are very popular as well as whole-house audio-video systems. Whole-house master lighting and switching systems turn on all the lights in rooms at preset levels, create paths of light from room to room and can also make the house look lived in when the vacation mode setting is activated.
Primo: You are the consulting architect for the California Riviera HOA, Huntington Palisades HOA, and Riviera Estates HOA, as well as for the Pacific Palisades Civic League. What does it mean to be the consulting architect? What are some issues you commonly deal with for HOAs and the PPCL?
Blumenberg: As a consulting architect, I assist the HOAs in understanding the drawings of the homes submitted to them and check to see if the drawings are in compliance with the specific architectural requirements of each homeowner association.
Some issues I commonly deal with include lot coverage restrictions (limiting the amount of house that can be on a lot), setbacks, maximum area (limiting the amount of house that can be built), building envelope restrictions (the structure must be below an imaginary line that starts at a lower height at the setback line and then slopes up until it reaches the maximum height) and maximum allowable structure height.
Primo: What do the HOAs have in common? In what ways are they different?
Blumenberg: The HOAs create restrictions to ensure that the houses within a particular neighborhood have similar setbacks and massing. Some neighborhoods do not allow modern architectural styles and others do not have any style restrictions. Some have view protection and others do not.
Primo: What are some things people should keep in mind when working with an architect to design their home?
Blumenberg: 1. They should hire someone who has experience designing what they want done and has a clear understanding of the homeowner restrictions that govern the development of their property.
2. They should gather pictures or idea books of design features they like and review them with their architect.
3. If they have a tight budget, they should share that information with their architect. Otherwise, it is almost certain the project will end up over-budget.
Primo: What has the Civic League has been up to lately?
Blumenberg: The Civic League has been actively working with homeowners to make sure their projects comply with our guidelines and to try to resolve neighbor concerns at our meetings. We have also been working with the Planning Department regarding the proposed changes to the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance, which will be implemented in the next 12 to 18 months.
Primo: What are some of your predictions for architecture trends in the next 10 years?
Blumenberg: 1. Houses that incorporate universal design to accommodate the young, old and handicap. 2. Timeless designs that will never go out of style. 3. Smart houses with integrated whole-house switching, lighting, audio/video, mechanical and plumbing. 4. Gray water systems that capture the water from sinks, showers and washing machines and store it for future use in watering the landscape. 5. Solar photovoltaic for electrical needs, pool solar heating and solar water heating systems.
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