STEVEN D. EHRLICH, FAIA, RIBA (1946-)
Ehrlich was born in New York City and grew up in the Radburn section of Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1969. Upon graduating, Ehrlich spent six years working in Africa, serving for two years in the Peace Corps as its first architect in Marrakesh, Morocco. Ehrlich traveled across the Sahara and taught architecture at Ahmadu Bello University 1974-1977 in Nigeria. Ehrlich moved to Venice CA in 1979 and established a small residential studio. Ehrlich coined multicultural modernism, which advocates a sensitivity to the local culture in design.
The 1981 Kalfus Guest House put Ehrlich on the map. It was his first ground up project in Los Angeles, and Julius Shulman shot the photos which ended up on the cover of the New York Times Home section, among other publications.
Ehrlich's studio became Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects in 2015. The forty-person firm was awarded the 2015 AIA National Architecture Firm Award and the 2003 AIA California Council Firm Award. Ehrlich has taught at Montana State University, SCI-ARC, UCLA, USC, Kansas State, and in 2024 at Yale. He was a visiting design critic at Harvard. Ehrlich received the Maybeck Award for Design Excellence from California AIA. Bio adapted from Wikipedia. His archives are at the Art and Architecture Museum at UC Santa Barbara and the Getty Research Institute.
1971 - Housing, outside of Marrakech and Ouarzazate, Morocco. Over a two-year period from 1970 to 1971, Ehrlich primarily worked on a project known as Habitat Rural, which involved planning a rural village designed to rehouse residents ousted by the construction of dams. Through these studies he came up with proposals for rural villages, one located 30 to 40 miles outside of Marrakech, the other in Ouarzazate on the south side of the High Atlas Mountains. Ehrlich learned finally in 2017 that they had in fact been built. (This according to the Architects Newspaper, April 2023, by Kristine Klein). Photos by Ben Clark.
1974 - The Rostane House, Okamiden, Morocco. Status unknown.
1974 - The Carey House, Grafton VT. Built. Status unknown.
1974 - The Katz House, Dummerston VT. Built. Status unknown.
1974 - The Gilbert (Gib) C. Taylor House, 123 Taylor Road, Westminster West VT. Renovated, not by Ehrlich, color photos. Sold. Status unknown.
1979 - The Howard Swann House, 1675 Weston Road, Scotts Valley CA. First two photos by Lawrence Manning. Sold in 2013 to Elisa and John Morozumi.
1980 - The Kuhn Renovation, Beverly Hills CA. Built. Status unknown.
1981 - The Hogle-Sisk Renovation, Los Angeles CA. Built. Status unknown.
1982 - The Barbara and Ian Robertson Renovation, 918 Palisades Beach Road, Santa Monica CA. Smaller photos by Tim Street-Porter. Later renovated by architect Emily Jagoda, bottom photo. Still owned by the Robertsons as of 2023.
1982 - The Ron Semler House, aka Saddlerock Ranch, 31727 Mulholland Way, Malibu CA. Destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey fire.
1982 - The Damji Renovation, Pacific Palisades CA. Built. Status unknown.
1982 - The Landers Renovation, Beverly Hills CA. Built. Status unknown.
1984 - The Don Vining House, aka Vining-Doughty, Lambertville NJ. Photos by Paul Warchol. Built. Status unknown.
1985 - The Ellen Buchalter House, 523 and 523 1/2 South Westgate Avenue, Los Angeles CA. Featured in GA Houses 21. Built by Ellen Buchalter. Sold in 2014 to Timothy Brewer and Sally Heymann.
1985 - The Kupperberg Renovation, Los Angeles CA. Built. Status unknown.
1986 - The Futiko-Tamagowon House of the Future, Tokyo, Japan. Model House for the Tokyo Housing Expo with Yamada and Associates. Featured in Architecture Magazine, July 1987. Built in Toyko, exhibited for eight years. Photos by K. Furdale. Destroyed.
1986 - The Paul Miller and Margaret (Peggy) Nazarey House, 2406 Astral Drive, Los Angeles CA. B/W photo from the Los Angeles Times, Lawrence Manning, 1989; color photos by Christopher Dow. 4400sf. Built by Robin Thom. Still owned by Miller as of 2020.
1987 - The Barbara and Ian Robertson House, Sun Valley ID. Built. Status unknown.
1987 - The Hyman Renovation, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA. Built. Status unknown.
1987 - The Wellman Renovation, Pacific Palisades CA. Built. Status unknown.
1989 - The Richard Ripple House, 1338 Preston Way, Venice CA. Sold in 1994 to David and Zane Stern. Sold in 1998 to George Gerba and Nancy Martin. Photos by Michael Locke.
1990 - The Elaine Spierer House, 2311 Ocean Front Walk, Venice CA. Robert Douroux was the builder. Sold in 1993 to Edward K. Connors. Sold in 2004 to Terence Lee Zehrer. Sold in 2007 to William Edwards. Sold in 2009 to HOS Ocean Front Walk LLC. Renovated, last three photos, not by Ehrlich.
1990 - The Robert and Lauri Plattner House, 1747 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands NY. Still owned by the Plattners as of 2023.
1990 - The John Friedman and Jennie Gold House, aka Gold-Friedman, 728 Kingman Avenue, Santa Monica CA. Paster Construction was the builder. Photos by Grey Crawford.
1990 - The Gilbert-Ray Renovation, Los Angeles CA. Built. Status unknown.
1990 - The Nesburn / Friedman Renovation, 200 South Woodburn, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA. 2552 sf. Same owners as of 2022. Has been renovated, not by Ehrlich.
1990 - The Friedman House, Crestwood Hills, Los Angeles CA. Built. Status unknown.
1990 - The Youngblood House, Pacific Palisades CA. Built. Status unknown.
1991 - The Ken and Jeannette Chiate House, 27920 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. Sold around 1991 to Frank Mancuso. Has been renovated.
1990 - The Ehrman and Coombs House, 1273 Palisades Beach Road, Santa Monica CA. Won a 1991 Merit Award from the California Council of the AIA. Structural engineering by Parker Resnick. Built by Michael McDowell. Featured in GA Houses 39. Sold to Neil Carey Israel. Sold to Thomas and Deborah Tellefson. Sold in 2003 to Michael Warren. Has been renovated, not by Ehrlich, bottom four photos. Sold in 2018 to the Noonan Family Trust. Top two photos by Grey Crawford, rest by Michael Locke.
1991 - The Byron Jenson House, 29951 Harvester Road, Malibu CA. Built by Jenson. Damaged in a 2018 fire. Still owned by the Jenson family as of 2024.
1991 - The Robert (Bob) Douroux House, 2508 Strongs Drive, Venice CA. Also addressed as 2507 Grand Canal, Venice CA. Commissioned in 1988. Bob Douroux was the builder. The compound combines a postmodern house with two 1922 cottages. Featured in GA Houses 49. Sold in 1994 to David Guc. Sold in 1997 to Arnely (Nely) Galán, who also owns the remodeled 1922 house next door at 2506. Has been remodeled, not by Ehrlich, bottom three photos. Top five photos by Lawrence Anderson and Grey Crawford. Available for rent.
1992 - The Tom and Miriam Schulman House, 645 Tuallitan Road, Los Angeles CA. Commissioned in 1989. Built by Winters-Schram; structural, Steven Perlof; landscape design, Robert Cornell; interiors, Luis Ortega. First three photos by Tom Bonner and Mary Nichols. Sold in 2014 to Michael Lafetra.
1993 - The David and Lindy Israel Renovation, 8673 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles CA. Original house built in 1953. Ehrlich remodeled the kitchen and added a second floor, gallery, and family room. Built by Elliott Prather. Photo shows a substantial renovation away from Ehrlich's original design. Sold in 2022 to Fourteen Acres LLC. For sale in 2024. Photos by Michael Locke.
1993 - The Hannah Hempstead House, 835 Dickson, Venice CA. Featured in the Los Angeles Times, March 27, 1994. Photos by Grey Crawford. Still owned by Hempstead as of 2022.
1993 - The B. Israel Renovation, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA. Built. Status unknown.
1993 - The Merrit-Harrington Interior, Redondo Beach CA. Built. Status unknown.
1993 - The Abrams Renovation, Beverly Hills CA. Built. Status unknown.
1994 - The Charlene Norred House, 27960 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu CA. Remodeled by interior designer Michael Lee. Deeded around 2006 to W. Alex and Sue Glasscock. Sold in 2007 to Hoku LLC. Sold in 2015 to Anthony Bonsignore.
1993 - The Fogelson Renovation, Santa Monica CA. Built. Status unknown.
1995 - aka The Filippo Pola Residence, Bel Air, Los Angeles CA. Featured in GA Houses 59. Unbuilt.
1995 - The Sidney Machtinger House Interior, 2110 Alisos Drive, Santa Barbara CA. Exterior designed by architect Pierre Cabrol. Built by Giffin and Crane. Sold in 2015 to Michael Davenport.
1995 - The Perry Farrell House, 2008 Glencoe Avenue, Venice CA. Built by Elliott Prather. A radical transformation of a 1949 California bungalow for the Jane's Addiction frontman, Perry Farrell. The most prominent feature is the two-story barrel vault that runs the length of the structure and includes a loft bedroom/office, 2 bedrooms downstairs, 2 baths, and a rooftop terrace. Featured in GA Houses 44. Photos by Alan Weintraub. Sold in 2010 to Michael and Sheila Siegel.
1995 - The Margolin Renovation, Crestwood Hills, Los Angeles CA. Built. Status unknown.
1993 - The Biya House, Younde, Cameroon. Built. Status unknown.
1996 - The Hayashida House, Kobe, Japan. Unbuilt.
1997 - The Lisa Blake Richards and Michael Ebert House, 1045 Prudencio Lane, Telluride CO. Sold around 2010.
1997 - The Arthur R. Lo House, 2540 Crow Foot Lane, Diamond Bar CA. Sold in 2013 to Liu Zhongyuan and Wang Xiaohong.
1998 - The Bruce W. (Bill) and Laurie M. Benenson House, aka Canyon Residence, 605 Hightree Road, Santa Monica CA. 7400sf. Formerly the site of a 1955 Warren Overpeck house. Built by E. Cohen Construction Company; landscape design, Jay Griffith and Zarraga; structural engineer, Bruce and Parker Resnick; interiors, Phillippa Seth-Smith. Featured in GA Houses 39 (B/W photos); 100 of the World's Best Houses, Volume 1. Color photos by Thomas Loof. The Benensons bought another Overpeck house next door in 2016. Sold in 2017 to Hightree Vestal Trust.
1998 - The Edward and Jan Woods Renovation, 425 Upper Mesa Road, Santa Monica CA. Built by Eitan Cohen, CER Development. 3- story addition. Interiors by Jan Woods. Featured in GA Houses 57. Photos by Michael Locke and John Edward Linden.
1998 - The Barry and Anne Munitz Renovation, 507 Euclid Street, Santa Monica CA. Photo by Michael Locke.
1999 - The David and Marianna Fisher Guest House, 744 Brooktree Road, Pacific Palisades CA. Original 1975 house designed by Marshall Lewis. Renovation built by Lautenschlagen Inc.
1999 - The Lowe House, West Los Angeles CA. Photos by Grey Crawford. Status unknown.
2000 - The Stephen and Kathleen St. John House, Cuyocos CA. Structural design, Parker-Resnick. Featured in GA Houses 59. Unbuilt.
2001 - The Miriam Wosk Studio Renovation, 436 Adelaide Drive, Santa Monica CA. House originally built in 1926. The renovation added a hangar-like artists studio. Featured in GA Houses. Color photos by Melba Levick. Sold in 2014 to DHMC Inc. Sold in 2015 to AMl Investment VIII, David Holmes.
2001 - The James Webster House, 35 Sunset Avenue, Venice CA. Built by Shramek Building; photos by Benny Chan; landscape design, Jay Griffith. Webster still owner as of 2023.
2001 - The Charles (Chuck) and Kharlene Boxenbaum House, 700 North Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills CA. Built by Horizon General; landscape design, Nancy Goslee Power; photos by Juergen Nogai.
2002 - The Enid and Stephen Koffler House, 828 Toulon Drive, Pacific Palisades CA. 5100sf. Photos by Tim Street-Porter; landscape design by Mia Lehrer. Kofflers still owners as of 2022.
2002 - The Steven Ehrlich and Nancy Griffin House, 700 Palms Boulevard, Venice CA. Structural, Parker Resnick; built by Mark Shramek; landscape design, Jay Griffith and Stefan Hammerschmidt. Featured in: GA Houses 84; 100 of the World's Best Houses, Volume 3. Photos by Erhard Pfeiffer. Still owners as of 2024.
2002 - The Kendrick Royer House, 2420 Grand Canal, Venice CA. Sold in 2013 to Marguerite Park. Sold in 2014 to Robert M. Downs. Sold in 2021 to Brian D. and Tsila Abush Israel. Top two photos by Steven Ehrlich. Renovated, not by Ehrlich, bottom photo.
2002 - The Venice Beach Lofts, 25 Brooks Avenue, Venice CA. Four units. Developer, Rick Ehrman. Won a 2003 Residential Magazine Design Award. Top photo by Tim Brown; bottom two photos by Elon Schoenholz.
2003 - The Goldstein-Porter House, Venice CA. Built. Status unknown.
2003 - The Joshua (Josh) and Linda Leonard House, 8300 Rugby Place, Los Angeles CA. Built by Horizon General Contractors. Renovated not by Ehrlich, bottom three photos. Sold in 2018 to 8300 Rugby Place LLC. Sold in 2022 to David and Tomoko Akerman and Tamir and Danielle Pinchasi. Top four photos by Grey Crawford; rest by Michael Locke.
2004 - The Samy and Christine Benarroch House, 2207 Bowmont Drive, Beverly Hills CA. Sold around 2008 to Richard Rho. Sold in 2010 to Robert Poe. Renovated, not by Ehrlich. Deeded in 2021 to Robert Poe and Kenneth Brown. For sale in 2024.
2005 - The Asher Waldfogel and Helen MacLean House, 300 Santa Rita Avenue, Palo Alto CA. Commissioned 2002. Project architect, Takashi Yanai; landscape design, Conger Moss Guillard; interiors, Mike Witt; build by Ryan Associates; photos by Sharon Risedorph. Still owners as of 2023.
2006 - aka Helal New Moon Residence, aka Dubai House, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 35,000 sf. Interiors, Hirsch Bedner; photos by Erhard Pfeiffer; built by ASCON; landscape design, Al-Khatib Cracknel.
2008 - The Leland and Marian Zeidler House, 451 Seaview Drive, Aptos CA. Built by George A. Fitch; landscape design, SSA; photos by Matthew Millman. Featured in Architectural Digest.
2008 - The Market Mews, 741 Mildred Avenue, Los Angeles CA. Built by Sanchez Brothers Construction Inc. Project architect, Takashi Yanai. Each of the eight units has 2 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in 1695 sf with 14-foot roll up windows. Photos by Eric Staudenmeier.
2009 - The Ernie and Diane Steinmetz Wolfe House, 1950 Butler Avenue, Los Angeles CA. Designed with Takashi Yanai. The pitched roof Cor-ten steel exterior showcases the clients' collection of African art and furniture. Photos by Grant Mudford.
2012 - The Donna and Cargill MacMillan Residence, 106 Tekis Court, Palm Desert CA. 9253sf. Designed with Takashi Yanai. Unbuilt.
2013 - The Thom and Sarah McElroy House, aka Irvine Cove, 121 Riviera Way, Laguna Beach CA. Designed with Takashi Yanai. Landscape design, LA Studio; built by Buwalda Construction. Photos by Roger Davies and Nico Marques. Sold in 2017 to Edward O. Thorp. Featured in Architectural Digest.
2016 - The Stefan Kreuzer and Barbara Schroeder House, aka Kreuzer-Schroeder House, 703 Kuhlman Road, Houston TX. Built by Builders West; photos by Matthew Millman. Designed with Takashi Yanai.
2018 - The David and Stephanie Berger House, aka Spectral Bridge House, 648 Milwood Avenue, Venice CA. Photos by Matthew Millman. Designed with Takashi Yanai and visual artist Johannes Giradoni. Sold in 2021 to Ivan Krstic.
2018 - The John Friedman and Jennie Gold House 2, aka Ridge Mountain House, 141 Ridge Mountain Drive, Palm Springs CA. 4500sf. Built by Van Vliet; landscape design, William Kopelk; structural, Gordon Polon; photos by Joe Fletcher, Richard Powers, and Lance Gerber. Featured in DWELL.
2018 - aka Waverley House, 1934 Waverley Street, Palo Alto CA. Designed with Takashi Yanai. Sold in 2022 to Driftwood Trust, Kyle Vineyard Trustee.
2019 - The Geoffrey Franklin House, aka Spring Road House, 33 Spring Road, Ross CA. Commissioned around 2012. Designed with Takashi Yanai.
2023 - aka Ribera Road Residence, 2755 Ribera Road, Carmel CA. Photos by Matthew Millman; landscape design by ACLA. Won a 2023 AIA Los Angeles Honor Award. Designed with Takashi Yanai.
Sources include: Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney; Steven Ehrlich: A Dynamic Serenity by Michael Webb; Steven Ehrlich Architect, by Michael Webb; Steven Ehrlich: Houses by Nancy Griffin; Steven Ehrlich by Nesmith and Jerde; Steven Ehrlich Architects by Joseph Giovannini; GA-59.