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FRANKLIN DAVID ISRAEL (1945-1996)
Israel was born in Brooklyn NY and grew up in Elizabeth NJ. At the University of Pennsylvania, Israel soon switched from a philosophy major to study architecture with Louis Kahn and build models part time in Kahn's studio. Israel did postgraduate study at Yale University and received a master's in architecture at Columbia University.
In 1973, Israel won the Rome Prize in Architecture for two years of study at the American Academy. He began a 20-year teaching stint at the UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning. He designed sets at Paramount and worked with French film director Roger Vadim, meeting industry notables such as Robert Altman and Joel Grey, who later hired him to design homes. Israel later set up Franklin D. Israel Design Associates in Beverly Hills and began to design vast homes around the world, as well as recent, larger projects such as the UCLA Southern Regional Library and UC Riverside arts school. Israel, who had AIDS and Kaposi's Sarcoma for six years, died of pneumonia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Frank Gehry, a mentor of Israel's who both influenced and admired the younger designer, said: "Frank Israel was a brilliance in our lives. He made beautiful spaces. I loved him and will think of him a lot." Israel's companion was Tomas Hasse. Bio adapted from the New York Times obituary. Research by Catherine Westergaard Cramer. His archives are at the Getty in Los Angeles.
1970 - The Ben and Lynne Klein House, 10909 Savona Road, Los Angeles CA. 1/3 acre, 5300 sf. Thomas Dunn was the builder. Architect Mel Bernstein added a second story addition and remodeling in 2001 with construction by Gordon Gibson. Sold in 2012 to Leonard and Sandra Hyde. Sold in 2016 to Blue Elephant Trust. Sold in 2019 to Jeiho Lee Company Trust and the Lee Family Trust. First photo by Michael Locke.
1972 - The Phillip and Ida Snell House, 71 Jacqueline Drive, Amagansett NY. Israel's first commission. Renovated poorly over the years. Sold in 2014 to Joseph Bradley and Valentina Akerman and properly restored by Wythe Architects. Sold in 2020 to Stewart Leitch and Ana Mijich. Bottom photo by Devon Banks.
1978 - The Bamboo Bungalow, Manila, Philippines. Unbuilt.
1980 - The Charles and Hilary Clark House, Hollywood CA. Unbuilt. Was to be built adjacent to Frank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House.
1980 - The Bellisle Ranch House, Santa Barbara CA. Unbuilt. Plans are at the Getty.
1982 - The Gordon House, Pacific Palisades CA. Status unknown.
1982 - The Sabatino House, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1984 - the Arrow House, Lake Arrowhead CA. Unbuilt.
1984 - The Dale and Carolyn Lisenby Kiefer Renovation, 15323 Bestor Boulevard, Pacific Palisades CA. Photos by Michael Locke. Still owners as of 2022.
1984 - The Krost Remodel, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1984 - The Houseman House, Brentwood, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1984 - The Wilshire Boulevard Apartment, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1985 - The Cassidy Cabin, Frazier Park CA. Status unknown.
1985 - The Comegys House, Bel Air, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1985 - The Semel House, Malibu CA. Status unknown.
1986 - The Rupert Murdoch Remodel, aka the Jules Stein Remodel, aka the Niblo House, aka Misty Mountain, 1330 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills CA. Original house built in 1927, designed by Wallace Neff for Fred Niblo and Enid Bennett, bottom photo. For a time in the 1930s the house was rented to Katherine Hepburn. Sold in 1940 to Jules Stein. Sold in 1986 to Rupert Murdoch. Sold in 2015 to 1330 AD LLC, controlled by James and Kathryn Murdoch.
1986 - The Forman and Hyde House, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1986 - The Kurfirst Apartment, New York NY. Status unknown.
1986 - The Lerner and Wilder Project, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1986 - The Frischer House, Venice CA. Status unknown.
1986 - The John Rich Renovation, 1575 Carla Ridge, Beverly Hills CA. Original house built in 1961. Architect Barry Milofsky designed a new entry addition and a 3-car garage with storage above in 1993. Sold in 2012 to Jane Fonda and Richard Perry. Sold in 2017 to Alba California LLC. Last two photos by Michael Locke. For sale in 2025.
1987 - The Andrea Rich Apartment, Westwood area of Los Angeles CA. Status unknown. She was President of LACMA.
1987 - The Andrea Rich Beach House, 2014 The Strand, Hermosa Beach CA. Andrea L. Rich was head of LACMA in the 2000's. Sold in 2007 to David Sullivan. Sold in 2008 to Shanghai Strand, LLC (Bo Chen). Last two photos by Michael Locke.
1987 - The William and Elizabeth J. Harris Remodel, 16641 Marquez Terrace, Pacific Palisades CA. Old World General Builders was the contractor. Original house built in 1952. Sold to Mei Yu in 2003, still owner as of 2020. Photos 1-2 by Michael Locke.
1987 - The Simon House, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1988 - The Robert and Katherine Altman Condominium Remodel and Interior Design, Malibu CA.
1988 - The Frank Israel House, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
Year unknown - The Michael Woo Pavilion, 2077 Balmer Drive, Los Angeles CA.
1988 - The Klein House, Bel Air, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1988 - The Michelle Lamy and Richard Newton Pavilion Addition, 620 North Cherokee Avenue, Los Angeles CA. Sold in 2012 to Tongkun and Soktae Kim. Photos 1, 5-7 by Michael Locke.
1989 - The Randell and Diane Roberts Remodel, 3081 Lake Hollywood Drive, Los Angeles CA. Original house built in 1936. Israel designed a three- bedroom addition, converted existing garage, remodeled the kitchen, and renovated the rear patio in 1989, and he extended the dining room and kitchen in 1990. Archetype was the contractor. Sold in 2012 to Anne Russell Arons and Mark Setrakian. For sale in 2024. Photos by Michael Locke.
1989 - The Marissa Arango and Bill Berry Remodel and Addition, aka Arango Berry, 1360 Summitridge Place, Beverly Hills CA. Original bungalow built in the 1950s. Israel designed a master bath and extended the study in 1989, for which Iverson was the contractor; a 3-story addition and stairway with four bedrooms, a playroom, and deck in 1992; and an addition to the kitchen and dining room and remodel in 1993, for which Carl Audia was the contractor. Featured in Architecture, March 1990. Sold to 1360 Summitridge RS, LLC c/o Dennis Wong. Top photo by Michael Locke.
1989 - The Gerber House, Westwood CA. Unbuilt.
1990 - The Jeff Fiskin and Denise Worrel Remodel, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1990 - The Borman Interiors. House designed by Frank Gehry.
1991 - The Howard Goldberg and James and Linda Bean Remodel, 2029 Castilian Drive, Los Angeles CA. Original house built in 1950. Remodel included a new entry and master bedroom/bath addition plus a kitchen and bathroom renovation. Featured in Architectural Record Houses of 1994. Sold to Theodore Firestone. Photo, top, by Michael Locke.
1991 - The Isenberg House, Montecito CA. Unbuilt.
1991 - The Kaplan Houses, Malibu CA. Unbuilt.
1991 - The Maslon House Interiors, Venice CA. Status unknown.
1991 - The Morton House. Status unknown.
1991 - The Raznick House, Hollywood Hills CA. Unbuilt.
1991 - The John Tesh House, Mar Vista CA. Unbuilt. This model is now at the Getty.
1991 - The Frederick (Fred) R. Weisman Annex, Los Angeles CA. Open to the public.
1992 - The Sydney and Susan Baldwin House, Venice CA. Unbuilt.
1992 - The Sharon Drager House, 160 Vicente Road, Berkeley CA. 4500 sf, 3-level house, with 6 bathrooms and a maid's suite. Featured in: Architectural Record Houses of 1995; GA Houses 46.
1992 - The Hague 1, aka Spartan, Den Haag Netherlands. Five separate levels, 1800 sf. One of eight detached garden houses to be built in suburban Hague. Other architects were involved in separate builds including Steven Holl and Hariri and Hariri. Status unknown.
1992 - The Sigurjon and Sigidur Sighvatsson Remodel, 736 El Medio Avenue, Pacific Palisades CA. Sold in 1999 to Robert Lemelson. Status unknown.
1992 - The Steinberg House, Beverly Hills CA. Status unknown.
1993 - The Arie and Rebecka Belldegrun Home Office, 640 North Bonhill Road, Los Angeles CA. Sold in 2003 to Sima and Ata Kashani. Exterior photo by Michael Locke.
1993 - The Michael and Cecilia Dan House, 22540 Carbon Mesa Road, Malibu CA. Landscape design, Jay Griffiths. Completed by Steven Shortridge who ran Israel's office after his death. Featured in GA Houses 49. Sold in 2022 to Lysan Properties.
1993 - The Gold House, Bel Air, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1994 - The Joel Grey (aka Joel David Katz) House Remodel, 9119 Thrasher Avenue, Los Angeles CA. Original house built around 1957. Sold in 1999 to George Klein. Sold in 2013 to Craig and Jody Ann Newman. Sold in 2017 to Clifford Ying Chen. Top photo by Michael Locke.
1994 - The Fred Hochberg and Thomas Healy House, Miami Beach FL. Unbuilt.
1994 - The Allan Arkush House, Studio City CA. Sold. Status unknown.
1995 - The Garfield House, Los Angeles CA. Status unknown.
1995 - The Wesley E. and Maria A. Strick Addition, 7157 La Presa Drive, Los Angeles CA. Still owners as of 2020. Built by Bobby McGee Construction. Original house designed by architect Edwin D. Martin for Edward Hyman in 1938. Fitness guru Jack LaLanne owned the house in the 1960s. Photos by Michael Locke.
1995 - The John Hevans House. Designed with C. W. Wong. Status unknown.
1995 - The Gerald and Doreen Rochman House, 17630 Tramonto Drive, Pacific Palisades CA. Original 2-story ranch house built in the 1950s. Barbara Callas took over the project after Israel's death. Transferred in 2012 to a family trust. Top photo by Michael Locke.
Around 1996 - aka 542 House Remodel, 542 Altair Place, Venice CA. Original house built in 1934. Sold in 1996 to Steven Shortridge, an architect in Israel's office, who is listed as a co-architect along with Barbara Callas. Sold in 2013 to Aaron Stern. In 2014 Stern added a second story addition independent of the existing residence connected by an interior stair designed by Steven Shortridge. Photo by Michael Locke.
1996 - The Arie and Rebecka Belldegrun Apartment Renovation, Tel Aviv, Israel. Project taken over by Steve Shortbridge when Frank Israel died.
1997 - The Jack Friedland House, 186 Spyglass Lane, Jupiter FL. Commissioned in 1994. Deeded to heirs. Sold in 2022 to Edward Reed Mack III.
Year unknown - The Joel Grey House Remodel II, 1429 Cabrillo Avenue, Venice CA. Original house built in 1922 was a 550 sf cottage with 1 bedroom and 1 bath. Sold to Jeremy Palmer. Sold to James Hanks and Karen Praxel. Sold in 2014 to William and Jacqueline Hilary. Sold in 2018 to Kanae Koh.
Sources include Franklin D. Israel by Todd Gannon; Franklin D. Israel by Frank Gehry; Franklin D. Israel, edited by Pamela Johnston and Maggie Toy; the Franklin D. Israel Papers at the Getty; "After the Torch Has Passed," New York Times, 10/9/1997.