Trooper_IHB
New member
<p>Morning all. I had a moment of architectural brilliance yesterday....I saw The Stahl House first hand. <a href="http://www.wirtzgallery.com/exhibitions/2003/2003_06/shulman/js03.html">Julius Shulman - Stephen Wirtz Gallery</a></p>
<p>This is the story. I was patrolling the HWD Hills and was stopped by a citizen to chat. He pointed to a neighboring hill where he heard a burglary had occurred a few weeks ago (the Hills are like a maze and very confusing to navigate with many dead ends). As I looked over, I happened to see a beautiful, white modern house perched on a bluff...hanging out over a cliff. Now, don't get me wrong...there are tons of beautiful and interesting homes in the Hills, but something about this one made me stop and stare. I thought to myself, "I've seen that house somewhere before". </p>
<p>I finished my conversation with the neighbor and drove a little further down the street. I stopped again to get a better vantage of the house... I knew I recognized the "glass peninsula" to the rear of the place....then it hit me ! This is one of those Case Study Houses and I thought of that famous photograph that I had seen a hundred times before <a href="http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Case_Study_House_22.html">Stahl House, Case Study House No. 22 - Pierre Koenig - Great Buildings Online</a></p>
<p>I saw about 10-15 people milling about in the back yard and inside the house...I thought, "Oh my gosh, they're giving a tour"! I immediately planned on inserting myself into that tour !
I figured that the house was privately owned and not open to the public, otherwise I would have seen the tours advertised on the LA architectural blogs. </p>
<p>Now let me tell you, I drove and drove and drove for almost an hour, trying to get to this place. I was aside it, I was above it, I was below and diagonal to it...but I couldn't find it ! (and I have a Garmin Nuvi....but alas, no address to guide me). When I found myself directly below it again, looking up at the people peering out the glass peninsula...I almost started tearing up ! I was afraid "the tour" was going to end, they would shut the doors and gate and I would never see it. By luck, a US Postal Service guy pulled up delivering mail. I pointed above my head and said, "what street is that house on"? As I did so, one of the people looking out the window saw me pointing and waved ! (At this point, I wanted to give them the finger ....) jk</p>
<p>Postal Dude says, "That's Woods Drive". I said..."But I've been on Woods Drive already, it's a dead end and I don't see it". He told me it was behind a big, white gate and that you can't see it from the street. .....my heart just sank. Crap....I'm not going to be able to see it.....sigh.</p>
<p>Well, being the pesky, persevering type A that I am...I drove up to Woods Drive. I mean...I was in uniform...in a police car...right ?! To my great delight, I found the gate...and it was OPEN ! It's apparently a private portion of Woods Drive with about 5 houses on it, well within my "patrol area". </p>
<p>So up the hill I drove and arrived outside it's walls. There was a flurry of activity going on, and I saw a food table set up in the carport. (to you novice Hollywood types, a table full of food means "Craft Services"...which is the nickname of caterers for movie and photo shoots). So, figuring that it must be being rented out...again, my heart sank. I couldn't trespass on a movie set !....or could I ? </p>
<p>I figured I had gotten this far and been stressed enough finding it, a little peek wouldn't hurt. I introduced myself to one of the photogs in the carport and asked if he thought it was OK if I took a quick peek inside the rear gate, just to see what I could of the house without intruding. He said, "Sure, we're doing a photo shoot with Heidi Klum <a href="http://television.aol.com/celebrity/heidi-klum/278408/bio">Heidi Klum - Biography - AOL Television</a> and we're waiting for the cloud cover to burn off before we start...so we're just killing time". I stepped up to the gate and walked into the back yard. When I looked over at the house, it actually took my breath away. It was stunning (no, not Heidi....well....)....one of the most beautiful homes that I've ever seen....(The Gamble House <a href="http://www.gamblehouse.org/">The Gamble House by Greene & Greene in Pasadena, California: official website</a> being my personal favorite). Heidi was sitting in the glass area while people were flitting about her, fussing with her hair. I heard a man singing and thought, "no...that can't be Seal....but it was ! <a href="http://music.aol.com/artist/seal/biography/1004634">Seal Biography - AOL Music</a></p>
<p>So in a nutshell, I got a glimpse of Case Study House # 22, saw Heidi Klum and Seal, AND heard him singing to his bride ! What a day. It will be hard to top.</p>
<p>OH YEAH, I forgot to mention that I met the daughter-in-law of the original owner, Mrs. Stahl, who was on site overseeing the property during the photo shoot. She was gracious and offered to tour me through the house but I felt that I would be intruding on the crew. I asked if I might be able to come back sometime and see it...she said they only allow architectural students to view it and rarely at that. Then she asked if I was off on Sunday....I said....yessssss. She offered up that another photo shoot was due in that day and if I came 30 mins early, she would give me a private tour.</p>
<p>SO, I didn't think yesterday could be topped.....but apparently, tomorrow will do just that ! I'll see if she'll let me take some pics, but everything is on Google already. Woo Hoo....score one for Trooper ! </p>
<p>This is the story. I was patrolling the HWD Hills and was stopped by a citizen to chat. He pointed to a neighboring hill where he heard a burglary had occurred a few weeks ago (the Hills are like a maze and very confusing to navigate with many dead ends). As I looked over, I happened to see a beautiful, white modern house perched on a bluff...hanging out over a cliff. Now, don't get me wrong...there are tons of beautiful and interesting homes in the Hills, but something about this one made me stop and stare. I thought to myself, "I've seen that house somewhere before". </p>
<p>I finished my conversation with the neighbor and drove a little further down the street. I stopped again to get a better vantage of the house... I knew I recognized the "glass peninsula" to the rear of the place....then it hit me ! This is one of those Case Study Houses and I thought of that famous photograph that I had seen a hundred times before <a href="http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Case_Study_House_22.html">Stahl House, Case Study House No. 22 - Pierre Koenig - Great Buildings Online</a></p>
<p>I saw about 10-15 people milling about in the back yard and inside the house...I thought, "Oh my gosh, they're giving a tour"! I immediately planned on inserting myself into that tour !
I figured that the house was privately owned and not open to the public, otherwise I would have seen the tours advertised on the LA architectural blogs. </p><p>Now let me tell you, I drove and drove and drove for almost an hour, trying to get to this place. I was aside it, I was above it, I was below and diagonal to it...but I couldn't find it ! (and I have a Garmin Nuvi....but alas, no address to guide me). When I found myself directly below it again, looking up at the people peering out the glass peninsula...I almost started tearing up !
I was afraid "the tour" was going to end, they would shut the doors and gate and I would never see it. By luck, a US Postal Service guy pulled up delivering mail. I pointed above my head and said, "what street is that house on"? As I did so, one of the people looking out the window saw me pointing and waved ! (At this point, I wanted to give them the finger ....) jk</p><p>Postal Dude says, "That's Woods Drive". I said..."But I've been on Woods Drive already, it's a dead end and I don't see it". He told me it was behind a big, white gate and that you can't see it from the street. .....my heart just sank. Crap....I'm not going to be able to see it.....sigh.</p>
<p>Well, being the pesky, persevering type A that I am...I drove up to Woods Drive. I mean...I was in uniform...in a police car...right ?!
To my great delight, I found the gate...and it was OPEN ! It's apparently a private portion of Woods Drive with about 5 houses on it, well within my "patrol area". </p><p>So up the hill I drove and arrived outside it's walls. There was a flurry of activity going on, and I saw a food table set up in the carport. (to you novice Hollywood types, a table full of food means "Craft Services"...which is the nickname of caterers for movie and photo shoots). So, figuring that it must be being rented out...again, my heart sank. I couldn't trespass on a movie set !....or could I ?
</p><p>I figured I had gotten this far and been stressed enough finding it, a little peek wouldn't hurt. I introduced myself to one of the photogs in the carport and asked if he thought it was OK if I took a quick peek inside the rear gate, just to see what I could of the house without intruding. He said, "Sure, we're doing a photo shoot with Heidi Klum <a href="http://television.aol.com/celebrity/heidi-klum/278408/bio">Heidi Klum - Biography - AOL Television</a> and we're waiting for the cloud cover to burn off before we start...so we're just killing time". I stepped up to the gate and walked into the back yard. When I looked over at the house, it actually took my breath away. It was stunning (no, not Heidi....well....)....one of the most beautiful homes that I've ever seen....(The Gamble House <a href="http://www.gamblehouse.org/">The Gamble House by Greene & Greene in Pasadena, California: official website</a> being my personal favorite). Heidi was sitting in the glass area while people were flitting about her, fussing with her hair. I heard a man singing and thought, "no...that can't be Seal....but it was ! <a href="http://music.aol.com/artist/seal/biography/1004634">Seal Biography - AOL Music</a></p>
<p>So in a nutshell, I got a glimpse of Case Study House # 22, saw Heidi Klum and Seal, AND heard him singing to his bride ! What a day. It will be hard to top.</p>
<p>OH YEAH, I forgot to mention that I met the daughter-in-law of the original owner, Mrs. Stahl, who was on site overseeing the property during the photo shoot. She was gracious and offered to tour me through the house but I felt that I would be intruding on the crew. I asked if I might be able to come back sometime and see it...she said they only allow architectural students to view it and rarely at that. Then she asked if I was off on Sunday....I said....yessssss. She offered up that another photo shoot was due in that day and if I came 30 mins early, she would give me a private tour.</p>
<p>SO, I didn't think yesterday could be topped.....but apparently, tomorrow will do just that ! I'll see if she'll let me take some pics, but everything is on Google already. Woo Hoo....score one for Trooper ! </p>
