Property of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Opdahl, Long Beach, California | architects: Killingsworth-Brady-Smith

9/04/2025 11:32:00 PM

As you judge the merits of the dramatic small house shown here, consider these facts: It stands on a plot just 30' wide in the Alamitos Bay section of Long Beach, California, (pop. 325,000), only ten minutes drive from the city's center. The neighborhood was largely developed over 30 years ago, and typical of its dwellings are the two barely 6' away on either side of this house. One is a two-story apartment house; the other, a 1 1/2-story house. So artfully did the architect surmount these cramped conditions that he improved the neighbors' privacy while achieving a high degree of it for his clients, a young couple. He managed this by extending the 18' high sidewalls forward to screen much of the entrance area, the pool and terrace. Though the house has but four rooms, its spaciousness is extraordinary. Both front and rear walls, two stories high, are glass; beyond each lies an outdoor living area. For its skillful use of the site and superb design quality, this house won a Southern California A.I.A. award.