Gehry Residence

The Gehry Residence is Frank Gehry's own house. It was originally an extension, designed by Gehry built around an existing house. It makes use of unconventional materials, such as chain link fences and corrugated steel. It is sometimes considered one of the earliest deconstructivist buildings, although Gehry himself denies that it was deconstructivism.

The Gehry Residence is located in Santa Monica, California. In 1977, Frank and Berta Gehry bought a pink bungalow that was originally built in 1920. Gehry wanted to explore with the materials he was already using: metal, plywood, chain link fencing, and wood framing. In 1978, he chose to wrap the outside of the house with a new exterior while still leaving the old exterior visible. He hardly touched the rear and south facades and to the other sides of the house he wedged in titled glass cubes. Then, in the fall of 1991, they chose to remodel due to the needs of their growing family including two teenage boys. Many of Gehry's neighbors were not happy at the unusual building being built in their neighbourhood. It's rumoured that one neighbor used to regularly bring his dog to defecate on Gehry's lawn, in protest.