Monday, April 30, 2012

Coordinates: 3819 and 2827 Dunn Drive Culver City


THE LAWRENCE and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments, also known as the ‘Hobbit Houses’ located right around the corner from Sony Studios at 3819 and 3827 Dunn Drive in Culver City looks more like a scene from a storybook than the average apartment building.
Lawrence Joseph, a former Walt Disney artist, brought a fairytale to life between 1946 and 1970 with these residencies in Culver City. Behind trees and tall blades of grass lies the cottage built in the Storybook Style. Pillars and garage doors made out of tree trunks, cobblestone exterior, and a wood shingled roof sits behind the green swamp inhabited by turtles.
A Conservancy's page on the complex said, "Joseph redesigned an existing single-family residence and added two two-story buildings with multiple units. He also created nautically themed interiors for the three buildings. The apartments feature galley kitchens, vertical-grain boat plank flooring, and built-in furniture with hardware made from boat latches. The interior looks like you are in a combination of a boat and tree house."
Los Angeles is a city built on fantasy, and this becomes even more evident when looking at the Lawrence and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments. As I stood in front of the buildings I forgot I was in the middle of the city until I turned around and saw the normal street and the normal houses surrounding the fairytale apartments.



-Nastassja Habers
-Photo Credit: Nastassja Habers

2 comments:

  1. That's awesome! It looks like it really is straight out of The Hobbit or an old Disney movie. I wonder how it's managed to stay in pristine condition over the years. I wonder if the people that live there have kids and if it looks just like a normal house with up to date appliances and computers! Hope they got cable!

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  2. I know they do not allow pets, but there are plenty of turtles living in the man made swamp. I would imagine they are very particular to who they rent to, I would love to live here one day! It is such a cool place and it looks even more amazing in person!

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