Top 5 SweisKloss Blogs From 2021

We can hardly believe that we’ve written 152 SweisKloss blogs. You can imagine that quite a bit of contemplation, research, and writing goes into our weekly musings on architectural design intertwined with the latest SweisKloss news, thoughts, and happenings. It has now become customary to do a year-end review to see which blogs have resonated the most with our readers. In case you missed any of these or simply want to read again, here are the top five blogs from 2021.

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Culver City’s Hayden Tract Is an Architectural Adventure

The Hayden Tract neighborhood is a deep dive into unique architecture if 1. You know about it and 2. You can find it (hello GPS navigation). One staff member has been traversing from Santa Monica to Hayden Tract several times a week in her spare time to get to The Pottery Studio and commented on the creative vibe of the area. Fascinated by this seemingly hidden district made up of structures where architecture is an obvious visual priority, we wanted to…

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Our Take on Scandinavian Architecture and Design

According to denmark.dk, Danish design is about “simplicity, functionality, and elegance—these are the basic aspects of Danish design. Nature is often part of the inspiration, and sustainability is key.” These aspects are similar to our way of thinking and how we’ve designed + built California homes all these years. Wherever possible, we incorporate clean lines, indoor-outdoor living, natural materials and so on. No surprise we have an affinity for Scandinavian design sensibilities…

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Waste Erased…Is It Possible?

We’d like to think so. As you may know, SweisKloss is a certified green business; it was in 2019 that we received we received our certification, truly a proud moment for us. But there’s no resting on our laurels because being green is an ongoing effort of staying informed and making changes no matter how big or small. We incorporate sustainability into our design + construct process, but it has simply become something we take into consideration at work and in our personal lives. Recently, a group of us got together…

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5 Favorite Holiday Drinks From SweisKloss Staff

Have you recently looked at the calendar and thought “How is it almost holiday season already?!” And this year will be far different from last year with more in-person gatherings. We can imagine that your home will be filled with a lot of fun festivities, getting back to traditions or starting new ones. To help jumpstart your party planning, we asked some of our staff for their favorite holiday drink picks, including kid friendly ones. Here are the recipes.

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Part 2: Architect William F. Cody, Not Just a “Desert Maverick”

In our blog last week, we gave you a glimpse into who William F. Cody was as a person and how his path to becoming an architect was forged. We found that his artistry and personality certainly added to the indelible mark he made in the architecture world. This week we continue our blog about Cody, focusing on some of the memorable built structures he designed that are still standing to this day.

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Part 1: Architect William F. Cody, Not Just a “Desert Maverick”

While William F. Cody may have been known as the “Desert Maverick” who paved a design path of Mid-century Modernism in Palm Springs and other areas of Coachella Valley, we see him as simply a great architect and artist. As we researched more about his life, we learned who he was as a person, where he drew inspiration, and how he became the architect he was, which compelled us to make this a two-part blog.

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Meet Construction Superintendent Andy Oldfield

Finding the right person to oversee our project sites is extremely important to us. Construction Superintendents are at the site daily making sure everything runs smoothly through all phases of construction. Without question, it’s a demanding position. When we met with Andy Oldfield about being a Construction Superintendent for us, we knew his high energy and enthusiasm would be the right fit for our team.

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Danica O. Kus Captures Architecture

Every so often we like using our blog as a platform to recognize successful and inspiring women in all aspects of architecture. When we discovered the beautiful architectural imagery by photographer Danica O. Kus, we couldn’t stop admiring the way she captures the artistic breath and beauty of architecture.

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Inspired Food and Design at Santa Monica’s LA Puglia

As designers we appreciate walking into a space and immediately getting a sense of the architectural design approach. As foodies we love when a well-designed restaurant is paired up with a thoughtful menu, which is why when we saw that AIALA awarded 2021 Restaurant Design Awards (Merit and People’s Choice) to LA Puglia of Santa Monica, we were compelled to interview the owner and find out more. And we loved her story.

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White Oak…Is It Here to Stay?

We tend to avoid the word “trend” around here at SweisKloss. Instead, we strive to use design elements that fits within the architectural style of a home and captures the homeowner’s lifestyle. Yet without question, design should always be beautiful and successfully blend modernity and timelessness. So, when it comes to incorporating one of the most widely used home materials, such as wood, choosing the right type should fall within this blended realm of design.

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Coming Up Roses

For most people, when one thinks about football, architecture isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But for us if architecture can be applied in some way, then hey, why not. Therefore, football + architecture (+ SoCal) = the Rose Bowl. With college football season off to a start, we thought it would be fun to write about this iconic stadium.

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5 Inspiring Outdoor Water Features

There are quite a few advantages to having an outdoor water feature. No matter how big or small, water features add a lovely aesthetic appeal as well as creating a serene atmosphere through sight, sound, and even scent. It’s a proven fact that connecting with nature has therapeutic effects on your senses and wellbeing, so it is something to consider when planning an outdoor space.

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Griffith Park Turns 125 This Year

One of our current renovation projects is in the Hollywood Hills near Griffith Park with a clear view of the Griffith Observatory. This got us thinking about the history of the area and the widely recognizable landmark of the three-domed observatory, which has welcomed over 85 million visitors since its opening night in 1935.

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How SweisKloss Contributed to the Santa Monica Pier

Where has the summer gone? The start of school is a yearly indicator that the summer is nearing its end. Being in sunny Southern California is somewhat of an endless summer to begin with, but nevertheless, there’s a shift that happens. The beaches and oceanfront areas get quieter, even the famous Santa Monica Pier is a little less bustling. But when we say less bustling, it’s still filled with a good amount of people at seemingly any given time.

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Making Sense of Color When Designing a Home

Feeling blue, green with envy, and tickled pink are just a few idioms we use to express a mood related to a certain color. So, it would make sense that there is such a thing as color psychology—the theory of assigning emotions to colors—when it comes to designing a space and why choosing colors for a home should be a thoughtful exploration of palettes.

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A Ray Kappe Photo Essay

Visionary. Theorist. Luminary. These are just a few words to describe Ray Kappe, a forward-thinking architect who made an indelible imprint on architecture. His award-winning designs can be spotted in a multitude of areas throughout Southern California. When we think of Ray Kappe, the first thing that comes to mind is the impact he made as an educator in the field of architecture and design.

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Modernism Week in Palm Springs

Palm Springs is the hottest place to see the largest concentration of preserved mid-century modern homes by a who’s who list of prolific architects from that era. Architectural design so revered that not only is there an annual celebration but a preview event leading up to that celebration.

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SweisKloss, Making a Mark in Another…State

A call came in a few months back from one of our clients—we have been designing their new home in Malibu. After catching up for a bit, our client surprised us with why he called; the conversation went something like this...

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What SweisKloss Says About…

One of our earlier blogs, when we started writing these three years ago, was about the Sheats-Goldstein Residence designed by one of our favorite architects John Lautner. The blog goes into how early on in her career and prior to SweisKloss, Abeer toured the Sheats-Goldstein Residence and found it to be a defining moment, realizing how special and extraordinary architecture can be. With this week’s blog, we find ourselves coming full circle as we write about another Lautner home, the Tyler House.

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