ODE TO MODERNISM
The American studio Woods + Dangaran perpetuates the modernist soul so characteristic of California's cultural identity through seven of their residential projects that enhance their first monograph.
Brett Woods and Joseph Dangaran have built a solid reputation on the Los Angeles architectural scene over the past decade. After studying together at the USC School of Architecture, they decided to join forces and founded their own studio in 2013. Woods was drawn to architecture at the age of seven, watching family friends build their models into full-scale structures. Dangaran was inspired by Native American sites and the way vernacular architecture is integrated into the landscape. Since then, this duo has made modernism a strong commitment. For Michael Webb, author of some twenty books on modernist architecture and design, their homes become "places of conviviality for family and friends, oases of calm overlooking a sunlit garden, or spiritual retreats for lying in bed and gazing at the stars." This is the essence of their seven residential projects, presented in their first elegantly simple monograph, published by Rizzoli. A beautiful celebration of this post-war avant-garde movement through their rectilinear forms, open spaces, durable materials and landscaping.
Love of light
Everything works together in this collection to enhance a revolutionary lifestyle adapted to the 21st centurye century. Modernist and contemporary furnishings, along with lush vegetation, soften the rigorous geometry of the architecture, further blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors. Stone floors, precious wood cabinetry, plaster and marble walls, bay windows… their luminous designs are meticulously conceived, taking full advantage of the eclectic setting of Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Los Feliz, or Culver City. And at their core, a consistent coherence: “peace and solitude, connection with nature, and refined details.” The City of Angels is renowned for this lifestyle, shaping the legacy of the great names in design and architecture. A prime example is their splendid renovation of the Moore House, designed by Craig Ellwood in 1965, which transcends the excellence of Californian modernism. As Michael Webb further emphasizes, the homes are “graceful but not pretentious, connected to the essence of the land, while evoking the panache of Hollywood.” "Today, the duo wants to add to their list of achievements, is looking further ahead and plans to design cultural buildings and boutique hotels.
