Midcentury masterpiece, elevated on columns above a natural spring, sold for $12 million after strong interest.
The hillside residence designed and long occupied by influential architect Ray Kappe has long been prized by high-profile buyers for its rare combination of privacy, architectural authorship and emotional resonance, according to the listing agent.
Completed in 1967, the 4,157-square-foot home in Rustic Canyon is elevated on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground above a natural spring. The five-bedroom, five-bathroom structure features seven split levels, extensive redwood detailing, massive skylights and glass walls that make up roughly half the floor plan.
The home closed for $12 million on Feb. 27, according to Berkshire Hathaway’s website, after being listed at $11.5 million — the first time it has been offered publicly.
Ian Brooks of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, who handled the sale, said the property’s appeal lies in its status as a “trophy” — culturally significant and offering seclusion that feels like “an extraordinary treehouse” once inside.
Designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1996, the home appeared on the Los Angeles Times’ 2008 list of the city’s 10 best houses alongside works by Richard Neutra, Frank Lloyd Wright and Pierre Koenig. Former AIA Los Angeles chapter president Stephen Kanner once called it “possibly the greatest house in Southern California.”
Kappe, who died in 2019, co-founded the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and used the home as both family residence and creative studio. His wife, architectural historian Shelly Kappe, who also helped establish SCI-Arc, died in 2025. The property was sold by their family trust.
