Neutra cottage to be preserved on land next to Community House

A historic cottage built by the man whom many consider to be the world’s most influential modern architect secured a permanent Los Altos address last week after months of an uncertain fate.

The Los Altos City Council agreed to provide land next to the historic DeMartini House, now called the Community House, at civic center for the cottage if sponsors pay the relocation fees and fund ongoing maintenance. They have until May 15 to raise $100,000 for the moving costs.

The building’s use has not been determined.

Owner John Gusto has been working with the city for the past five years on a plan to preserve the cottage. Gusto is in the process of selling his Marvin Avenue property and wants the cottage removed from the site by July.

The civic center property topped the list of potential city-owned sites that could accommodate the cottage. The only identified drawback to the site is a loss of playground space for the child care center that uses the area. The decreased play area could mean Children’s Corner will have to drop its enrollment by four children under state regulations.

Councilman King Lear said the house would be a “fish out of water (at the other sites). It needs someone to love it. The civic center (location) is the best answer.”

Neutra built the 980-square-foot house as an example of semi-communal living in the 1930s. It’s the smallest and only known example of this type of work designed by the Austrian-born architect known for adopting affordable, artistic and simple “Bauhaus” elements in his buildings.

The structure, originally one of three houses that opened onto an orchard, is listed in the city’s Historical Resources Inventory and was rated 88 on the Kalman scale, making it eligible for landmark status and protection under the city’s municipal code.

Other Neutra projects include the Los Angeles Hall of Records.

Asking for sponsors to save historic buildings is not new in Los Altos. The former DeMartini House got a second chance when the public pledged to move and maintain the 1920s home.

For more information about Neutra’s designs, log on to www.neutra.org.