Great news about the Neutra VDL House being named a National Historic Landmark. As announced by U.S. Department of the Interior’s: “The Neutra Studio and Residences (VDL Research House) in Los Angeles, California, is associated with Richard Neutra, a nationally and internationally seminal figure of the twentieth century Modern movement in architecture. During the 1940s, as Neutra’s work evolved, he also became the well-recognized founder of mid-century “California Modern” architecture. The VDL Research House is the only property where one can see the progression of his style over a period of years and is among the key properties to understanding the national significance of Richard Neutra.”

Here’s the old master himself, at 74, sitting on the VDL House II deck, deep in thought before the landscape.

Photo by Julius Shulman, courtesy of the Getty Research Institute.

Experts agree that small-lot housing is an important solution to Southern California’s housing crisis. Here’s a great piece in the LA Times focusing on the small lot home as both an affordable option in a market of scarce offerings and a step towards urban renewal and smarter use of space. This is why here at Tracy Do Real Estate we are proud to represent several small-lot communities in LA that are available now or coming very soon in the new year 2017. Take a look below – maybe one of them is right for you?

Manzanita – New Homes for sale at Sunset Junction in Silver Lake

Covo – New Homes for sale in Silver Lake

The Hampshire – Contemporary New Homes in Los Feliz

The ERB – New mixed-use + single family residences in Eagle Rock

The Glen LA – New collection of single family homes in the Valley Glen

What does the future hold for the Silver Lake reservoir, a veteran of LA water infrastructure system? Built in early 20th century by William Mulholland to serve as an alternative source of water should the aqueducts fail, the reservoir was drained following a change in regulations that required reservoirs to be covered. A voided basin at the moment, it awaits the spring when, according to City Councilman David Ryu, it will be refilled once again.

In the meanwhile, the dusty void poses a gaping question that Silver Lake Forward, a group of community enthusiasts invested in the future of the lake, seek to answer with design assistance of Mia Lehrer + Associates. Archdaily reports that the group’s conceptual plan “aims for the gradual reintroduction of natural landscape ecologies by artificially raising the reservoir’s floor and converting the complex into a 31-acre park. The scheme features lookout points, boardwalks, and a series of small islands set aside for roosting water birds.” This certainly sounds like an exciting preposition! Check out Silver Lake Forward to learn more about this plan, and if you are curious about the way that the state of the reservoir affects Silver Lake real estate market, take a look at the story over at Eastsider that features Tracy Do and Rob Kallick of Sotheby’s International Realty as they weigh in on this important issue.