If you want to learn more about the philosophy of architect Ron Radzinger, just look at his own home in Venice, California.
Radzinger is a partner in the prestigious architectural firm Marmol Radziner + Associates (MRA), which he established in 1989 with Leo Marmol. Their firm is involved in a wide range of design projects,
including architectural design, programming, master planning, historic restoration, landscape design, interior design, and furniture. They’re leaders in the prefab movement. They also specialize in
restoration work of houses originally designed by legendary architects. Most of their work includes high-end custom site-built residential projects in California for celebrity clients such as Tom
Ford (formerly with Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent), actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, and musician Anthony Kiedis.
MRA is highly recognized in the architectural field for their work in
innovative design, research, and precision. They have won several
awards in their twenty-year long history, including the American
Institute of Architects Honor Award for their restoration of the
Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs, originally designed by Richard
Neutra in 1946. They were awarded Business Week Magazine’s
International Design Excellence Award (IDEA), and in 2004, were named
the American Institute of Architecture’s Firm of the Year.
Radziner, MRA’s principle designer, was educated in the 80s at the
California Polytechnic State University and the University of
Colorado. He is a member of the prestigious College of the Fellows of
the American Institute of Architects and was inducted into the
Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2009. MRA’s webpage states that
Radzinger is involved with “developing solutions that provide a unique
architectural identity and forge strong connections between interior
and exterior spaces.”
This is exactly what Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher states MRA did for
their luxurious family home in Beverly Hills. It was important to the
couple and to the designers that the integrity of the existing home
remain while altering it to fit the needs of the couple’s large,
extended family. They also wanted to retain a strong connection with
nature that surrounds the home. As Moore stated, “You feel the
outside when you’re inside. The house is part of nature.” Radziner
agreed, stating that one of the firm’s goals for the design of the
home was to make its inhabitants feel like they were hanging in the
trees.
It makes sense, then, that when Radzinger designed his own home for
his young family, he would follow similar techniques. When he
re-designed the house in 2003, it consisted of expansive interiors,
including an outdoor dining area with a big fireplace—a contemporary
update to the California Modernist ideal of indoor-outdoor living made
popular during the mid-20th century.
When the neighboring lot came up
for sale, Radzinger bought it to create even more outdoor space for
him and his family. He was able to add almost 1,500 square feet of
indoor space, open-air living and dining areas, a garden, and a pool.
Radzinger’s architectural values, and the values of his entire firm,
are apparent in every home and building they design. The firm
combines modern design and architectural concepts with traditional
designs.