Eppich House II

One glimpse of the cascading steel beams mirrored in the reflecting pond and its clear that the Hugo and Brigitte Eppich house is a singular achievement, a daring experiment that embodies Ericksons West Coast modernist ideas about site, material, and form. Ericksons first steel residence explores both the structural and aesthetic possibilities of the material, with curved beams, dyed cladding, and milled furnishings designed by Francisco Kripaczfeatures that would have been near-impossible on a regular commission. But after seeing the first Eppich House, built for Hugos twin brother Helmut, Hugo entrusted Erickson with creating and furnishing the entire house, inside and outanother first for Ericksonand made available the Eppic brothers steel fabricating plants, which built virtually every component of the home. Architecture expert Greg Bellerby weaves into his essay extensive interviews with Erickson, Eppich, and architect Nick Milkovich, as well as contributions from Cornelia Oberlander, the homes landscape designer, to tell the fascinating story of an uncommon vision, realized in steel and glass.