On the edge of Joshua Tree National Park stands a 10-acre lot of land with one of the most fascinating examples of Organic Architecture ever built. It may look like some stately take on a Flintstones home or the futuristic remains of a mechanical mammoth from afar. But it’s a finetuned architectural orchestration handmade to blend with its arid environs. Behind its guarded exterior lies an intricate work of art decades in the making. Today, we brave the desert heat for a closer look at the famed Kellogg Doolittle House.
The Kellogg Doolittle House wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the open minds (and bank accounts) of Bev and Jay Doolittle. An artist renowned for her intricate paintings of the wilds of the western United States, Bev Doolittle held an intimate reverence for the creative process. She knew that she didn’t want to live in a cookie-cutter home. But beyond that, she was content to give her chosen architect free rein.
That chosen architect was Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright’s with a particular interest in his Organic Architecture movement. We’ve discussed Organic Architecture on this blog before, notably when covering John Lautner’s Elrod House and Bob Hope’s Palm Springs home. Through Organic Architecture, Kellogg attempted to blur the lines between environment and shelter, incorporating naturally occurring elements that ignored the boundaries of manmade structure. The theme of Organic Architecture saturates the Kellogg Doolittle House, from the boulders unmoved by time that comprise portions of the structure to the pebbles of the shower floor.
Kellogg’s visions stood in opposition with the compartmentalized midcentury modern architecture so characteristic of the Coachella Valley. Rather, his structures appeared organic and prehistoric, looming like the remains of a legendary creature. It wasn’t a welcoming vision for everyone. Kellogg only designed one other building in the Coachella Valley: Rancho Mirage’s Chart House restaurant. And that burned down in 2012. Fortunately, when the Doolittles saw Kellogg’s work, they were happy to commission him to create a raw, uncompromising representation of his creativity. Many would agree that the resulting Kellogg Doolittle House remains the architect’s crowning achievement.
But Kellogg wasn’t taking this task on alone. Assistance came in the capable form of John Vugrin. Just a teenager when Kellogg discovered him, Vugrin’s exacting detail when working with a variety of materials rendered him essential to Kellogg’s plans. Over the decades that they worked together, Vugrin developed a mastery for crafting stone, glass, marble, wood, and a myriad of metals including copper, steel, and bronze.
At the time of Kellogg accepting the Doolittles’ commission, Vugrin had just turned 21 years old and was living in San Diego. This meant a roughly three-hour drive to the proposed construction site at the border of Joshua Tree National Park. But Vugrin remained closely involved in bringing the Kellogg Doolittle House to life for the over two decades it required.
Inside the Kellogg Doolittle House All images: Kellogg Doolittle Residence