The ‘father of California post-and-beam architecture’ designed Pasadena’s Wirick House in 1958 when he was a professor at the University of Southern California.

Calvin Straub would shortly go on to co-found the influential firm Buff, Straub & Hensman, which pioneered post-and-beam modernist architecture across Pasadena and beyond. Wirick House has an important place in Straub’s personal canon, described by the National Register of Historic Places as ‘one of the firm’s distinctive achievements in residential post-and-beam architecture… a composition of modules woven with lines (framing) and planes (walls).’

Commissioned by Thomas and Barbara Wirick, the three-bedroom Pasadena property is remarkably intact and was built when Straub was merging his practice with former students Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman. It features large expanses of glazing and slender structural framing, with the upper-level entry overlooking the double-height living room and dining area. Within this vast glass box, Straub inserted a cosy alcove beside the fireplace which is a more intimate seating space, with the kitchen adjacent, separated visually by cabinets.

Period finishes include wood and stainless steel countertop surfaces, vintage appliances, and translucent stained cabinetry, while cork flooring and original built-in furniture are in the two first-floor bedrooms, with their integrated desks, cabinetry, and bunk beds.

The modernist property is located within Pasadena’s Poppy Peak Historic District and benefits from a Mills Act contract providing reduced property taxes. System updates have been done in recent years including electrical, plumbing, and structural retrofitting, and an elevator to connect the home’s levels.

Nate Cole and Lilian Pfaff of Modern House California is listing The Wirick House for $2.98m.

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