The Architecture of Deconstructivism: Deconstructing the Gehry Residence Floor Plan
: The most dramatic changes occurred on the periphery. Gehry added a new metal "shell" to the facade and north elevation, creating inhabitable space around the original floor plan. The new spaces are composed of "angular, varied, protruding masses" arranged expressionistically. Glass cubes set on their corners create light-filled, conservatory-like spaces interspersed with solids sheathed in corrugated sheet metal. This addition wraps around the house, most prominently on the ground floor, creating a dynamic, sculptural form that seems to be in a constant state of construction.
The floor plan is not a clean grid. It is a collision of shapes. Rectangles clash with skewed angles. A glass cube appears to have crashed into the corner of the dining area, serving as a skylight while distorting the overhead volume. The plan teaches us that spaces do not need to align perfectly to coexist beautifully; tension can create energy. Legacy of the Plan
To the north on the floor plan, Gehry converted the detached garage into a design studio. This space, accessed via a plywood bridge, functions as the master bedroom suite and studio. The floor plan reveals a raw rectangle with a bathroom wedged into the corner—no frills, just corrugated metal and glass. gehry residence floor plan
A second bedroom and a bathroom are also on this level.
The floor plan of the Gehry Residence is celebrated in architectural history because it broke the fundamental rules of traditional residential design:
The layout is a radical rejection of suburban norms, choosing "freshess" and visible construction over polished finishes. Gehry House - Archiweb Glass cubes set on their corners create light-filled,
Unlike a normal floor plan that draws a single, clean outer wall, Gehry’s plan shows fragmented boundaries. He removed the rear wall of the existing living room and extended the house outward using unconventional materials (plywood, corrugated metal, chain-link fencing). The floor plan looks like a house that exploded and was hastily put back together.
The defining characteristic of the Gehry Residence floor plan is its dual-layered composition. Rather than tearing down the existing two-story suburban house, Gehry chose to leave it largely intact and build a new architectural shell around three of its sides (the north, south, and west).
The plan highlights the process of construction, with exposed wood framing, plywood walls, chain-link, and corrugated metal. Transition Zones: It is a collision of shapes
The ground floor plan is where Gehry’s disruption of traditional domestic space is most apparent. The layout forces a departure from standard residential circulation.
Before delving into the floor plan, it is essential to understand the project's origins. In 1977, Frank Gehry and his wife, Berta, purchased an unassuming, two-story Dutch Colonial bungalow built around 1920 in a quiet Santa Monica neighborhood. The existing house was a typical suburban home, but Gehry had a radical vision. Rather than demolishing it, he decided to use it as the core of an experimental work of art. The following year, with a modest budget of $50,000 and a team including project designer Paul Lubowicki, Gehry began a transformation that would become a landmark of deconstructivist architecture.
