Gehry Residence Floor — Plan

What is remarkable is the floor plan's negative space . Gehry cut a massive hole in the second floor to allow the chain-link cage to rise two stories. This creates a visual vertical connection rarely seen in residential architecture. From the second floor landing, you can look down into the ground floor kitchen. The floor plan thus prioritizes voyeurism and overlapping vistas over privacy.

By removing the original ceiling and exposing the redwood rafters, Gehry transformed the upstairs into a voluminous, light-filled space he described as a "tree house". gehry residence floor plan

The floor plan of the Gehry Residence is a complex, multi-level layout that reflects Gehry's interest in deconstructivist architecture. The house has a total living area of approximately 2,300 square feet. What is remarkable is the floor plan's negative space

Completed in 1978 in Santa Monica, California, the Gehry Residence is widely considered the seminal work that launched Frank Gehry’s career as a deconstructivist architect. While the exterior—with its exposed studs, chain-link fences, and corrugated metal—shocks the viewer with its unfinished aesthetic, the is where the true architectural innovation lies. It represents a radical rethinking of how domestic space can be organized, merging the traditional "American Dream" home with an avant-garde industrial sensibility. From the second floor landing, you can look

While most suburban floor plans use 90-degree corners, the Gehry Residence kitchen features acute and obtuse angles. The countertops jut out like the bow of a ship. The floor plan forces you to move diagonally, creating a tense, energetic flow. You cannot passively walk through this space; you must negotiate it.

The plan exposes structural elements like wood studs and joists, giving the impression that the house is perpetually under construction.