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LA Forum by Charles Luckman (1967)... See what I did there with the title of the blog? I know... I crack myself up. Photo ©Darren Bradley Mention the work of Edward Durell Stone or other New Formalist architects to a die-hard Modernist and you will likely get a lot of eye-rolling or outright scoffing. They would claim - with some reason, to be honest - that New Formalism is the polar opposite of the functionalist ethos that International Modernist architecture espoused. Its classical colonnades and marble arcades were enough to send someone like Le Corbusier into gallic fits (although he was no stranger to ornamentation later in his career...). I pretty much felt that way once, myself. But I have to say, the older I get, the more the lines have blurred for me. I now believe these two schools of design have more in common than differences. In fact, I firmly believe that New Formalism belongs in the Modernist pantheon. Plus, I'm finally ready to admit I kinda love it.  Ambassador Aud...

The Pearlroth House (aka "Double Diamond") on Westhampton Beach, NY. Photo ©Darren Bradley Welcome to the Pearlroth House, otherwise known as the Double Diamond. Like many of the homes designed by architect Andrew Geller, this one seems to defy gravity. It's completely over-designed and over-engineered for a modest little 600 square foot beach house, and that's exactly what I love about it.  Owner Jonathan Pearlroth climbing the stairs on the side of the house. The stairs lead directly into the shower, to facilitate rinsing off the sand before going into the house. Photo ©Darren Bradley Life has a way of taking serendipitous paths, and this is an example. I first learned about the architect Andrew Geller through my connection to the documentary producer, Jake Gorst.  Filmmaker Jake Gorst Back in 2009, Jake was doing a documentary on the architect William Krisel, and was filming my Krisel-designed house while interviewing me for the film. Jake mentioned that his grandf...