HISTORICALLY UGLY
HISTORICALLY PROTECTED
NOW BEING REIMAGINED

Not every historic house is grand, beautiful, or even particularly distinguished.

This modest 1949 ranch house in Windsor Square had become a very visible example of that problem. Surrounded by many of the stately historic residences for which the neighborhood is known, the low-slung house had deteriorated after years of vacancy and neglect. Yet because the property contributes to the Windsor Square Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ), simply tearing it down and replacing it with a new house was not an option.

The challenge was to find a way to save the historic house while completely rethinking what it could become.

Architecture JHK was commissioned to develop a design that could substantially enlarge and modernize the residence while preserving the portions of the original structure and character required by the HPOZ. What emerged was an ambitious rehabilitation and addition that transforms the original one-story ranch into a two-story residence, dramatically increasing its usefulness and architectural presence while retaining the historic street-facing façades.

Achieving that balance required considerably more than placing a second floor on an existing house. The design had to work within the proportions, rooflines, massing and architectural vocabulary of the existing 1949 residence while also responding to the scale and character of the surrounding Windsor Square neighborhood. The resulting design was reviewed and approved by the Windsor Square HPOZ Board in 2021.

The property itself had already become part of the neighborhood conversation. The Larchmont Chronicle documented its long period of vacancy, deterioration and vandalism and later followed the beginning of construction, describing the project as the anticipated “restoration and rebirth” of a long-neglected corner of Windsor Square. The paper returned to the property again in 2026 while discussing the broader problem of vacant historic buildings and the importance of protecting Los Angeles' architectural heritage.

For us, that is what makes this project particularly meaningful. Preservation does not always mean protecting a perfect building. Sometimes it means finding the architectural potential in a difficult one—and doing the hard work necessary to give it another life.

The project is currently under construction.

IN THE PRESS

Larchmont Chronicle
“Progress made on Plymouth as long-delayed project begins” — June 2025
The Chronicle follows the beginning of construction and the HPOZ-approved rehabilitation and expansion designed by Architecture JHK. Read the article

Larchmont Chronicle
“To save vacant historic buildings, be the squeaky wheel” — May 2026
A follow-up examining the property in the larger context of preserving vulnerable historic buildings in Los Angeles. Read the article