La Jolla is home to several houses and other buildings designed by late architect Sim Bruce Richards.
Now a book by lifelong San Diegan and architectural expert Keith York tells his story.
“The Sensuous Environment: Sim Bruce Richards, Architect,” released in October, follows Richards’ journey from young building designer to notable architect.
With his work on properties such as Prince Chapel by the Sea African Methodist Episcopal church in La Jolla, the Edward and Iris Bascomb residence in Point Loma and many more, Richards’ impact has been felt across the San Diego area.
Friends of San Diego Architecture says Richards “is considered one of our region’s most influential post-World War II Modern-Contemporary architects and is recognized as a master architect by the city of San Diego.”
Richards was born in 1908 and was raised in Oklahoma and home-schooled by his half-Cherokee mother, according to FSDA. He majored in art at UC Berkeley and took up the craft of weaving fabrics and rugs. He was invited to display them at a gallery exhibition in Berkeley, where famed master architect Frank Lloyd Wright saw his weavings. Wright invited Richards to attend his school of architecture, where Richards developed his design sensibilities.
Richards served as a civilian naval architect during World War II, which brought him to San Diego. He set up his own shop in 1945 and served as president of the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He died in 1983.
York’s understanding and appreciation of architecture, especially in San Diego, was sparked early in his career while working at San Diego State University. Steps in his life like buying a home opened a world of questions and intrigue for him.
“I had an idea I would buy a house within campus walking distance,” York said. “Through that, I came upon a house and bought it, and it ended up being that of a well-known Los Angeles architect. I began becoming drawn to houses and different styles of architecture.
“When I bought my first home and began touching it up, I started looking into its history. It had a very rich history and it struck me, ‘Why had no one written about this house before and why did no one know about this?’”
From there, he was hooked and began focusing on the intricate details that set each home and building apart.
“I didn’t know I was fascinated by architecture,” he said. “What I began being fascinated by was, as a lifelong San Diegan, what can be my unique contribution to this region? And after a series of lectures and articles, I have become someone who really loves and appreciates and knows a significant amount about this topic.”
Growing into his appreciation for homes across San Diego, York began creating a local home guide that included notable and eye-catching styles. Through that, he stumbled upon Richards’ former home, where his widow lived.
“I knocked on the door of what is now my house about 20 years ago,” York said. “I was trying to put together a home tour of unique-design homes. The late Bruce Richards’ wife answered the door and welcomed me in. She began telling me all about her late husband and his work.”
Janet Hopkins had met Richards at a dinner party in Point Loma in 1938. The couple went on to invest in and purchase several properties across Point Loma and La Jolla.
As York grew close with Richards’ stylistic choices and delved into his detailed drawings, “The Sensuous Environment” began writing itself, York said.
“My particular interest with Richards is [a result of] how much material there was and how I could readily put my hands on what he had written, drawn and even how much he had charged clients,” York said. “Slowly but surely, I was able to gather enough information to get the book written.”
Throughout his time learning and understanding Richards, York reflected on what the world knew of the architect.
“He worked with Frank Lloyd Wright, but that was only two years of his whole life and career. I knew his story deserved more,” York said.
After crafting an outline and piecing together aspects of Richards’ life that he felt deserved public display, York presented his work to Richards’ widow.
“I put a 75-page booklet together. It was a very early version of what we have now,” he said.
York also has assisted in the preservation of Richards’ collectibles — papers, drawings, sketches and more. The San Diego History Center in Balboa Park and UC Santa Barbara are now home much of Richards’ material.
The History Center recently ran an exhibition of Richards’ work, also titled “The Sensuous Environment.”
York said he’s optimistic that his book will pave the way for similar projects in which he can share the history of Southern California architects.
Partial list of Sim Bruce Richards projects in La Jolla
• Prince Chapel by the Sea African Methodist Episcopal church (1947), 7517 Cuvier St.
• William and Virginia Calloway residence (1947), 10 E. Roseland Drive *
• John and Alice Clark residence (1959), 7907 Calle de la Plata
• J. Hall Hood residence (1955), 6063 Folsom Drive
• Rembert and Catherine James residence (1953), 5578 Calumet Ave.
• Elias Margolin residence (1959), 887 La Jolla Rancho Road
• Arthur Hamilton and Peggy Marston residence (1967), 1650 Kearsarge Road
• Richard Olney residence (1954), 1644 Crespo Drive *
• Donald and Joyce Schmock residence (1953), 7345 Remley Place
* Historically designated
Source: Keith York
