Defining Houses

Famed Santa Barbara architect Robin Donaldson has traveled the world with the recent pair of documentary films – The House: 6 Points of Departure and This Is Not a House – that chronicle his immersive work on two important homes in the Montecito foothills; the Crawford House and Hill House. Donaldson, who studied painting and printmaking at UCSB before earning his Master’s in Architecture at SCI-Arc (the Southern California Institute of Architecture) – has accompanied the docs to architecture and design film festivals in Rotterdam, Canada, and elsewhere. 

Now he’s thrilled to have them presented as the centerpiece of UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Art | Architecture on Film. Over two days at Paseo Nuevo Cinemas April 26-27, that program brings nine films about the process and creations of renowned architects Eileen Gray and R.M. Schindler, as well as groundbreakers Anselm Kiefer and Nam June Paik, among others. 

“Having a festival like this in Santa Barbara is really terrific,” Donaldson said. “The point is to show how the idea of architecture and art in the environment, how those different kinds of concerns, can be integrated into a built form. I think it will be eye-opening for a lot of people.”

Donaldson is the through-point for the double feature of The House / This Is Not a House, which screens for free on Saturday night and will be followed by a panel discussion. The Crawford House, which the architect worked on with his early mentor Thom Mayne, was built more than 30 years ago. By contrast, the Hill House – in whose design owners Bruce Heavin and Lynda Weinman were deeply involved – is a much more recent creation.

“They show radically different approaches to architecture that exemplify the changes over the decades,” Donaldson said. “Where the Crawford is an analog house, so to speak, the Hill House could only have been done in the 21st century because computers were a very important part of the whole design process. While they both integrate the design with the landscape, they are not only vastly different buildings, but also very different experiences. But they still have the same concerns about the environment; how we live in and relate to nature.” 

The House, directed by the Crawford House’s current owner Gregg Goggin, reunited Donaldson with the dwelling’s chief architect, Thom Mayne of Morphosis, the 2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize winner and Donaldson’s early mentor. The film covers not only the home, but also the two architects’ careers following their work on what is still one of the world’s most widely studied pieces of residential architecture. This is Not a House, directed by Morgan Neville (Oscar winner for 20 Feet from Stardom) with additional footage by Bruce Heavin – the festival’s co-curator with A&L’s Caitlin O’Hara – is a more lighthearted look at Hill House, the people involved, and the celebration of play.

“The Hill House is an amazing achievement that I’m very proud to be a part of, and the Crawford House is one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. Somehow I’m the consistent element between the two films,” Donaldson said. “It’s pretty cringey to see yourself up on a big screen but it’s exciting to have people experience the continuity, and that trajectory that Thom and I took in our careers.”

Donaldson said the questions confronted in Crawford – What should a house in that environment look like? How does it relate to the movement of the sun, the seasons, the views? How does the topography interact with the house, the language of the architecture, and how can it stretch beyond the language that we’re accustomed to? – we’re all a part of the Hill House design, as well – but the newer structure went further. 

“It’s not just how architectural homes can respond to the environment in unique ways and creative ways, but also about their being resilient; able to last for a very long time in the face of natural disasters that are a part of life in Montecito.” 

This is not a House also features a soundtrack by Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, who composed the music in the house in real time on devices of his own creation using a MIDI interface that triggers them. “We’re talking like duck doorbells and birds and all kinds of fascinating sounds. I was there when they filmed it, and it was amazing.” 

Donaldson will be joined by Heavin, Neville and the moderator, UCSB AD&A Museum curator Silvia Perea, for the panel discussion that should illuminate issues that arise in the documentaries for a deeper dive. 

Meanwhile, Donaldson is working on a project for Google involving their research campus for quantum AI, as well as designing houses that he called “cousins of the Hill House.” “My work there has taken me in a lot of directions in terms of my thinking. There are a lot of aspects of the house that can be further explored.” 

Exploring how we interact with architecture is what he hopes people take away from the festival, with a greater understanding of how it affects our lives. 

“We’re in architecture for most of our time,” he said. “We need to pay a lot more attention to our built environment… The films are a great way to show what architecture can be. They can open people’s minds to new possibilities for architectural expression, and just creativity and using your imagination. Your environment can be a source of great inspiration. That’s the power of architecture.”

For a full schedule, details about each of the films, and tickets to the Art | Architecture on Film series, visit https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

Further Focus on Film: 

Direct Relief presents a free screening of Queen of Katwe, the 2016 Disney bio-sports drama about Phiona Mutesi, a girl living in a slum in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Phiona’s world changes when she meets Robert Katende, who teaches children to play chess at a local center. The April 30 screening at SBIFF’s Film Center will be followed by a Q&A session with Katende, who will share insights into his journey of empowering vulnerable youth in Uganda through sports, education and healthcare initiatives with his organization, Sports Outreach. 

Reserve tickets at www.eventbrite.com/e/direct-relief-free-community-screening-of-disneys-queen-of-katwe-tickets-1312052677879

SBIFF’s Riviera Theatre has a Cinema Society screening of the action-thriller sequel The Accountant 2, which stars Ben Affleck among others, followed by a Q&A with director Gavin O’Connor, on April 27, two days after the film opens in theaters. Visit www.sbiff.org.