Smith and Williams
| Company type | Architectural firm |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Founder | Whitney R. Smith, Wayne Richard Williams |
| Defunct | 1973 |
| Headquarters | South Pasadena, California , United States |
| Products | Modernist and Googie architectural designs, community planning |
Smith and Williams was an architectural practice located in South Pasadena, California, established in 1949. The firm gained recognition for its work in Modernist and Googie architectural styles. Their expertise encompassed both individual buildings and the planning of entire communities, with operations continuing until 1973.
Architectural historian Robert Winter acknowledged them as authorities in residential architecture.
History
The partnership between Whitney R. Smith and Wayne Richard Williams commenced in 1946. Smith exited the company in 1973.
Smith
Whitney Rowland Smith (1911–2002) received his education at Pasadena City College and the University of Southern California around 1934. Prior to teaching architecture at USC circa 1945, he gained experience working with Harwell Hamilton Harris and William Pereira. Smith was involved in designing four Case Study Houses, of which two were constructed.
Williams
Wayne Richard Williams (1919–2007), a Los Angeles native, pursued architectural studies at USC before his World War II service, during which he designed military structures. He completed his bachelor's degree in 1947, collaborated with Smith at USC, and subsequently co-founded their firm. Later, Williams became affiliated with Giuseppe Cecchi's International Developers Inc., was honored as an AIA fellow in 1964, and served as a faculty member at UC Berkeley in 1970.
Notable projects
- Mutual Housing Tract in Brentwood: collaboration with A. Quincy Jones, Edgardo Contini, and James Charlton resulted in designs for 500 custom residences; 82 were realized.
- Friend Paper Company facility, Pasadena (1965)
- Smith and Williams office building at 1414 Fair Oaks, South Pasadena
- Mobil gas station on Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim (1956), exemplifying Googie architecture
- Full Moon Tea House at Descanso Gardens (1966), distinguished by blue glazed tile roofing imported from Nara, Japan
- Blue Ribbon Tract Housing located in Reseda, Los Angeles (1953)
- Dorr-Siegel-Click-Hurley Medical Building (1964), notable for its circular form serving psychiatric purposes
- Microdot company headquarters in South Pasadena
- Palmitas and Cedritos dormitories at Cal Poly Pomona
- Buena Park City Hall
- Neighborhood Church (Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church) in Pasadena
- Thatcher Music Building at Pomona College
Master-planned community projects:
- Mission Bay Park in San Diego
- California City: a joint design effort with Garrett Eckbo; partially realized with elements visible in the Pavilion and Community Church
- Newport Dunes development for Irvine Company (not constructed)
- Port Holiday community near Lake Mead for J. Carlton Adair (unbuilt)
External links
- Design companies established in 1949
- Architecture firms based in California
- Design companies disestablished in 1973
- South Pasadena, California
- American companies established in 1949
- American companies disestablished in 1973
- Companies based in Los Angeles County, California
- 1949 establishments in California