NPS Number: 05000597

Description:
The Havens house sits on a steep slope on Berkeley’s Panoramic Hill with views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges, San Francisco, and the Pacific Ocean. It was designed by southern California modernist Harwell Hamilton Harris and consists of two volumes separated by a sunken court and linked by a bridge. The eastern volume, consisting of the entry, carport, and maid’s quarters, is anchored to the slope and connects to the street. The western volume is comprised of three inverted triangular trusses (or gables) stacked vertically which support the house’s flat roof, main floor, and lower floor. Upon its completion in 1941, two radical innovations distinguished the Havens house – detachment from the hillside and its inverted gables. The house was listed at the State level of significance under Criterion C in the area of architecture as an excellent example of California modernism and as the work of master architect Harwell Hamilton Harris. The significance of both house and architect is widely acknowledged by scholars.

Registration Date: 6/11/2008

Location:
Berkeley
County: Alameda

Directions:
255 Panoramic Way

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