Neutra VDL House

What Neutra VDL House does

Neutra VDL Studio and Residences is a 501(c)(3) non-profit house museum operating from a single National Historic Landmark property at 2300 Silver Lake Boulevard in Los Angeles, stewarded by Cal Poly Pomona's College of Environmental Design and Department of Architecture. Originally built in 1932 by Viennese-American architect Richard Neutra and rebuilt as VDL II in 1965–66 after a 1963 fire, the property comprises the Main House, Garden House (1939–40), and surrounding gardens, and is the only Neutra house regularly open to the public. The organization offers docent-led architectural tours on Saturdays from 11am–3pm, a virtual tour for remote visitors, cultural programs including exhibitions and artist residencies, venue rental for photo/video shoots and cultural events (not private parties), and administers the annual Richard Neutra Medal for Professional Excellence.

Revenue is generated through a combination of tour admissions, venue rentals (handled through Meyler & Co for commercial shoots and directly with the VDL Director for cultural events), sales of Julius Shulman archival prints, and donations and grants processed via the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation. The institution has secured grants from the Getty Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Graham Foundation, and Friends of Heritage Preservation, and has raised more than $350,000 since 2008 for restoration projects supported by pro-bono services from Marmol Radziner and in-kind donations from manufacturers including Knoll, Louis Poulsen, VS America, Forbo Flooring, Coverall Industries, and Zurn. Tour scheduling is managed through Acuity/Squarespace Scheduling, and visitor outreach is conducted via the organization website, Instagram (@vdlhouse), Facebook, and a Constant Contact newsletter.

Name

Neutra VDL House

Legal name

Neutra VDL Studio and Residences

Website

https://neutra-vdl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Neutra VDL Studio & Residences is a non-profit National Historic Landmark house museum in Los Angeles, stewarded by Cal Poly Pomona, offering architectural tours, exhibitions, artist residencies, and cultural events at the former Richard Neutra residence in Silver Lake.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage / House Museum Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Home Renovation & Preservation (HSAPAEAG)

Keywords

• House museum tours
• Modernist architecture preservation
• Cultural arts programming
• Artist residency programs
• Historic venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tour Admissions: Revenue from Saturday architectural tours led by Cal Poly Pomona students and volunteers.
2. Venue Rental - Photo/Video Shoots: The house is available for photo and video shoots through location firm Meyler & Co. All proceeds support restoration efforts. Not available for private parties or weddings.
3. Venue Rental - Cultural Events: The house hosts cultural and public arts events. Joint events with curators and artists are arranged through the VDL Director.
4. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting one-time gifts, multi-year pledges, annual contributions, trusts, estate gifts, funded by cash, credit, stocks, insurance, annuities or appreciated assets. Received grants from Friends of Heritage Preservation ($50,000), National Trust for Historic Preservation ($10,000).
5. Print Sales: Sale of Julius Shulman prints showing Richard Neutra on the roof of VDL supports restoration efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Neutra VDL Studio and Residences is a National Historic Landmark house museum at 2300 Silver Lake Boulevard, Los Angeles, operating docent-led architectural tours, contemporary art and architecture exhibitions, an artist-in-residence program, venue rentals for photo/video shoots and cultural events, and the Richard Neutra Medal award under the stewardship of Cal Poly Pomona's College of Environmental Design. Earned revenue from admissions, venue rental, and print sales supports building restoration, with the remainder funded through donations, grants, and material sponsorships.

Product overview

The Neutra VDL Studio and Residences is a National Historic Landmark and house museum offering architectural tours (in-person and virtual), cultural programs including exhibitions, installations, performances, and workshops, venue rental for photo/video shoots and cultural events, and an artist-in-residence program. The site also administers the Richard Neutra Medal for Professional Excellence award. The property, originally built in 1932 by Richard Neutra and rebuilt after a 1963 fire, is stewarded by Cal Poly Pomona's College of Environmental Design and serves as a community resource for education, architecture, art, and culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Tours Docent-led Saturday tours of the National Historic Landmark Neutra VDL Studio and Residences, conducted by Cal Poly Pomona architecture students at 2300 Silver Lake Boulevard, Los Angeles, between 11am and 3pm. Open to the general public and booked through Acuity Scheduling.
• Virtual Tour Online virtual tour of the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences providing remote visitors with access to the architectural landmark and its interiors.
• Cultural Programs and Exhibitions Ongoing exhibitions, installations, performances, workshops, and lectures hosted at the VDL House, featuring contemporary artists, architects, and designers (such as Leonor Antunes, Erik Benjamins, Lanza Atelier, Max Núñez, BLESS, Fernanda Canales, and Kaylee Gibson) responding to the modernist architecture.
• Artist-in-Residence Program Residency program inviting contemporary artists, architects, and designers to live and work at the VDL House, producing site-specific installations and engaging with the architectural space as part of the cultural programming.
• Venue Rental for Photo and Video Shoots Rental of the VDL House as a location for film and photography shoots, managed exclusively through the Meyler & Company location firm with all proceeds directed to building restoration. Weddings and private parties are not permitted.
• Cultural and Public Arts Event Hosting Joint cultural or public arts events hosted at the VDL House, coordinated directly through the VDL Director (Saba Salekfard) with negotiated terms and conditions; weddings and private events are excluded.
• Richard Neutra Medal for Professional Excellence Annual award administered by Cal Poly Pomona since 1985 recognizing architects and individuals who have made significant contributions to architecture in research and design, honoring Richard Neutra's legacy. Recipients include Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, and Renzo Piano.
• Historic Houses Guide Visitor-facing guide to architecturally significant historic homes in Los Angeles including the Neutra VDL House, Schindler House, Gamble House, Hollyhock House, Eames House, and the Dion Neutra Reunion House.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ visitors attended single exhibition opening
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cal Poly Pomona UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990In 1990, the Neutra VDL House was bequeathed by the Neutra family to Cal Poly Pomona University. The College of Environmental Design and Department of Architecture provide stewardship. Students serve as tour docents and participate in restoration projects as learning opportunities.
• Marmol RadzinercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPro-bono architectural services for Garden House and VDL II roof restoration projects.
• Meyler & CocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocation firm handling photo and video shoot bookings at the VDL House. All proceeds support restoration.
• Louis PoulsenminorOthersDonated lighting fixtures installed throughout VDL II and Garden House.
• KnollminorOthersDonated ground floor finishing materials for VDL II.
• VS AmericaminorOthersDonated Neutra furniture pieces for VDL II.
• Forbo FlooringminorOthersProvided linoleum tile flooring for Garden House.
• Coverall IndustriesminorOthersProvided carpets at VDL II.
• ZurnminorOthersProvided roof drains for VDL II and Garden House.
• Iconic HousesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork connecting significant architect houses worldwide for preservation and education.
• DocomomominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational committee for documentation and conservation of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods of the Modern Movement.
• The Neutra Institute for Survival Through DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization dedicated to continuing Richard Neutra's legacy and mission of design for human survival and well-being.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hollyhock House (Barnsdall Art Park): Frank Lloyd Wright house museum within Barnsdall Art Park in Los Angeles, providing guided tours, exhibitions, and event venue use from a National Historic Landmark single-family residence.
• MAK Center for Art and Architecture (Schindler House): Operates the Schindler House (1922), another Los Angeles modernist house museum offering public tours, residencies, and art/architecture exhibitions on Saturdays, run by a nonprofit under a university-adjacent model.
• A+D Architecture and Design Museum (Los Angeles): LA-based museum dedicated to architecture and design with rotating exhibitions, talks, and programming — overlaps with VDL's cultural programming and architectural audience.
• The Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design: Mission-driven nonprofit advancing Richard Neutra's design legacy, steward of the Dion Neutra Reunion House apartments, and direct partner/peer in preserving and programming Neutra-family properties.
• Gamble House: Pasadena-based Greene & Greene house museum offering docent-led tours and curated programming at a National Historic Landmark, a near-perfect architectural-heritage peer with comparable ticketed tour and donor model.
• Eames Foundation (Eames House / Case Study House #8): Stewards the Eames House, a modernist architectural landmark in Pacific Palisades offering limited public access, preservation programming, and educational engagement with mid-century design — directly comparable to VDL's model.

Emerging players

• Wende Museum: LA-area cultural institution that preserves and interprets Cold War-era heritage through exhibitions, education and collection tours — comparable as a small specialized heritage museum leveraging site visits and ticketed programming.

Broad incumbents

• The Broad: Downtown LA contemporary art museum with ticketed exhibitions and architectural signature building; comparable as a single-site cultural draw on the LA museum landscape, though significantly larger and broader in scope.
• The Getty Center / Getty Research Institute: Major LA art institution with broader scope but materially overlapping interest — Getty Research Institute houses the Julius Shulman archive referenced by VDL, has funded Neutra programming, and serves overlapping architecture/art audiences.
• MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles): LA-based contemporary art institution with rotating shows, public programming and ticketed access — overlaps with VDL's arts audience and venue model, though at far larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/neutraVDL
• Instagraminstagram.com/vdlhouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neutra-vdl-house

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Neutra VDL House