62 DIGS.NET
| 6.17.2022
S W E E T D I G S | 6 1 1 0 V I A S U B I D A
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O RISE, ASCEND OR CLIMB—that's the Spanish subida
translated to English, and it's a fitting name for the
quiet, tree-shaded street that winds above Palos
Verdes Drive East in Rancho Palos Verdes. Tucked
away in privacy, at the end of a long driveway, is
a bona fide Modernist estate at 6110 Via Subida. Approxi-
mately 6,646 square feet in size, the generously sized residence
is faithfully designed in the Modernist tradition that aimed
for elevated living on two important fronts: In the pragmatic
sense—such as serving inhabitants by making them feel more
productive and peaceful—and the aesthetic; namely, uniting
them with their natural surroundings.
Nearly 50 years after its mid-1970s completion the 6-bedroom,
7-bathroom house remains a vision of Midcentury purity with
its airy spaces, broad expanses of glass and endlessly lush hill-
side views. A clue to the home's design can perhaps be found in
the career of the homeowner who most recently lived there—a
Big Five automobile executive and engineer who had much to
do with energizing the auto industry during its golden postwar
epoch, and for decades after. (He also, no doubt, appreciated
the dedicated elevator that whisks you to the multi-car garage.)
The property's two-plus acres have been made the most of via a
cleancut home design that's poised over a free-range panorama
of California coastline. "The property is almost 90,000 square
feet," real estate agent Chris Adlam points out. "It consists of
three separate, individual parcels." This spans a painter's canvas
of mountain ranges, green hills and a sparkling city skyline—plus
the endless blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, energized by the
harbor's flow of boats coasting in and out of San Pedro Bay. Life
at this property consists of days spent in and out of the home:
playing tennis on the full-size court or relaxing on the sprawling
pool deck, where you can slide into the pool or warm circular spa.
