Ray Kappe

Kappe remained actively involved in architectural theory and practice in his later years, particularly in the areas of sustainability and the prefabrication of residences.

Ray Kappe studied at Emerson Middle School, University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Berkeley College of Environmental Design. Residence is recorded at Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Employment is recorded with California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and Southern California Institute of Architecture.

• Name — Ray Kappe • Born — August 4, 1927 • Birthplace — Minneapolis, Minnesota • Died — 21 November 2019 • Practice — Kappe Architects Planners • Significant Buildings — Benton House • Significant Projects — Southern California Institute of Architecture • Awards — Richard Neutra International Medal for Design Excellence, the California Council/AIA Bernard Maybeck Award for Design Excellence, the Topaz Medal

Kappe was born in Minneapolis on August 4, 1927, the son of Romanian immigrants. He attended high school in Los Angeles. He studied for a single semester at UCLA in 1945 before being drafted in into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he served as a topographical surveying instructor.

After his discharge Kappe attended the University of California, Berkeley, and earned a B.Arch. degree in 1951. He practiced architecture on his own starting in 1954, and then became one of the principals of Kahn Kappe Lotery Boccato in 1968. The firm changed names in 1978 to Kappe Lotery Boccato and in 1985, Kappe split off to form Kappe Architects Planners. Along with Thom Mayne and Shelly Kappe, he founded Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc for short). This institute promoted a more well-rounded, avant-garde, and progressive approach to architecture, something Kappe always advocated for. Kappe designed multiple houses in California and elsewhere, he put emphasis on making homes functional in their climate and site through use of technology and local materials. Kappe died from respiratory failure on November 21, 2019.

The Showtime series Californication features one of Kappe's projects, the Benton House, as a major plot point in Episode Seven, "Girls Interrupted." The interior of this house is also featured on the CBS series Shark and in the movie Cruel Intentions. Another of his projects made two brief appearances in the Sea Hunt episode, "Hit and Run," as the residence of the episode's villain. This house was also featured in the Home section of the Los Angeles Times, in an article titled, "A Boat, a Bay, and a Happy House." 'People Movers', taken from the unused plans for a 1970s Los Angeles redevelopment project, was used by Manchester band Shaking Hand as the cover artwork for their self-titled debut album, released on 16th January 2026 via Melodic.