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Laughlin House Documentation
Incline Village, NV
Mesa Technical
Mesa Technical, working with Foothill Resources, completed a HABS-like documentation of the Laughlin House, a 5300 sq. ft. Japanese-American style beachfront “cottage” on Lake Tahoe’s east shore. This large, U shaped residence by architect James Morton, situated on a double lot, has two traditional Japanese gardens and a wide, tiered wooden deck overlooking the lake and the surrounding snowy mountains. The exterior is a good example of Japanese style architecture, probably unique in Nevada, and rare in California. Curved roof beams, pagoda style chimneys, and window walls with lake and garden views (in lieu of sliding panels) emphasize a unity with nature. The interior, however, is much more in the style of the American mid century modern dream, featuring a sunken, “conversation pit” living room, a rustic hunting lodge stone fireplace, a pseudo-Italian kitchen reminiscent of a 1960’s suburban home magazine, a double hot tub spa, and a stainless steel ice cream bar in the game room/gun room. The Laughlin House has maintained its integrity of design and setting through more than fifty years of harsh mountain climate, a spectacular residence in a spectacular setting.
Foothill Resources researched and wrote the history and architectural history component of the report. Mesa Techincal obtained 31 large-format views of the landscape setting, exterior, and interior of the house, wrote the “Index to Photographs,” obtained measurements for the creation of floor plans, and printed two sets of HABS-like archival fiber contact prints for the photographic component of the report. This work is curated at the UNR (University of Nevada, Reno) Library, Lake Tahoe special collection, and at the North Lake Tahoe Gateway Museum.
David G. De Vries, Mesa Technical, Berkeley CA
HABS photography, archival wet darkroom printing
Judith Marvin, Foothill Resources Ltd., Murphys CA
HABS history & architectural history