Roger Lee

Roger Lun Yuen Lee, FAIA (February 19, 1920 – June 23, 1981) was an American modernist architect of Chinese descent, who designed more than 100 houses and other projects in Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii. Most of his work was done during the 1950s and 1960s, and mainly in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been referred to as an architect who "designed high style for the middle class", and is today considered one of "the forgotten mid-century modernist" architects. Lee was also one of the few Chinese American architects in the nation when he first received his license in 1947.He was regarded as one of the most brainy architect of his times because of his unconventional modernist way of designs.

Lee's residential designs were noted for their grace and clarity, often designed in a modern style with extensive use of walls of glass and redwood panels. In 1957 the London Architectural Review recognized him as one of forty U.S. architects who have "made personal contributions to American Architecture". Along with residences, he designed apartments, housing projects, recreational facilities, and churches. In 1964 he moved his practice to Hawaii.

He grew up with the ideals of European modernism, writes architecture author Dave Weinstein, "that architecture should be functional, unadorned and elegant and make a difference in the lives of everyday people". His mother was May Choy Chan born Napa, and his father was Yum Lee, born in China.

Career During 1941 and 1945, while the U.S. was engaged in World War II, he worked on designing U.S. Post Offices, and served as an assistant engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Honolulu, working on various defense projects. and Paffard Keatinge-Clay, both of whom had interned under Lee.

In 1963, Lee became the president of the AIA East Bay chapter, and was also named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects the same year. His houses are considered easy to identify, generally having a flat roof, inconspicuous front door and glass walls. The homes are usually long and low, have no decoration other than "lovely rhythms created by structural elements, ceiling beams and decking, and a strong Asian influence", notes landscape architect Ted Osmundson.

Lee's designs resembled the modern homes of Joseph Eichler, with post-and-beam construction, concrete slab foundations, radiant floor heating, and an "open" plan. Within a year after he opened his own firm in 1949 through the 1960s, Lee's homes were often written up in major architectural magazines. His name was often mentioned alongside other leading modern architects of the time, including Richard Neutra, and William Wurster, both of whom also worked in Northern California. Within a few years his designs were also described in popular home magazines including House and Garden, Sunset, and others. He won the Hawaii AIA Design Award for St. Stephens Catholic Church (1968) in Nuuanu.

Lee was a family man and was married to Rena Leong,

List of work

Roger Lee House (1948), 2145 McGee Street, Berkeley, California Dr. E. E. Fong Medical Building (1951), University Avenue, Berkeley, California George Channing House (1954), Berkeley, California William Wilkinson House (1956), Orinda, California Dr. Albert Newton House (c. 1957), Yreka, California 2305 Virginia Street (c. 1958), Berkeley, California Haste Park Apartments (1961), Berkeley, California Terrace West Apartments (1963–1964), 1725 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, California 2357 Aina Lani Place (1972), Honolulu, Hawaii 1710 Nalulu Place (1972), Honolulu, Hawaii The Anga Roa (1973), 1545 Nehoa Street, Honolulu, Hawaii Dr. Walter Chang Residence (c. 1974), Round Top Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii

Publications

Books A survey book of architects and design, included in this book are Roger Lee, Ernst A. Benkert, Berla & Abel, Harold J. Bissner, Jerome Robert Cerny, Fritz Craig, Gardner A. Daily, John N. Douglas, Gordon Drake, Philmer J. Ellerbroek, Boyd Georgi, Samuel Glaser, Raymond Viner Hall, Chalfant Head, Alber H. Hill, E. H. and M. K. Hunter, George F. and William Keck, Paul Kirk, Carl Koch, Herman H. Lackner, Joseph Marlow, F. J. McCarthy, Allen L. McGill, Mitchell & Ritchey, Claus R. Moberg, Philip Moore, Thomas J. Nolan and Sons, Gryffyf Partridge, George R. Paul, Ramey, Hines & Buchner, John R. Sproule, Hugh Stubbins Jr., Arthur C. Swab, Kenneth R. Swift, Paul Thiry, Royal Barry Wills, Wurster, Bernardi & Emmons, and Harold B. Zook.

Articles