Ray Kappe’s Strimling House: Living Among the Trees in Encino
Wood, glass and a wooded setting define the Strimling House at 17269 Oak View Drive in Encino. Identified in the Redfin property description as a 1964 Ray Kappe design, the residence pairs post-and-beam construction with cantilevered forms and floor-to-ceiling glazing.
The relationship between house and landscape is the draw here. The listing describes a treehouse-like experience, with terraces extending the living spaces toward the surrounding greenery. It is an invitation to look beyond individual rooms and consider how the architecture brings the grounds into everyday life.
Redfin records four bedrooms, four bathrooms and 4,018 square feet on 0.8 acres. An office, media area, two fireplaces and a lagoon-style pool round out the property. A gated drive leads to a motor court. Property details
The live listing offers the home for $4,495,000, under MLS #26993807. Browse the property photographs and current listing for a closer look at this wooded corner of Encino’s architectural landscape.
According to the Redfin property history, the home last changed hands on May 3, 2017, for $3.2 million. It was later listed for rent on January 10, 2025, at $29,500 per month. This was the advertised rent, not a confirmed lease amount.
A brief history of Ray Kappe
Ray Kappe (1927–2019) was a California modernist architect and educator. Born in Minneapolis, he graduated from UC Berkeley’s architecture program in 1951 and opened his own practice in 1954. His residential work became an important part of Southern California’s modern architectural legacy; his own home later received Los Angeles landmark designation.
Kappe also helped reshape architectural education. After teaching at USC, he became the founding chairman of Cal Poly Pomona’s architecture program in 1968. In 1972, he joined Shelly Kappe, Thom Mayne and other educators in establishing the experimental school that became the Southern California Institute of Architecture, or SCI-Arc. He led the school for 15 years and continued exploring sustainable, prefabricated housing later in his career. Read SCI-Arc’s account of Kappe’s life and work.
Ray Kappe in the SFV Blog archives
This is a return visit to the Strimling House: SFV Blog covered the same property in The Strimling Residence by Ray Kappe in Encino Is Available As A Pocket Listing in 2013.
For more of Kappe’s work, explore the blog’s coverage of the Fredonia Apartments in Studio City:
- Ray Kappe-Designed Studio City Condo Asks $565,250 — 2026 coverage of Unit 2.
- Fredonia Apartment #6 by Ray Kappe in Studio City Hits the Market — 2014.
- Fredonia Apartment #9 by Ray Kappe in Studio City Sells — 2013.
Browse more distinctive homes and local development stories on the SFV Real Estate page.
Strimling House Listing Photo Gallery
Listing photographs via TheMLS / Redfin. Click any photo to open the gallery, then use Previous / Next or the arrow keys. Press Escape to close.
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