Stevens House
Why it's listed
This oceanfront house in the gated Malibu Colony was designed by architect John Lautner and completed in 1968. It occupies nearly the full width of a lot only 37.5 feet wide and 110 feet long, with the front facing the mountains and the back facing the sea. Reinforced board-formed concrete makes up the structure, and the roof consists of two offset half-catenary concrete shells that Lautner said "goes with the waves." Inside, five levels hold five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a painting studio, a playroom and a lap pool tucked beneath the curved roof. Large glass walls give views to both ocean and mountains. Lautner also designed details such as doorknobs, built-in furniture and cabinetry. Later changes, including a basement exercise room and a terraced rear deck, were mostly kept to secondary spaces. The house is recognized as a work by one of Southern California's most important twentieth-century architects, and as an inventive answer to a difficult narrow site.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a significant work of John Lautner, one of Southern California's most important twentieth-century architects. Its design solved the problem of a very narrow lot with two offset half-catenary concrete shells that echo ocean waves and fit five bedrooms, a studio and a pool. The form shows his approach of linking people, buildings and the surrounding environment.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 09000802, listed October 9, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 23524 Malibu Colony Rd., Malibu |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | October 9, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000802 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John Lautner (architect) |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single-family dwelling; alterations are described as limited to secondary spaces with little impact on integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.03181, -118.68700 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 09000802.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q123419325
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.