Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
developing a deep respect for the natural world.As Los Angeles grew, Hertz
witnessed the impact of development: “I watched nature being overrun by
urban sprawl, or by pollution and effluents from the city, and so I began to
be involved with grass roots environmental organizations that fought to
protect it.” Care for the environment became a part of his philosophy.
While a teenager, Hertz had the opportunity to meet a disciple of Frank
Lloyd Wright, the renowned California architect John Lautner, after watch-
ing a house by Lautner being constructed in his neighborhood.The clients,
sensing Hertz's fascination with the building, invited him to lunch with the
architect.“I had never been so impressed with anyone's work before,” Hertz
remembers.“Lautner, I think, was open to my enthusiasm, due to my youth.
He told me that Frank Lloyd Wright liked to hire young people before they
were spoiled by too much education about what architecture was supposed
to be.” Hertz began working for Lautner on a voluntary basis and later
became a paid apprentice.
Lautner, who died in 1994, was known for designing houses with open,
soaring spaces. He often used concrete because of its sculptural quality.
Lautner emphasized the importance of a single, unifying concept as a basis
for architectural design. “Working in his small office was indeed a privi-
lege,” Hertz says, “and an amazing opportunity to work closely with a
genius.”
It was fine art, however, that interested Hertz most deeply. After high
school, he pursued this interest in a combined program of studies at the
UCLA Extension School and at Santa Monica College. But gradually his
focus shifted:
I'd always aspired to work as an artist, which means, from my perspective, a pure
expression of creativity applied to some form. At the same time I've always been
interested in the tactile and in creative problem solving. I entered into working
with my hands through the construction end, so I began also be fascinated with the
built environment and how it connects to the natural environment. I thought there
was a real need to reconcile those two in a responsible way.
Deciding to study architecture, he chose an institution that, although rel-
atively new, had already established a reputation for design innovation.The
Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), located in Los
Angeles, was not bound by tradition.“It doesn't really look toward the past
for its sources of inspiration,” Hertz says, “as much as allowing for creativ-
