Raphael Soriano
*1. 8. 1904, Řecko
†21. 7. 1988 – Claremont, USA
Biography
Raphael Simon Soriano was born into a Sephardic Jewish family on the Greek island of Rhodes. Before moving to the United States in 1924, he attended the Saint-Jean-Baptiste vocational school in France. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, he enrolled in the architecture school at the University of Southern California in 1929. He became a U.S. citizen in 1930. In 1931, he graduated alongside classmates Gergory Ain and Harwell Hamilton Harries from an internship at the Los Angeles studio of Richard Neutra. In 1934, he graduated from USC, completed a brief internship with Rudolf Schindler, and then returned to Neutra's office.
In 1936, he completed his first independent project, the Lipetz family house in Los Angeles, which was included in the International Architecture Exhibition in Paris in 1937. In addition to his private practice, he also taught at USC from the late 1930s to the mid-1940s.
In 1953, Soriano moved from Los Angeles to Tiburon. In 1955, he designed the first mass-produced steel house, built by developer Joseph Eichler. Soriano was a pioneer in the use of modular prefabricated steel and aluminum structures in residential and commercial design and construction. Of the fifty buildings completed by Soriano, only twelve have survived. The others succumbed to fires, earthquakes, and demolitions.
From 1970 until his death, Soriano dedicated himself to traveling, lectures, publishing, and research. In 1986, Soriano was honored with the AIA Medal for Outstanding Achievement and an award for Distinguished Alumni of USC.
Raphael Simon Soriano was born into a Sephardic Jewish family on the Greek island of Rhodes. Before moving to the United States in 1924, he attended the Saint-Jean-Baptiste vocational school in France. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, he enrolled in the architecture school at the University of Southern California in 1929. He became a U.S. citizen in 1930. In 1931, he graduated alongside classmates Gergory Ain and Harwell Hamilton Harries from an internship at the Los Angeles studio of Richard Neutra. In 1934, he graduated from USC, completed a brief internship with Rudolf Schindler, and then returned to Neutra's office.
In 1936, he completed his first independent project, the Lipetz family house in Los Angeles, which was included in the International Architecture Exhibition in Paris in 1937. In addition to his private practice, he also taught at USC from the late 1930s to the mid-1940s.
In 1953, Soriano moved from Los Angeles to Tiburon. In 1955, he designed the first mass-produced steel house, built by developer Joseph Eichler. Soriano was a pioneer in the use of modular prefabricated steel and aluminum structures in residential and commercial design and construction. Of the fifty buildings completed by Soriano, only twelve have survived. The others succumbed to fires, earthquakes, and demolitions.
From 1970 until his death, Soriano dedicated himself to traveling, lectures, publishing, and research. In 1986, Soriano was honored with the AIA Medal for Outstanding Achievement and an award for Distinguished Alumni of USC.
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