This Bauhaus-inspired residence in Berkeley lists at $1.4M
This bauhausinspired residence Berkeley rarely sees on the open market is listed for $1.4 million—only the second time ever. Built in the 1950s for pioneering UC Berkeley physicist Arthur Frederic Kip, the Kip House pairs Bauhaus modernism with a legacy tied to semiconductor research.
A pioneering physicist deserves a pioneering property—and Arthur Frederic Kip got exactly that when he commissioned a young architect to build his Berkeley home in the 1950s. The UC Berkeley physics professor is best known for conducting foundational research on semiconductors, helping lay the groundwork for the computers, smartphones, and electronic devices we rely on today.
Key Takeaways
- The Kip House, a largely original Bauhaus-inspired Berkeley residence, is listed at $1.4 million through Anna Bellomo at District Homes.
- Architect Donald Olsen—trained under Walter Gropius at Harvard—designed the split-level home as one of his earliest independent commissions.
- The property changed hands only once since the Kips sold in 2013, when California lawyer Susie Injijian purchased it.
- Original details remain intact across three bedrooms, a turquoise-tiled kitchen, and walls of glass flooding the interior with natural light.
Who Was Arthur Frederic Kip?
Early in his tenure at UC Berkeley, Kip commissioned Donald Olsen to build a home for him and his wife. It was one of Olsen's earliest independent commissions, before he became one of the most influential modernist architects in Northern California.
Kip's semiconductor research proved foundational to modern electronics. That scientific legacy now shares the spotlight with an architectural one—a home that has endured for more than 70 years with remarkably little alteration.
Why Does Donald Olsen's Design Still Matter?
Olsen trained under Walter Gropius at Harvard's Graduate School of Design and drew inspiration from European International Style Modernism, referencing Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. The result is a Bauhaus-inspired structure defined by simplicity and functionality that feels just as suited to today as it did in the 1950s.
Sitting on a sloped site, the residence flows among subtly shifting levels. The turquoise-tiled kitchen and dining area—with a pass-through separating the two—sit flush with the entryway, while a short set of stairs leads to a raised living room and study. A small balcony outlined in red nods to the primary colors used in Le Corbusier's work, with similar pops of blue on the front door and back deck.
What Makes This Listing So Rare?
The Kips owned the property until 2013, when Injijian bought it. While much of the abode remains true to its original form, she updated the two bathrooms—replacing linoleum in the baby-blue main-floor bathroom with penny travertine. She also collaborated with architectural historian Pierluigi Serraino to document the home and its architectural legacy.
Two of the home's three bedrooms are on the lower level. One runs the length of the property and includes a sitting area spilling out to the backyard, while the primary suite features a punchy red-orange workspace opposite the bed. For collectors of luxury real estate and dream homes, the listing represents a rare chance to own a documented piece of Northern California modernism.
What Does the Kip House Look Like Today?
Walls of glass bring natural light to every corner of the split-level home. More than 70 years later, the house remains an enduring testament to the meeting of two pioneering minds: a physicist who helped unlock the digital age and an architect who would go on to become one of Northern California's most influential modernists.