Club James | Conner & Perry Architects

As one of Los Angeles’s most famous mid-century homes, the Sheats-Goldstein Residence is nearly as iconic as the Hollywood sign itself, having been featured countless times in film, television, fashion, and music videos, and widely revered in architecture and design circles. With a long and complex construction history that initially began in 1962 between John Lautner and the Sheats family, and later with Lautner and current owner James Goldstein, the famed Beverly Hills enclave has been expanded upon and enhanced numerous times throughout the last seven decades in collaboration with three different architectural teams. Kristopher Conner and James Perry, of Conner + Perry Architects, have collaborated with Goldstein on the design and have overseen subsequent additions since 2015. Prior to that, the duo worked as Project Architects with Duncan Nicholson, Lautner’s apprentice and associate, who continued work at the property following Lautner’s death in 1994.

The newest work on the property, Club James, is located adjacent to the original residence. It was determined, due to the intensive nature of construction required for the planned hillside tennis court, that the office and a new entertainment space should be located beneath the new structure.

While Lautner’s original master plan can still be seen in the wood and cardboard model hanging in the house today, the current design for Club James was initially a collaboration between Goldstein and Nicholson, and later Conner + Perry Architects. Construction first started in the early 2000’s and, as the project continued, the program expanded and evolved to include an entertainment space, VIP room/library, offices for Goldstein and his assistants, a movie screening room, an outdoor terrace with dining and kitchen facilities, and a pool and spa. The current team's latest design for the outdoor terrace, which includes the main stair, restroom, kitchen and BBQ zones, dining tables, locker room, and pool, was completed in 2023.

“The most rewarding aspect of this project is working with a client and patron like Jim who enjoys the process as much as the outcome and has the perseverance to pursue an architecture that will stand the test of time,” notes James Perry.

“It was a huge responsibility and an honor to take over the reins of this project and to be included in the lineage of amazing designers involved in the development and expansion of the property over the decades." adds Kristopher Conner. "It is a delicate balance to preserve and respect the genius of the original residence while developing designs that are in dialogue with it. We look at our work as an evolution of the visual language established by Lautner. The DNA of the house is there, but the expression is adapted to the environment and functions of the new spaces.” 

Sheats-Goldstein Estate Design + Development Timeline 

1962 – 1963, JOHN LAUTNER: Paul and Helen Sheats commission and complete construction of the original Sheats Residence with John Lautner for their family of 5.

1972: James Goldstein purchases the property.

1979 – 1994, JOHN LAUTNER: Goldstein hires Lautner to revisit the house and begin a series of renovations that they would term “perfecting” the house; to bring the construction more in line with Lautner’s original vision for the architecture and to collaborate on new improvements with Goldstein.

1994 – 2015, DUNCAN NICHOLSON: John Lautner’s associate, Duncan Nicholson, forms Nicholson Architects and continues to evolve the designs in conjunction with James Goldstein, overseeing the completion of the Nightclub, Offices, and Tennis Court portions of the project, as well as completing the James Turrell Skyspace “Above Horizon”.

2015 And Beyond, CONNER + PERRY ARCHITECTS: Architects Kristopher Conner and James Perry, who had been working on the Goldstein property under Nicholson since 2007, found their eponymous firm Conner + Perry Architects, and take the reigns as the architects of record for the property. The firm’s future work will include the next phases of development at the estate, including a theater and a guest house. In 2016, James Goldstein bequeathed the entire property, as well as his extensive fashion and art collections, to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Architect (Current): Conner + Perry Architects

Architect (Past): Nicholson Architects

Architect (Original): Lautner Associates

Photography: Joe Fletcher