Harry Gesner's Latest Wave: 'Houses Of The Sundown Sea' (PHOTOS)

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HP: In that case, what's your current love? What are you working on now?

HG: The Keep House. It's a 10-acre lot on Mulholland Drive. It's completely private. You can't see any other homes, just the Boney Ridge above Mulholland. The house is a series of domes and a tower. The tower is the keep in a castle, the last defense of the castle and the king. It, and my other project, the Mushroom House, will be entirely self-sustaining -- off the grid and self-reliant.

HP: Sounds interesting. When will it be done?

HG: The plans for the Keep House are finishing up in the permit process right now and once it's approved, we will start construction.

HP: I've heard that you are somewhat unique in your construction techniques. For instance, you don't bring a bulldozer onto a site.

HG: That's absolutely correct. I don't defile nature. My designs incorporate my respect for the Earth and I would never use earthmoving machines or bulldozers. I like to use the contours and mountainsides as part of my design. I don't tear up the land for the house or bend nature to me; I bend to nature.

HP: You're not just an architect, you're an inventor. What else do you have up your sleeve?

HG: I am designing a motor for an electric car, a new generation of electric cars. I have a few patents in the realm of changing waste to ethanol -- fuel. Jack Northrup [the aircraft magnate] was my uncle and he took his inspiration from birds of flight. What better source of inspiration to create things that fly? My father and his father before him were both inventors, so this goes back for generations. They invented the repeating shotgun and the lead pencil.

HP: Can you tell us about Nan Martin, the love of your life and wife of 41 years?

HG: Nan was a Broadway and Hollywood star, quite famous and very accomplished, and I had long wanted to meet her. A friend invited me to an award ceremony here in Los Angeles where she was being honored. I sat there in total awe. She was riveting when she spoke. Afterward, we went to a post-awards party and I saw her standing at the other end of the room. I went charging across the dance floor and just grabbed her and kissed her. I said to her "I've been looking for you for the past 20 years." We danced a few dances and I delivered a very corny line. I told her "Let's get out of here. I have a lot of things to tell you." Much to my shock, she agreed.

We went to a coffee shop and for two hours talked -- mostly I talked -- and then I drove her in my 300 Mercedes SL convertible with the top down, over to this empty lot in Malibu. There was a full moon and it was a perfect night. I parked the car and pointed to the Cooper House and told her I had designed it and then I pointed to the next lot with nothing on it and said "If you marry me, I will design a home for you on this lot." She was silent and I took that to be a yes.

We were married 18 months later.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/27/harry-gesners-latest-wave_n_1363136.html

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