Ray Kappe facts for kids

Ray Kappe (born August 4, 1927 – died November 21, 2019) was an important American architect and teacher. An architect is someone who designs buildings. A teacher helps people learn.

In 1972, Ray Kappe left his job as the first head of the architecture department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. With other teachers, students, and his wife, Shelly Kappe, he started a new school. This school later became known as the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc).

Later in his life, Kappe started working with a company called LivingHomes in 2003. He helped them design special homes called "modular homes." He was very interested in making buildings that were good for the environment. This is called "sustainability." He also liked the idea of building parts of homes in a factory, which is called "prefabrication."

Ray Kappe's Early Life and Education

Ray Kappe was born in Minneapolis on August 4, 1927. His parents had moved to the United States from Romania. He grew up and went to high school in Los Angeles.

In 1945, he studied at UCLA for a short time. Then, he joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In the army, he taught others how to survey land. Surveying is like mapping out an area.

Becoming an Architect

After leaving the army, Kappe went to the University of California, Berkeley. He earned a special degree in architecture in 1951. In 1954, he started his own architecture business.

Later, he joined with other architects to form different companies. In 1985, he started his own company again, called Kappe Architects Planners. He designed many buildings during his career.

Ray Kappe passed away on November 21, 2019. He died because of problems with his breathing.

Ray Kappe's Legacy

Ray Kappe left behind many important works. All his drawings, models, and papers are kept at the Getty Research Institute. This collection shows his long and interesting career. It helps people study his work.

In 2021, a famous actor named Will Arnett sold a house in Beverly Hills. This house was designed based on one of Ray Kappe's ideas. It sold for a lot of money, showing how special his designs were.