09/13/2026
THE MAYBECK STUDIO.
After the Maybeck family’s home on Buena Vista Way burned in the 1923 Berkeley Fire, architect Bernard Maybeck decided to build an experimental one-room house on an existing concrete slab.
Two ideas had been percolating in Maybeck’s mind during 1923. First, he was passionate about creating a well-built, well-designed one-room house that any working family could afford. Sunset magazine even published an article about these ideas of Maybeck in the July 1923 issue. Secondly, later that summer, Maybeck and an inventor friend John Rice experimented at the Glen Alpine resort building a cabin constructed of Rice’s patented Bubblestone, an aerated mixture of cement and certain chemicals that created a light-weight concrete, in which air bubbles took the place of the normal rough aggregate.
In March of 1924, John Rice worked with Maybeck on realizing an innovative application of the material. His son, Richard, later wrote, “Seeking a low-cost method of making wood frame houses fire- resistant, Maybeck invented a simple technique of dipping burlap sacks in Bubblestone, and applying them, shingle fashion, as roof finish and exterior wall sheathing. No skilled labor was required, and the freshly dipped sacks could easily be trimmed and molded to fit.” The result was a unique finish with a handcrafted look: the sacks were not hung perfectly evenly and the drips of wet concrete were left to dry, adding extra texture to the surface.
Every fifty years or so, the surface needs attention (cracks filled, etc.) and repainting. That has just happened for the second time. These views were taken today at sunset, which instensified the color.
Commentary and photos: Anthony Bruce, 2026
