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Raphael Soriano, an architect experienced in the design and construction of steel-frame houses, took advantage of steel's structural properties in his layout of this Belevedere house. He placed all supports on the side of the house and laid 40-foot, steel beams across, thereby avoiding the use of internal columns. These exceptional beams thickened in the middle and tapered at the supported ends. Soriano oriented the dwelling so that supports did not obscure the living room's panoramic eastern vista of San Francisco Bay. The length and attenuation of this house's steel beams was extraordinary for the time. The resulting interior openness was also revolutionary.This was an early house designed by Soriano, who learned steel frame design from Richard Neutra in Los Angeles, CA, after his move to Northern CA following a legal dispute. The lawsuit, brought by client David Noyes, blamed the architect for cost-overruns and resulted in the temporary suspension of his professional license.

In the "Custom Built" category, the Electri-living Home was cited as one of the seven best houses in the West by the American Institute of Architects and Sunset Magazine in 1957. The jury for this award program was an extraordinary collection of talent: George Pardee, a builder; Harwell H. Harris, architect and educator; Thomas D. Church, San Francisco landscape architect; Gardner Dailey, FAIA, San Francisco architect; Charles Eames, architect and designer; Carl Koch, Boston architect and Jury Chairman.

PCAD id: 15888