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Set on a sloping two-acre lot in the Brentwood Hills, the Schubert House contained an original ranch house dating from 1953 set below a garage/art studio higher on the hill. A separate motor court led to the house, while the upper garage/studio had its own entry bridge and access to Tigertail Road. The extent to which the owners showcased and lived with their car took Los Angeles auto culture to a whole new level.

Homeowners Holger and Yuriko Schubert razed an existing three-car garage to make room for a new garage/at-home design studio. This residence's 1,200-square-foot studio/garage won Maserati/Architectural Digest's "Design Driven" contest in the category of "Existing Garage." (Although the contest was sponsored by Maserati, the owners used the space to house Holger's beloved Ferrari 512 BBi.) The couple spent $1.5 million to enable them to drive their appreciating exotic car directly from Tigertail Road, across a newly constructed 10-foot-long, 15-foot-high bridge, past a sliding glass garage door, into a minimal rectangular space with extensive glazing on three sides. The Ferrari occupied one end of the at-home office/design studio, shown, like a sculpture, in stark contrast before a white, stucco wall. The space also contained a couch, portable flatscreen, small kitchen, bathroom and library. Holger Schubert described the car as a work of art and wanted to admire it along with other artworks in his house. According to the Los Angeles Times: "Neighbors complained about the bridge, alleging that the city erroneously approved its construction to create both a safety hazard and a development precedent that could degrade hillside neighborhoods throughout the city." (See "Ferrari owner's dream garage grinds neighbors' gears,"Accessed 12/18/2013.) They brought the bridge issue before the City of Los Angeles's West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission in 2010. According to this article, it took the Schuberts about five years to finish their remodeling (lasting from c. 2005-2010), and this extended building process irritated neighbors on the quiet, Brentwood Hills street. In 2013, the City of Los Angeles allowed the garage/studio to remain.

PCAD id: 18927