GHS Presents “Lessons from Living at the Gamble House”


The Glendale Historical Society presents a talk on the importance of preserving Craftsman architecture, “Lessons from Living at the Gamble House,” on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Downtown Central Library Auditorium in Glendale.

For Carolina Chacon Allen, moving into the Gamble House in Pasadena as a young architecture student was both an honor and an intimidating experience. However, after living there for a year, it became home and she absorbed design lessons that would influence her career in architectural design. These lessons include carrying design inspiration from the architecture into aspects of interior design, guiding natural light, celebrating materials and connecting indoor spaces to the outdoors.

By sharing her experience living at one of Greene & Greene’s ultimate Craftsman homes, she hopes to explore the question: Can Craftsman architecture still be relevant today?

Allen received the Gamble House Scholar in Residence Fellowship during her fifth year at the USC School of Architecture from 1998-1999. Through her professional experience she has worked on a variety of adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects, including the Downtown Women’s Center and the Jonathan Club Natatorium.

As a result of growing up in North University Park, living at the Gamble House and being passionate about preserving architecture, she currently sits on the Historic Preservation Overlay Zone Board for Jefferson Park in the City of Los Angeles. Together with her husband, Allen finished restoring their bungalow home and has started the rehabilitation of another Craftsman gem.

The lecture is free and open to the public. No RSVP required.

Presented as part of The Glendale Historical Society’s “The Year of the Craftsman,” the event is co-sponsored by the City of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Dept.