Unprotected modernist houses are at risk of demolition as land often holds greater value than architectural heritage, says Docomomo US in response to actor Chris Pratt tearing down a home by architect Craig Ellwood.
Pratt and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger drew attention online when news broke that the couple had begun work on a 15,000-square-foot home in place of the Zimmerman House by Ellwood, who designed buildings in Los Angeles from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s.
Located in the Brentwood area, across the street from a house owned by Schwarzenegger's mother, the Zimmerman House was completed in 1950 and was one of Ellwood's earliest projects.
It was demolished by Pratt and Schwarzenegger, who wanted to make use of the land for a sprawling mansion.
Read: Woods + Dangaran updates 1960s California home by Craig Ellwood

Docomomo US executive director Liz Waytkus claims the demolition of the mid-century home is part of a wider issue of sought-after land and location taking priority over the significance of historic homes.
"The problem is systemic," she told Dezeen. "Older mid-century homes are smaller and underbuilt for their plots of land."
"The land has become more valuable than the house, and even if people understand the value of such a home, location and land value often trump architectural significance."
A mid-century house by Craig Ellwood was destroyed to make way for a mansion
The ...