Hugh Kaptur designed a number of celebrity homes, for Palm Springs celebrities such as the Bill Burgess House, the Pete Siva House and the Robert Leaver House on Palisades Drive. He also designed a home that would become known as the Steve McQueen house, and he was hired by Hollywood Star William Holden to design a home on Southridge Drive for the star.
William Holden hired Hugh Kaptur in 1977 after another local architect came up with a set of plans for a home that exceeded Holden's budget. Holden wanted a single story, flat roofed house so that he could "see the view of the valley" as he drove up. Kaptur designed a 6,600 square foot house on nearly four acres that delighted Holden and he lived there until his death in 1981.
"Bill Holden. The best client I ever had."
- Hugh M. Kaptur
"Bill Holden. The best client I ever had."
- Hugh M. Kaptur
The Southridge home, built in 1968, was not designed for McQueen, but it fit him perfectly. The large carport and parking area were perfect for his Porsches and motorcycles. The house was done by Kaptur during what he calls his steel and glass phase when he was still learning about architecture from looking at what other architects had done.
“You can’t really tell the structure of this house from the front. The pools, the decks, the views — it all happens in the back. It’s one thing I couldn’t change, due to the terrain; and I guess it’s somewhat typical of Palm Springs. A house can look fairly ordinary in the front and hide an entire compound inside.”
- Hugh M. Kaptur
“You can’t really tell the structure of this house from the front. The pools, the decks, the views — it all happens in the back. It’s one thing I couldn’t change, due to the terrain; and I guess it’s somewhat typical of Palm Springs. A house can look fairly ordinary in the front and hide an entire compound inside.”
- Hugh M. Kaptur