History

For 96 years, Flewelling & Moody has played a prominent role in Southern California’s architecture industry. The firm’s origin dates back to 1928, when Ralph Carlin Flewelling established his architectural practice in Los Angeles. Flewelling’s early projects consisted of some highly visible work, and he received wide acclaim for his designs.

In 1933, the American Institute of Architects awarded Flewelling the Gold Medal for America’s Most Beautiful Building, for the design of the Seeley W. Mudd Memorial Hall of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. That same year, Flewelling designed the first of several Federal Works Projects, including the Beverly Hills Post Office, which is now listed on the Federal Register of Historic Places.

During the 1930s, the company designed public schools, single-family residences, and government/public facilities. The 1940s war years resulted in the firm’s engagement by the federal government to design military facilities in Southern California. With the post-war “baby boom” the company emerged as one of six companies specializing in architectural design for public schools and higher education facilities in California.

In 1947, Walter L. Moody joined Flewelling’s firm, and in 1957 the firm, Flewelling & Moody, was incorporated. In 1959, a second generation of management was established when Ralph Hunter Flewelling joined the firm. Ralph H. Flewelling remained a leader at the firm for over 40 years. During the 1990s, the current generation of leadership emerged at the firm.

Today, Flewelling & Moody continues to grow in new directions, offering a full range of architectural services to new clients, and to those we’ve retained for over 50 years.

The company has established an excellent reputation in the following areas:

Featured Projects

Mudd Memorial Hall of Philosophy

Project Date

1928

Project Category

Educational

University of Southern California Los Angeles, California Conforming in spirit with the other buildings on the USC campus, Mudd Hall possesses a number of distinctive features, the most striking being the 140-foot tower that stands at one corner of a rectangular courtyard. The building, built in 1930, was devoted entirely to housing the offices, classrooms, seminar rooms and lecture halls of USC’s department of philosophy. Hoose Library is also part of the hall, housing more than 200,000 volumes. The building donation was provided by Colonel Seeley W. Mudd and totaled approximately $265,000. The Fisher Gallery of Art lies adjacent to Mudd Hall, along Exposition Boulevard. This building is still used as an exhibition hall for the fine arts students.

Wilshire Electric Fountain

Project Date

1930

Project Category

Civic

In 1930, Flewelling was commissioned to design a fountain as a tangible symbol of the Beverly Gardens Park’s mission to preserve space for cultural and art events for local residents. The first of its kind anywhere, the fountain merged the cutting-edge science of its day with Flewelling’s keen sense of aesthetic beauty. Its innovative use of automatic water sprays accompanied by changeable neon inverted lighting received more attention and praise than any other sight in Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills Post Office

Project Date

1933

Project Category

Civic

In 1933, Flewelling designed the Beverly Hills Post Office, the first Federal Works Project Facility, which today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its design emulated the Romanesque style of the early Italian Renaissance whose outward appearance required construction materials (concrete, brick and terra cotta) that were readily available in Southern California. The architectural detail for the interior lobby was simplified, creating a modern atmosphere. The craftsmanship of marble work, of moldings and cornices, and of ornamental metal that formed the lobby screen grilles was as much a credit to the dozens of skilled artisans as it was to Flewelling’s vision. He acknowledged the outstanding craftsmanship as “unusual in this age of mass production.”

Hawthorne Grammar School

Project Date

1933

Project Category

Educational

The new construction of Hawthorne Grammar School consisted of earthquake-proof and fire-proof structures housing kindergarten, manual training classes and a cafeteria. The rebuilding was made possible through a bond measure, and completed with decorative details cast in place.

First United Methodist Church of Glendale

Project Date

1961

Project Category

Institutional

Here is a church designed in the traditional style, making use of contemporary materials and methods of construction. The non-secular symbolism and forms of the traditional cathedrals of the Old World have been blended into and around this modern structure. The supporting structure was pre-cast and post-tensioned, the 3″ thin-shell roof spans across the nave without the use of heavy beams and girders. The nave is designed to seat approximately 1,200. It is bordered on each side by five stained glass windows which are forty feet high. Double glazed windows lend great color value to the light and make the air conditioning more effective as well.

Millikan Library

Project Date

1967

Project Category

Institutional

Contemporary in style and rising nine stories in clean, simple lines, Millikan Memorial Library became the “tallest building on [the CalTech] campus.” It was also ahead of its time by providing air conditioning and high speed elevators! Designed in 1965 and constructed in 1967, the building was funded by Seeley G. Mudd, a member of the CalTech Board of Trustees. The architectural character of the surrounding buildings is reflected in the culminating arches in the highest story and the ground floor arcades which provide entrance on both sides of the north-south axis. A one-story rotunda provides conference quarters and houses memorabilia and papers of Dr. Robert A. Millikan, for whom the library is named, was a physicist and chief administrative officer of CalTech from 1921 to 1946.

Seeley W. Mudd Library

Project Date

1970

Project Category

Institutional

Seeley W. Mudd Library, joined to Honnold Library by a pedestrian bridge, was dedicated in September 1970, again increasing book stacks and study space. In 1987, an addition was constructed to unite the Honnold and the Mudd buildings, and a seven-level Multi-Tier Stack was added inside the Mudd building. These additions created the current Honnold/Mudd Library of The Claremont Colleges, a 353 foot long complex joining old and new.

History

Featured Projects

Mudd Memorial Hall of Philosophy

Wilshire Electric Fountain

Beverly Hills Post Office

Hawthorne Grammar School

First United Methodist Church of Glendale

Millikan Library

Seeley W. Mudd Library

Pasadena

Lancaster