Arthur H. Levin papers, 1946-1997 0000356

Finding aid prepared by ADC staff
Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
Arts Building Room 1434
University of California
Santa Barbara, California, 93106-7130
805-893-2724
adc@museum.ucsb.edu
09/27/2017
Arranged in three series: Administrative files, Calculations, Drawings.


Title: Arthur H. Levin papers
Identifier/Call Number: 0000356
Contributing Institution: Architecture and Design Collection, Art, Design & Architecture Museum
Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 60.0 Linear feet (14 boxes, including 2 ledgers, 58 rolls)
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1960-1989
Date (inclusive): 1946-1997
Location note: ADC regular, box 1: ledgers; Mosher, box 2-14; Mosher, 68+ rolls and box-tubes of drawings
creator: Becket, Welton David, 1902-1969
creator: Buff and Hensman, Architects.
creator: Levin, Arthur H., 1917-2016
creator: Neutra, Richard Joseph, 1892-1970

Scope and Contents note

The Arthur H. Levin papers comprise circa 80 linear feet of drawings, calculations and notes related to his work as a civil engineer and sometimes contractor and architect in Los Angeles, between circa 1946 and circa 1989. The papers document the structural design of commercial, industrial, and especially hillside dwellings in the Los Angeles area. Client ledgers provide an index to the bulk of the drawings and papers, which are arranged by client name, and chronologically.

Biographical/Historical note

Arthur H. Levin was a registered civil engineer, licensed contractor, and became a registered architect in 1986. He was born December 12, 1917 in Chicago, and received an engineering degree from Purdue University in 1939. According to the Purdue alumni news, Levin "wrote the book on engineering for hillside houses." That book was Hillside Building: Design and Construction, 1991.
Levin's professional career was in Los Angeles, California, where he began working for the City of Los Angeles Building and Safety department in 1946. He started his own firm, A. Levin, Inc. in 1956 and worked, as engineer, contractor and architect, until he retired in 1988-1989.
If you've ever seen a building hanging off a hillside in Southern California, chances are Arthur Levin designed the structural engineering. He designed the structures for stores, apartment buildings, small offices, industrial buildings, and about 2,000 hillside dwellings. Among the many architects he worked with are these: Welton Beckett, John Blanton, Buff & Hensman, Benno Fisher, Gene Fong, Ron Goldman, Ray Kappe, A. C. Marton, and Richard Neutra.
Arthur Levin died in Los Angeles, October 26, 2016.

Arrangement note

Arranged in three series: Administrative files, calculations, and drawings.

Conditions Governing Access note

Partially processed collection; open for use to qualified researchers.

Preferred Citation note

Arthur H. Levin papers. Art, Design & Architecture Museum. University of California, Santa Barbara

Conditions Governing Use note

Copyright has been transferred to the UC Regents.

Custodial History note

Papers were donated by the Arthur Levin family, shortly after his death.

Processing Information note

Some rolls contain 1 project; most of the box-tubes contain multiple projects which are arranged and grouped together by date (year and month), which is marked on the ends of the tubes.

Box 1-2

Administrative files 1946-1997

Scope and Contents note

Files contain papers regarding Arthur H. Levin's office, his profession and professional activities. Included are lists of projects and employees, correspondence with clients and other professionals, a 1988 lawsuit, contracts, and sets of standard structural details. Materials date from circa 1960 to 1997.
Client ledgers, A-Mc and N-Z are in box 1.
Box 3-14

Calculations 1946-1997

Scope and Contents note

Engineering calculations, notes, and some drawing details are contained in these files, which date from circa 1946 to 1989. Files are organized chronologically (by year and then month) and extend 15 linear feet. Calculations should be consulted with the related drawings in the next series. Many, but not all the of files are noted by client in the ledgers in box 14.
Roll 1-68

Drawings 1946-1997

Scope and Contents note

More than 68 rolls of drawings (some rolls include multiple projects), circa 1960-1989, document projects that Levin worked on, circa 1949-circa 1989. Most of the projects are in the Los Angeles area.
Many of the projects include reproductions of architectural drawings by other architects, such as Richard Neutra, Buff & Hensman, and many others. These are supplemented by pencil annotations and drawings by Levin for their structural design and construction. This series is partially processed.