Wassermann Residence

Dr. Franz & Sarah Wassermann Residence designed by Roger Lee, 1956. With landscape design by Ted Osmundson and John Staley. 

Sarah was born in Cleveland, Ohio and met Franz at the University of Chicago during World War II where she was working as a lab technician and he was a physician in training. After the war they moved to California and settled in Walnut Creek. Sarah saw Roger Lee give a lecture and fell in love with his design ethos. As a result, the Wassermanns contracted Lee to design their family home on nearly an acre on The Hill where a large oak tree and panoramic view of Mt. Diablo dictated the brief. The primary suite has a wall of windows framing the oak tree to this day, and the living room is oriented to take in the views across Walnut Creek. Sarah was integral to the design and construction of the home, and partnered with Lee throughout the process. She even laid the flooring and painted the house when it was first built!

Roger Lee (1920-1981) was a pioneering Chinese-American architect from Oakland who helped define Bay Area modernist architecture. A UC Berkeley graduate, he launched his own firm in 1947 and went on to design over 100 homes. His goal was to bring elegant, modernist design—often reserved for wealthy clients—to middle-class families.

Lee’s work is known for its simplicity, affordability, and integration with the landscape. Using post-and-beam construction, his homes often feature flat roofs, open floor plans, and large expanses of glass to create seamless connections between indoors and out. Influenced by European modernism but grounded in California’s climate and materials, his designs emphasize function without sacrificing beauty. In the late 1960s, he relocated to Hawaii, where he continued designing until his passing in 1981.

When I first met the new owner he told me, "One day we'll both own Lees." I responded, "Be careful what you wish for...because if you hang out with me long enough it just might happen." This isn't the first Lee we saw together or offered on, and likely won't be the last, but it is the dream my clients collectively pine for: purchase from the original family, access to all the documentation, and the opportunity to put a piece of Bay Area history in the right hands to save for the next generation. Congrats A - it’s a good day to buy a Lee!