Lloyd Pietrantonio Ruocco (1907-1981)
Education: University of California, Berkeley
Lloyd Pietrantonio Ruocco was born in 1907 and arrived in San Diego in the early 1920s where he
graduated from San Diego High School. Following his graduation from UC Berkeley, he returned to
San Diego and worked in the offices of architects Requa Jackson and William Templeton Johnson.
Along the way, he would assist on the 1935 Panama Exposition and County Administration Building,
as well as the master plan for the community of Rancho Santa Fe under the supervision of his high
school drafting instructor Lilian Rice.
Growing increasingly dissatisfied with the rehashed revival styles that prevailed through the 1930s,
Ruocco opened his own office in hopes of bringing a more modern style of architecture to San Diego.
He would go on to become San Diego’s pioneering post-war modernists. Designing well over 100
projects throughout San Diego County, Lloyd is responsible for several projects that are considered by
many to be some of the area’s best examples of the period.
Universally respected as one of San Diego’s fathers of the post war modern architectural movement,
Ruocco was equally devoted to the art community as well as the city itself. His ultimate goal was to
better the lives of the people of San Diego through his tireless efforts to promote and encourage art,
architecture and design; many would say that he achieved his goal.
He and his wife Ilse Hammon
Ruocco, an interior designer and artist, were Instrumental in founding several community design
organizations including Citzens Coordinate for Century 3 (C3), Allied Artists, and Allied Craftsmen.
Partnerships: Ruocco & Delawie
San Diego projects include:
County Admin Building,1600 Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego (1933)
California Exposition, Balboa Park (1935)
Mitchell, Alfred Residence, 1500 Block 31st Street, South Park (1937)
Keller Residence #1, 3039 F Street, San Diego(1942)
Robertson Residence, 4245 Randolph, Mission Hills (1942)
Private Residence, 7100 Lakewood Drive, University City (1945)
Ruocco Residence #1 "Il Cavo",1900 La Sievida (1945)
Keller Residence #2, 1433 Puterbaugh Street, Hillcrest (1947)
Roberston, Tom Residence, 3920 Pringle Street, Mission Hills (1947)
The Design Center, 3611 5th Avenue, Bankers Hill (1949)
Private Residence, 4351 Ridgeway Drive, College Area(1950)
Private Residence, 3252 Hawk Street, Mission Hills (1952)
Garden Villa/Balboa Park Exposition House, Balboa Park (1953)
Beers Residence, 631 N. Crescent Drive (1954)
Private Residence, 1440 Puterbaugh Street, Hillcrest (1954)
Children's Zoo Entry Dome, Balboa Park (1955)
Selieg Residence, 2110 Guy Street, San Diego (1957)
KOGO-AM/FM/TV, 4600 Air Way, City Heights (1958)
Nelson Residence, 630 N. Crescent Drive (1958)
SAN DIEGO MODERNISM HISTORIC CONTEXT STATEMENT
CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS OF MODERN SAN DIEGO
107
THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO
Ruocco Residence #2 Solari, 5481 Toyon Road, San Diego (1958)
Private Residence, 2021 Rodelane Street, Old Town (1959)
Hillside House, 3343 Poe Street, Point Loma (1960)
San Diego Children's Zoo, Park Boulevard, Balboa Park (1957-1961)
Howard Chernoff Residence, 4522 Trias Street, Mission Hills (1962)
Fellers Residence, 3377 Charles Street, Point Loma (1962) (Ruocco & Delawie)
Private Residence, 7245 Rue de Roark, La Jolla (1962)
Keller Residence #3, 9405 La Jolla Farms, La Jolla (1963)
St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 1050 Thomas Street, San Diego (1963)
City Concourse Plaza, Front Street, San Diego (1964)
Institute of Geophysics & Geoplanetary Sciences, 8602 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla (1964)
Mills Office Building, 4th & Nutmeg, Bankers Hill (1964)
Watts Office Building, 2970 Main Street, San Diego (1964)
California Steel Building, Main Street, San Diego (1965)
Libby Residence, La Jolla (1965)
San Diego Civic Theater, 1100 Third Avenue, San Diego (1965)
Pioneer Congregational Church, 2550 Fairfield Street, Clairemont (1966)
Pioneer Congregational Church, 4905 Jellett, Clairemont (1966)
Grossmont Spec House, (The Ishikawa Residence), 5609 Lakewood Drive, University City(1969)
Private Residence, 4727 Avion Road, College Area (1970)
William Burnett Residence, 3576 Via Flores, Point Loma (1971)
International Center, UCSD, La Jolla(1971)
Private Residence, Toyon Road, San Diego (1972)
Private Residence, 2417 Pine Street, Mission Hills
