The Cole House was designed in 1957 by architect Harry Gesner for swimwear executive Fred Cole, in Los Angeles, California. In 1957 Gesner was introduced to recently-divorced swimwear manufacturer Fred Cole, who had bought a difficult site overlooking Hollywood and the Los Angeles basin, in the hills above the Sunset Strip. Cole wanted an exotic house that could serve as a set for photo shoots featuring his swimwear products. Built in six months to meet a deadline for the showing of the new Cole of California collection, the house was described by contemporary writers as an "inverted V," resembling what later became known as the A-frame.