We all know the big names in Mid-Century Modern architecture by now. Names like Richard Neutra, Mies van der Rohe and Joseph Eichler are most known because of the skill of their work, the amount of work they did in their lifetime and the larger cities that they worked in. But not everyone lives in one of the cities where these homes exist.
We’ve been talking a lot about collections, antiques and other things that have character that we bring into our homes. Sometimes, it’s the home itself that carries the most character. We’ve recently become aware of a local architect responsible for a lot of great Mid-Century Modern homes around Austin.
A.D. Stenger was an architect who began building homes around Austin in the 1940s. His residences are characterized by low-peaked roofs, lounge-like fireplaces, walls of windows, clerestory windows, tinted concrete floors and exteriors of concrete, wood, rock and other organic materials. Basically all the sorts of elements that make us MCM-lovers swoon.
Learning about such a fabulous Mid-Century Modern architect in our own backyard has made us wonder about the lesser-known architects who worked on a local, smaller-city scale. Do you live in a city or neighborhood with work from lesser-known architects? Do you live in a home by one of the lesser known Mid-Century Modern architects? What is your home's Mid-Century Modern heritage (furniture you've brought in can count, too!)?
Photos: Modern Austin; weloveaustin.com
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I just want to point out a common misconception- Eichler was a developer, not an architect. He hired architects to design his houses, including Claude Oakland, Anshen & Allen, A. Quincy Jones, and Raphael Soriano. Although he did play some role in design, we should make sure he doesn't get sole credit.
there's a little enclave in the merrifield area outside of dc in virginia, that has houses of a similiar style.
hollin hills in alexandria, virginia was designed by charles goodman. Its a gem of a neighborhood. We live a couple of miles down the road in a single level 60s style ranch house. Our house and about 12 others stick out like sore thumbs with all the colonials in the neighborhood.
Richard Isenhour in Lexington, KY. Check out some of his work.
http://home.insightbb.com/~rlisenhour/rbisenhour/rbisenhour.html
My favorites in Houston include Harwood Taylor, Lars Bang, William R. Jenkins and William N. Floyd. We were also lucky enough to have a few known architects drop off a few buildings such as Mies van der Rohe, Phillip Johnson and Frank Lloyd Wright.
In the Portland, OR area we have a number of homes by a builder named Robert Rummer that closely mimic "Eichler" homes.
http://www.eichlernetwork.com/ENStry22.html
In Baton Rouge (Westdale Terrace) and New Orleans (Gentilly Heights), there are still quite a few "Crawford Homes," developed by Hamiliton Crawford.
Although he did not work in a strictly MCM vernacular, Cliff May was responsible for the emergence and later popularity of the ranch home. He worked primarily in California, but I believe examples of his work can be found elsewhere.
I grew up in an Eichler home in a small town in NorCal. My parents still own it, and I cannot wait until they give me the reigns to redecorate it for them!
I stumbled upon "Rush Creek Village" here in Columbus when going to a baby shower one evening. I had NO idea that such a wonderful collection of modern architecture existed in my city.
http://columbus-ite.com/2009/04/14/rush-creek-village/
I don't know much about the houses except that they are great to take a drive & visit.
http://www.worthington.org/about/nationalregister.cfm says "The designer was Theodore van Fossen, who planned the entire community, defining the individual sites and designing the original houses."
Shofner - Thanks so much for sharing the link to Richard Isenhour. My grandparents lived on the corner of Hildeen and Zandale, just a 10 minute walk from Jesselin. I have such fond memories of walking around that neighborhood. It's lovely to learn more about an area that I hold so dear to my heart.
Our Austin home was built in the 60s, and has some very mid-century modern traits. Our favorite, though, is the partial rock wall that runs in the middle of our living room, complete with planter. Now if only we could figure out how to lay out furniture around it... Turns out many of our neighbors have the same design hurdle to clear! But we wouldn't have it any other way.
In Dallas we have Cliff Mays and around the Lake Highlands/White Rock Lake area Ju-Nel homes are coveted MCM gems.
In the Jacksonville, FL area are quite some mid-century modern homes by locally well known architect Taylor Hardwick, especially in Atlantic Beach, a very charming beach town. We once rented one for a vacation - it was a wonderful experience!
I currently live in Seattle in a MCM designed by Roland Terry. His post and beam style created some really nice open floor plans.
Anyone know who's behind the late '50s-early '60s MCM housing developments in Bellevue, WA? I'm thinking of buildings in parts of Phantom Lake, Lochmoor, Lake Hills, etc.
Austin also has a really cool new MCM-inspired contemporary modern development on the far East side called Agave (http://agaveaustin.com/). Nothing but butterfly and flat roofs and port cocheres as far as the eye can see.
I have a blog dedicated to the MCM houses in Utah. There were dozens of architects in the area whose names were never well known, but who built beautifully modern homes.
http://midcenturyutah.blogspot.com/
When I was a kid, my family lived in a succession of MCM houses - some were "Ranches" and some were "Split-levels"...
...they were designed and built by the United States Corps of Engineers for the US Air Force - It was called "Base Housing"
I trust we'll see a similar post about the designers of bungalows, Queen Annes, and so on. Not everyone worships at the shrine of MCM.
This is great... There aren't enough of these neighborhoods around.
Herb Greene did the Cunningham Residence in Oklahoma City. I don't know of any other homes he did or of any other architects, but there are several other good mid-century homes in the same Quail Creek neighborhood.