Southwest Christian Seminary - Part 3

The relationship between the interior and exterior continues in the web-like garden, with a grassy arbor on the east side and garden on the west side of the chapel section. Acting as a mental extension of the interior chapel the outdoor space is made up of ten more triangular columns, now fully circumlocutory. The shape of these unique columns in plan view is that of geometrically triangular star polygons, or concave equilateral hexagon, that tapers towards the ground. Each column is adorned with concentric triangular forms, continuing the trinity motif. Each of the exterior concrete columns is connected in a web-like pattern by horizontal concrete slabs for a roof-like structure for the arbor. This roof-life structure acts as a continuation of the stepped blue roof that dominates the composition.
            The space created by these heavy concrete columns and roof-like structure is both intimate and free-flowing, both spacious and human scale. One can feel both the security and firmness of the structure and also easily look beyond the structure to the heavens above. The grassy arbor to the west is uniform and almost maze-like, while the east side garden, not part of the original design, is structured around a water fountain which faces toward the chapel wall. This water feature and large concrete paving stones create an enclosure to the otherwise exterior space.
            To Wright Organic-Architecture did not simply means "of nature," but rather that the design feels natural in the space. The principles of Organic-Architecture are embodied into the design of the First Christian Church of Phoenix through the building’s relationship to its landscape, in the variety of ways the building harmonizes with the nature of its materials, natural and geometric form and the use of a natural spectrum of colors. Like his own beloved Taliesin West Wright utilized locally harvested natural materials, dramatic roof lines and a playful interaction between inside and outside space to create a space which is aesthetically completely different from his earlier Prairie Style, yet both clearly reflect his architectural philosophies that would make him one of the celebrated architects in history.

Frank Lloyd Wright

In a 1952 article for Architectural Record magazine the self-proclaimed “greatest architect of all time,” Frank Lloyd Wright discusses, in his own cryptic way, Modern Architecture and that manner in which it is, or was at the time, falling into the “gutter of fashion.” Wright argues that the contemporary version of Modern Architecture is merely an offspring of his own Organic-Architecture and deviations run the risk of becoming styles—like the symmetrical brickwork of countless Georgian homes or the white stucco with dark brown half-timber of the Tudor homes.


Wright revered the American experience and believed that democracy was the best form of government. Throughout his life, he endeavored to create a new architecture that reflected the American democratic ideal, an architecture based solely on America's democratic values and human dignity. For Wright Organic-Architecture was far more than an aesthetic style, rather a new way to look at the structures in which society thrives. In a 1908 article for Architectural Record Wright lays out the integral parts of Organic-Architecture. One important attribute of Wright's principles of Organic-Architecture is a building’s relationship to its landscape, the nature of its materials, the use of a natural spectrum of colors.

The Aline Barnsdall Hollyhock House. East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Photo Copyrights: Ben Pearson

The Low House and the Bell House

Isaac Bell House, Newport, RI – Completed 1883

The Low House and the Bell House, both by McKim, Mead and White. The later termed "Shingle style" both homes use wooden shingles to simplify, and unify, their wall textures, both have traditional gabled roofs, and both have some type of colonnade. Still, these two homes are incredibly unique in their forms and little motif.

William G. Low House, Bristol, RI – Completed 1887, Demolished 1962

Where the Bell House has varied roof heights, shapes and pitches, the Low House has one large unifying gable. On the Bell home the Asian-like thin bamboo pillars of the large covered porch contrast the heavy forms of the different roofs structure without a sense of instability. On the Low House the simple white bay windows and side porch supported by shingled columns provide visual variety and balance.

H.H. Richardson

H.H. Richardson's designs, especially master works such as the Trinity Church, Crane Memorial Library and even the Marshall Field Wholesale Store, with their huge yet coherent massing which lend to an understanding of the building’s function and parts diverge from their predecessors, specifically the purely rectangular massing of the classical styles.

Richardson’s Romanesque designs are often more refined details and decoration, including the large dominating Syrian arch which required less columns and capitals than classical or even Gothic styles. Aside from the decorative details Richardson's designs were often massively scaled and constructed almost entirely of stone.

For this reason this style was generally expensive and reserved for wealthy clientele, unlike the revival styles and other Victorian style which were easily transposed onto smaller scale buildings.

Beginnings in Historic Preservation

I was going through my old blog posts tonight and found a project that I had put in the back of my mind. This was during Interior Design School at the LDS Business College, but what I think is interesting is that even back then I was interested in historic preservation.

For my final project of my first year at the LDSBC Interior Design Program my group and I designed and built a model of a restaurant/ brew pub. We called it “The Pubary” because the building we used as for our design is a library that is still in use in Bar Harbor, Maine built in 1911 

The Classical orders in Boston

                        Doric- the simplest of the orders

  

                 Ionic - two opposed volutes in the capital

Corinthian order - two rows of acanthus leaves & four scrolls

Building a Timber Frame Shed

As part of my Traditional Building class with the Master of Design Studies in Historic Preservation through the Boston Architectural College we constructed a timber frame structure. These pictures show the progression of our work.

Lost in Boston

I have been lost, mostly intentionally, is a few major US cities. New York, LA, San Francisco and the island on Maui to name a few. I love the idea of creating your own adventure and seeing what you can find that is off the beaten tourist path. Recently I got “lost” in Boston and I am pretty sure it is by far my favorite. History mix with cosmopolitan flare, truly remarkable. These are a few images from my non-tourist guide adventure.

                  

                                                                                                                                                                                 

                                          

The American Dream Home

The following are snippets of a research paper I wrote titled: Homes of Modern America:

Eames, Johnson, Eichler and Wright 

Beginning in the early 1950’s the American dream of home ownership became a reality for many, specifically in California where business men such as Donald Drummond, Joseph Eichler and Earl “Flat-top” Smith mass-produced simple homes with open floor plans, post-and-beam steel structure, and expanses of glass. The homes of Joseph Eichler was, arguably, the most successful of the three builders and even today the ownership of an Eichler home has, in parts of California, nearly the same prestige of owning a Wright home.

                                                          Wright's Falling Water 

For Wright Organic-Architecture was far more than an aesthetic style, rather a new way to look at the structures in which society thrives. Many of the principles of Wright's Organic-Architecture share common characteristics with the mass-produced California Modern homes. In a 1908 article for Architectural Record Wright lays out the integral parts of Organic-Architecture. Principles such as simplistic homes which only contain the rooms necessary for the owner's lifestyle and the integration of doors and windows designed not only as access points but to replace unnecessary decoration were integrated into the designs of many Eichler's homes. Wright further preached of built-in furnishings, integrated after market appliances and fixtures, and the necessity of art incorporated into, in some cases apart from, the walls as opposed to gilded frames covering large expanses of wall. The most important attributes of Wright's principles of Organic-Architecture are the homes relationship to landscape, the nature of its' materials, the use a natural spectrum of colors, and the individual desires of the homeowner.

                                                                  Photo from HERE

Through their visual qualities, their construction of space and the way each structure functions for the modern American family, Johnson's Glass House and Eames Case Study #8 house adhere to the principles of Organic-Architecture as outlined by Frank Lloyd Wright and acted as prototypes for the modern American home despite their box forms.

Johnson's Glass House, Photo from HERE

The Glass House contains no brick or wood-framed floor to ceiling exterior walls. On all of the homes four façades lay horizontal black steel beams that span the entire length of the building. Similar steel beams stand vertically at each of four corners of the home and function as columns. On the vertical plane between the horizontal and vertical steel beams are clear glossy panels of glass. These glass panels are separated by smaller steal mullions. The horizontal mullions are set at the height of a traditional wainscot trim, or one-third the height of the wall, and span the length of all four sides with the exception of the four doorways which are centered of all four of the clear façades. Vertical mullion are accompanied by horizontal mullions dividing each section in half, two on the shorter elevations and four on the longer.

                                       

                                          Eames Case Study #8 house, Photo from HERE

In the Eames House, entering the south side of the longer of the two rectangular structures one finds an expansive double high living room filled with multiple layers of rich textures and wide spectrum of colors. Only four pieces of furniture are in this space yet it is far from empty. Parallel to the shorter wall stands a stream-lined Eames Sofa Compact draped in textiles, pillows and blankets, souvenirs from the couple’s adventures around the world. Along each of the longer walls are two chairs, on the glass wall is the iconic Eames Lounger with tufted black leather upholstery and the rich grain of the molded plywood frame. Plant life and vegetation accompany lounger on this wall which echoes the structural wood on the opposite. The opposite wall, which contains no windows due to the fact the it is nestled up against the hillside, is paneled with planks of glossy golden wood and is the back drop for a simple wooden framed bookcase that stands the height of the first story. The bottom two and top three shelves of the book case are dedicated to a hundred or so books in a variety of sizes and colors. The floor of this wide open space is covered in white square tiles, to one section a large rough brown rug and a smaller plush blue rug categorize the sitting space and form an implied pathway. Apart from the walls of glass which illuminate this space by day three paper pendant lights, two rounds and one cylindrical, add a warm glow to the large room. A tumble weed hangs from the ceiling near two Hans Hoffman organic paintings which hang parallel to the floor as though raining on the inhabitants, every surface acts as a new canvas for a collage of objects. To one end of the room a deep alcove is formed from the paneled wall and a wide wood-paneled partition wall. In this space an L-shaped built-in sofa is again covered in a wide array of textiles accompanied by shelves filled with souvenir objects large and small.