Issue 345  February 15th 2023

A Brave And Lovely Woman Virtual Book Release

Join Taliesin Preservation, University of Wisconsin Press, and author, Mark Borthwick on March 14th, from 6:30 pm- 7:30 pm (CT) for the virtual release of A Brave and Lovely Woman. The evening will start with a presentation, followed by an audience Q+A.

Mamah Borthwick was an energetic, intelligent, and charismatic woman who earned a master’s degree at a time when few women even attended college, translated writings by a key figure of the early feminist movement, and traveled from the American prairie to Europe, Scandinavia, and even Japan. She is best known, however, as the mistress of Frank Lloyd Wright, and for her shocking murder at the renowned Wisconsin home he built for her, Taliesin. A Brave and Lovely Woman offers keen insights into the narrative of Wright and Borthwick, a love story as American in character as it is Shakespearean in conclusion.

Little of Wright’s life and work has been left untouched by his many admirers, critics, and biographers. And yet the woman who stood at the center of his emotional life, Mamah Borthwick, has fallen into near obscurity. Mark Borthwick—a distant relative—re-centers Mamah Borthwick in her own life, presenting a detailed portrait of a fascinating woman. Careful research and engaging prose at last give Borthwick, an enigmatic but crucial character in one of America’s most famous tragedies, center stage. Click here for more.

Click for more details: taliesinpreservation.org  

Eichler's Experimental "Utopia" Remains Virtually Unchanged Since 1954

Palo Alto boasts a hodgepodge of architectural styles that span more than 100 years. This column by Bo Crane of Palo Alto takes a look at the history and significance of Joseph Eichler's Greenmeadow subdivision in south Palo Alto, CA that the famed builder developed in 1954 as a place where average middle-class families could live in a tight-knit community of affordable luxury homes.

Joseph Eichler's work in Palo Alto's Greenmeadow neighborhood was unlike most other subdivisions in the city at the time: He developed the south Palo Alto neighborhood with 270 similarly styled midcentury modern homes (now known as "Eichlers") built around a centrally located community center that would serve as the core of neighborly activity.

The 22-block neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its prevalence of pristine Eichlers, providing visitors a good look at the suburban utopia the builder envisioned when he developed the area nearly seven decades ago.

The Eichler style is immediately recognizable: clerestory windows (often triangular) at the front, vertical exterior redwood siding, concrete fireplaces, post and beam interior construction, open living spaces with high ceilings, and full plate-glass rear walls. All of his homes from this era were single-story to provide privacy to back-to-back homes while keeping flat or slightly sloped roofs.

Along with his modern architecture, Eichler strategically located the neighborhood in close proximity to five schools and Mitchell Park. He also established a swim club and mini-park in the center of the neighborhood that he sold to the homeowners' association at half his asking price. The center still serves as the neighborhood's primary facilities today.

Because of Eichler's fair housing policies, Greenmeadow also played a historic role in opening the door for Black and Asian homeowners in Palo Alto. Eichler was the first local builder to proclaim that he favored selling houses to buyers of various racial and ethnic backgrounds. The Greenmeadow tract welcomed Eichler's first Black homebuyers.

Eichler was not an architect and never swung a hammer, yet he built more than 11,000 homes throughout California, including 32 projects in Palo Alto, totaling 2,700 houses. The former San Francisco dairyman decided to become a merchant builder after moving to Hillsborough in 1942 with his wife and two sons into a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Eichler was reportedly taken with the home's innovative and open design. More here.

Click for more details: paloaltoonline.com  

Architecture Sarasota Addresses The Climate Crisis

There’s no question that climate change is intensifying. If we’re not experiencing a record-breaking deep freeze in the winter, we’re dealing with scorching heat waves. One of the most serious outcomes of this ecological crisis is the growing number of powerful storms we’re witnessing.

Adrian Madlener of ArchPaper writes that nowhere is this more evident—at least now—than in the low-lying coastal areas of southern Florida. Last September, Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc on the state’s western seaboard and left a whopping $50 billion of damage in its wake. Though predicted to sustain the worst of the impact, the midsize city of Sarasota was miraculously spared.

Situated between Tampa Bay and the Fort Myers–Naples metro area, the mini-metropolis serves as a cultural hub for the region. Made famous in the early 20th century for its connection to the circus industry, the city currently boasts a number of performance venues and museums that cater to a mostly, but not exclusively, retired population originating from the Midwest.

However, the coastal town is best known for having served as the center of what became known as the Sarasota School of Architecture. Renowned practitioners like Ralph Twitchell, Jack West, Victor Lundy, and perhaps most famously Paul Rudolph enacted their own versions of modernism within the city proper and its outlying barrier islands from the 1940s to the ’60s. Through various—and at times opposing—methodologies, these established and budding practitioners created buildings that translated International Style principles to a subtropical climate. Key to this output was the philosophy of industrial functionalism put forward by the Bauhaus but also the more place-based ideology demonstrated in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian typology.

Homes, schools, and even beach clubs were constructed with integrated overhangs for better shading, open layouts for more flexible use, and pilotis to safeguard against potential flooding. Arguably, the most critical characteristic of the 50 or so structures erected during this period was the concept of bringing the outdoors in. This overarching strategy ensured that buildings could not only facilitate ample ventilation—in a time before air condition- ing was widely accessible—but also remain permeable and, in turn, resilient to the unpredictable forces of nature.

Thanks to preservation efforts made in part by recently established not-for-profit Architecture Sarasota, iconic sites like Rudolph’s groundbreaking Healy Guest House (Cocoon House) remain intact today. Built in 1948, the bungalow first gained recognition for its innovative integration of an inverted catenary roof but also its seamless connection to the Bay Isle canal it abuts. Other exemplary properties he designed and that have since been restored include the model Revere Quality House and a monumental addition to Sarasota’s central high school. Real estate developer Philip Hanson Hiss III was instrumental in supporting the movement by establishing the Lido Shores development, a reclaimed sandbar that became a sort of canvas for many of the aforementioned architects’ revolutionary ideas. Some of their experimental designs are still standing in this tight-knit island community, albeit next to bulging Tuscan-style McMansions.

Seated in the downtown Sarasota School–era McCulloch Pavilion, the organization hosts exhibitions, conferences, and the annual SarasotaMOD Weekend. Anchored by ticketed home, trolley, and kayak tours, the festival wraps up with a thought-driven conference that always draws back to this rich local heritage. The most recent edition—held from November 10 to 13, 2022—focused on the topic of tropical modernism and the relationship between climate and design. The theme was relevant not only given recent events but also the announcement of Morris Hylton III, the former Historic Architect for Climate Change at the National Park Service, as Architecture Sarasota’s new president.

After bringing this dynamic perspective to roles at the National Park Service and the University of Florida in recent years, taking on his new position at Architecture Sarasota has allowed Hylton to come full circle: “Our mission is to conserve the legacy of the Sarasota School while sustain-ing that continuum of innovative design and providing a forum that encourages for- ward-thinking architecture on a regional, national, and even global scale.” Read the entire article here.

Click for more details: archpaper.com  

Notable Babcock Residence In Mission Beach Changes Hands For $4.95M

A one-of-a-kind showplace home in South Mission Beach, the Babcock Residence, recently sold for $4.95 million in San Diego, CA.

Designed in 1959 by Mission Beach native Kendrick Bangs Kellogg for Russell and Vergie Babcock, who requested an “A-frame” with a copper roof, and constructed in 1960, the home was originally listed at $5.68 million. Chris Love of Coldwell Banker Realty was the listing agent.

Steps from the ocean and bay, the 2,607-square-foot, 4-bed, 4-bath residence has a 4-car garage and two additional uncovered parking spots. The home features panoramic unobstructed views with water visibility throughout.

The outdoor/indoor open living concept allows for entertaining guests while giving the feeling of being directly on the white sands of Mission Beach. The property sits on one of the largest corner lots in South Mission Beach.

Kellogg met Frank Lloyd Wright briefly in 1955 while attending the University of Colorado at Boulder and was heavily influenced by Wright’s architectural style. The Babcock Residence’s design is reminiscent of Wright, who used organic architecture to plan the 800 plus buildings he designed, 380 of which were actually built. Using the environment around where the structure would be, Wright would design and build accordingly, resulting in unique structures and homes that fit their landscape.

Wright designed two projects for San Diego but they were not constructed. The first, the Russell Babcock Residence (1953), went unbuilt on its projected lot on Mission Cliffs Drive in University Heights. Soon after the project failed to be realized, Babcock hired Kellogg to realize his Wrightian dream home to be built on Mission Bay.

The Babcock Residence jump-started Kellogg’s career and he since has designed and engineered more than a dozen startling residences, most notably the Surfer House in La Jolla, the High Desert House in Joshua Tree, and the Onion House in Kona, Hawaii. More here.

Click for more details: sdnews.com  

Willey House Stories Part 22: Calling the Kettle Back—Chapter 6: Transcendental Flame

In this seven-chapter subseries of the Willey House Stories, Steve Sikora reflects on Frank Lloyd Wright’s fireplaces, their purpose, and meaning—and the search for one missing kettle. Click here to read this interesting story.

Click for more details: franklloydwright.org