Goff's Searing House on the Market
Ever wanted to own a home designed by Bruce Goff?
Here's your chance.
Showing posts with label homes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homes. Show all posts
The Concrete House
I remember the giant concrete house on Highway 33 between Inola and Chouteau. It was a landmark for us during family outings to visit friends in Locust Grove. For years it sat partially completed and hollow, a house-shaped shell made of steel and concrete.
Modern Habitat
Take a drive near the Outsider's House Museum today and you might notice some interesting new additions to the area. A pair of new homes with low-slope rooflines and simple lines are sprinkled amongst the bungalows of Tulsa, Oklahoma's Crutchfield Neighborhood.
No, these are not hipsters escaped from Lortondale.
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| Image courtesy of Green Country Habitat for Humanity |
Modern Fireplace Redo
Breathing New Life into a Midcentury Fireplace
This discovery was followed by a quote for more than $3,000 to repair it! Double-yuck. Time to explore some options.
Mingle in International Style
Later this month one of my favorite Oklahoma homes will be open for a look-see.
The stunning Jones House was the home of Robert Lawton Jones- a founding principal of the Tulsa-based architectural firm Murray-Jones-Murray. Here in Oklahoma MJM is synonymous with MCM. The firm designed Mid Mod icons such as Saints Peter and Paul Church & School, First Place Tower, Bishop Kelley school and the Tulsa Assembly Center.
About the time Jones penned this sleek example of International Style we had just broken ground on another MJM project: the Tulsa International Airport. It was 1959.
The Jet Age had begun.
About the time Jones penned this sleek example of International Style we had just broken ground on another MJM project: the Tulsa International Airport. It was 1959.
The Jet Age had begun.
Tulsa's Modern Dwellings
Life has returned to downtown Tulsa in recent years.
The concrete canyons, once deserted after 5:00 pm not so long ago, are now a mecca for nightlife and loft-loving hipsters. Condos now occupy what was recently an empty lot. Vacant office space is giving way to luxury apartments. And no matter what style the building might be– residential living in Tulsa's central city is a thoroughly modern affair.
Nichols Hills Conversion
It Works Both Ways
Have you ever noticed how often a modern or contemporary home falls victim to a Brasser?*
Sometimes it seems like half the cool modern houses in Oklahoma have been purchased by people that loathe them. Why else would they add out-of-place accents like Colonial porch lights, crown mouldings, gabled roofs, Victorian doors- the list goes on. I often wonder why anyone would buy a home they hate that much! But occasionally- not often- it goes in the opposite direction.
Have you ever noticed how often a modern or contemporary home falls victim to a Brasser?*
Sometimes it seems like half the cool modern houses in Oklahoma have been purchased by people that loathe them. Why else would they add out-of-place accents like Colonial porch lights, crown mouldings, gabled roofs, Victorian doors- the list goes on. I often wonder why anyone would buy a home they hate that much! But occasionally- not often- it goes in the opposite direction.
Your Modern Bathroom. Complete.
One of the coolest things about a Sixties house is all the nifty built-in stuff.
Our favorite built-in features is a revolving toothbrush holder. That chrome door in the bathroom looks like a secret panel when closed. But rotate the magic metal marvel and a veritable oral hygiene command center is revealed!
These convenient accessories were popular in the Fifties and Sixties. A company called Hall-Mack offered an entire collection of bathroom built-ins to make your modern life easier. Our house also has a couple of their classic Tow'lescope retractable towel bars (which look like a horizontal radio antenna when extended over the sink). The most rare of all though is the fold-down bathroom scales!
But I digress.
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| The Revolving Toothbrush Command Center |
These convenient accessories were popular in the Fifties and Sixties. A company called Hall-Mack offered an entire collection of bathroom built-ins to make your modern life easier. Our house also has a couple of their classic Tow'lescope retractable towel bars (which look like a horizontal radio antenna when extended over the sink). The most rare of all though is the fold-down bathroom scales!
But I digress.
Bavinger House Still Standing
An article from the Daily Oklahoman today shows photographs of the unique Norman home still standing- albeit in very poor condition. The Bavinger House was designed by Bruce Goff during his stint at the University of Oklahoma School of Architecture.
Are You Hip?
There seems to be a lot of Mid Mod from Tulsa in the media lately. The Fall issue of Prairie Hive features a hip pad in Wedgwood called the Futurama. The former Parade of Homes standout suffered several years of abuse by tenants and landlords before being rescued through Nick and Jinger's...
Pop Mod Partnership
The October issue of Oklahoma Magazine has a nice pictorial on the Lortondale home of Brandi Hezinger. Purists may scoff at the modified floorplan- but the hip vibe is fully intact in this...
Retro Redux
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Image courtesy Prairie Hive
No "Boxes with Little Holes"
Excellent article on the "futuristic architect who inspired Frank Gehry."Yes, they're talking about Bruce Goff. Includes some excellent photographs of Shin'enKan, the Ledbetter House and the late, great Bavinger House. Enjoy.
Colorado Modern
Well, for one Colorado borders Oklahoma. Barely.
Also the renowned architect Charles Deaton, designer of the "sculpture house" that overlooks I-70 west of Denver and is best known from the movie Sleeper, was raised in Oklahoma.
But mainly because... um, we recently visited Colorado for a week. So there. Now sit back and enjoy:
A Parade of Home
Home tours used to be a window into the future. A glimpse into a fascinating world of tomorrow.
Today a home tour brings to mind ginormous houses with a lot of floorspace, but not a lot of design. The checklist usually includes an expanse of granite, a media room, lots of dormer windows (even where there are no rooms) and a touch of wood-grained vinyl. Style is typically looking backwards- like a world of yesteryear, but with big screen TVs.
This Saturday you'll have a chance to experience a home tour circa 1955. A glimpse of what the future once looked like to postwar America.
Modern Tulsa
is hosting an open house and tour of a model home called the Citation.
Tulsa's Atomic Ranch
Open House & Tour
June 2, 2012 • 10am-3pm
Admission: $5 per person
1717 S. Erie • Tulsa, Oklahoma
Today a home tour brings to mind ginormous houses with a lot of floorspace, but not a lot of design. The checklist usually includes an expanse of granite, a media room, lots of dormer windows (even where there are no rooms) and a touch of wood-grained vinyl. Style is typically looking backwards- like a world of yesteryear, but with big screen TVs.
This Saturday you'll have a chance to experience a home tour circa 1955. A glimpse of what the future once looked like to postwar America.
Tulsa's Atomic Ranch
Open House & Tour
June 2, 2012 • 10am-3pm
Admission: $5 per person
1717 S. Erie • Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa Roof on Display
..along with a really cool house.
Modern Tulsa is hosting another super hip "Mod of the Moment" events this Sunday at the Netherton House. If that name doesn't immediately jog your memory maybe the striking roofline of this fabulous house will:
Modern Tulsa is hosting another super hip "Mod of the Moment" events this Sunday at the Netherton House. If that name doesn't immediately jog your memory maybe the striking roofline of this fabulous house will:
Ranch Acres Time Capsule
I just discovered a unique home only a few blocks away from us. And I discovered it on a blog published halfway across the country. So amazing, this Internet thing.
The house is a 3200-foot, 3 bedroom in Ranch Acres. It's one of those cool floorplans with two main wings that make a flying V. Inside it's full Zsa Zsa Colonial with harvest gold appliances and mysterious woodgrains. The fireplace set into the curved sandstone wall is also noteworthy.
But don't take my word for it- here's a link to the article on Retro Nation about this awesome find:
But don't take my word for it- here's a link to the article on Retro Nation about this awesome find:
Goff's Most "Usual" Design
Bruce Goff is known for his unusual architecture. So our visit to the home he designed for the Cox family in 1949 was a bit of a surprise.
From the street it's easily the most "usual" home by Bruce Goff we have ever seen. It even has vertical walls, brick veneer and square corners. There are no spheres or conversation pits or Klingon-inspired roof escarpments. It would be easy to overlook the Cox House. Odds are you'd miss it- even if someone told you to keep an eye out for a Bruce Goff house in Boise City.
The All Electric House
In 1953 the Kansas City Power & Light utility company decided to build a model home to showcase the virtues of total electric living. The home was designed in the new "ranch style" and featured all the latest conveniences. They decided on a location in a suburb called Prairie Village, Kansas. The home was completed in 1954 and within six months more than 60,000 visitors had toured the model home.
Standing outside today you might wonder what all the fuss was about. The exterior is a typical ranch with wood shingles and a two-car garage. But step inside and you'll be transported to a world of Fifties high-tech.
Automatic night lights illuminate the living room and hallway. The large picture window is shaded by motorized curtains. A panel beside the sofa provides remote control of the television- which is hidden by a painting! The laundry room is outfitted with a combination washer/dryer (an appliance now popular for space-conscious apartments). Step into the garage and you'll notice a massive electric motor hanging from the ceiling to operate the garage door.
The All Electric House was built at a staggering cost of $53,000, at a time when most homes cost a fraction of that amount. For the next 40 years it was just another family home in the suburbs. In 1994 the owners had decided to raze the house and build a larger home on the same property. The story goes that some newspaper clippings were discovered in the garage only days before the bulldozers arrived. The clippings detailed the unique history of the model home and prompted the family to donate the house to the Johnson County Historical Museum.
The house was eventually moved to its present location and restored to its former "Total Electric Living" glory. Which is remarkable when you think about it.
Most people would look at this structure and shrug. After all, there are acres and acres of similar abodes in similar sub-divisions in similar suburbs all across America. It doesn't even have a flat roof or an interior courtyard. But that's precisely why it's so remarkable. The fact is someone did have the vision to take this outwardly unremarkable house, split it in two, move it across town, replace all the period furnishings and lovingly restore all the techie gadgets to working condition.
And we should all be glad they did.
Automatic night lights illuminate the living room and hallway. The large picture window is shaded by motorized curtains. A panel beside the sofa provides remote control of the television- which is hidden by a painting! The laundry room is outfitted with a combination washer/dryer (an appliance now popular for space-conscious apartments). Step into the garage and you'll notice a massive electric motor hanging from the ceiling to operate the garage door.
The All Electric House was built at a staggering cost of $53,000, at a time when most homes cost a fraction of that amount. For the next 40 years it was just another family home in the suburbs. In 1994 the owners had decided to raze the house and build a larger home on the same property. The story goes that some newspaper clippings were discovered in the garage only days before the bulldozers arrived. The clippings detailed the unique history of the model home and prompted the family to donate the house to the Johnson County Historical Museum.
The house was eventually moved to its present location and restored to its former "Total Electric Living" glory. Which is remarkable when you think about it.
And we should all be glad they did.
For a virtual tour of the interior visit the All Electric House Home Tour. For an actual tour go to the Johnson County Historical Museum at 6305 Lackman Road in Shawnee, Kansas. For more information visit www.jocomuseum.org.
Goff's Signature Work in Shambles
We're finally seeing the true status of the iconic Bavinger House.
This aerial video was shot from Oklahoma City's News 9 helicopter and clearly shows the spire is toppled and the roof has partially collapsed.
The Bavinger House website now states the home is closed due to severe storm damage. Reports from architecture groups on Facebook indicate the owner may be willing to allow a photographer inside to document the damage. It was also reported he will be posting information about the house on a new blog.
For those unfamiliar with this unusual building, or this unusual turn of events, I'd recommend reading Masterpiece in Peril by Lynne Rostochil. I've also posted more photos of the Bavinger House from an architectural tour sponsored by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in 2009.
Video courtesy of KWTV-Oklahoma City.
This aerial video was shot from Oklahoma City's News 9 helicopter and clearly shows the spire is toppled and the roof has partially collapsed.
The Bavinger House website now states the home is closed due to severe storm damage. Reports from architecture groups on Facebook indicate the owner may be willing to allow a photographer inside to document the damage. It was also reported he will be posting information about the house on a new blog.
For those unfamiliar with this unusual building, or this unusual turn of events, I'd recommend reading Masterpiece in Peril by Lynne Rostochil. I've also posted more photos of the Bavinger House from an architectural tour sponsored by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in 2009.
Video courtesy of KWTV-Oklahoma City.
Bavinger House is No More
Rumors began circulating Monday afternoon that the Bavinger House in Norman, Oklahoma had been demolished. Conflicting reports have been circulating today and confirmation has been difficult due to the heavily wooded area where the house is located.
Bob Bavinger, the son and steward of the Bruce Goff-designed house, contacted area galleries and asked them to remove any flyers or brochures related to the Bavinger House.
Shane Hood with Modern Tulsa contacted modernisti in the Oklahoma City area to confirm the rumors. Lynne Rostochil was able to contact Bob Bavinger who claimed the iconic structure was "torn down and hauled away" sometime last week. However, this morning Terri Sadler is reporting she can see the roof and support cables, which would indicate the house is intact.
Late Tuesday reports that indicate the house may have been compromised surfaced on Facebook. We'll continue posting updates on Facebook as we learn more.
Since 2008 a number of efforts had been undertaken to raise funds to restore and maintain the Bavinger House. The tours and fund raisers have met with modest success. Currently the website is still active with an ironic one-word message. Closed.
Bob Bavinger, the son and steward of the Bruce Goff-designed house, contacted area galleries and asked them to remove any flyers or brochures related to the Bavinger House.
Shane Hood with Modern Tulsa contacted modernisti in the Oklahoma City area to confirm the rumors. Lynne Rostochil was able to contact Bob Bavinger who claimed the iconic structure was "torn down and hauled away" sometime last week. However, this morning Terri Sadler is reporting she can see the roof and support cables, which would indicate the house is intact.
Late Tuesday reports that indicate the house may have been compromised surfaced on Facebook. We'll continue posting updates on Facebook as we learn more.
Since 2008 a number of efforts had been undertaken to raise funds to restore and maintain the Bavinger House. The tours and fund raisers have met with modest success. Currently the website is still active with an ironic one-word message. Closed.
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Living Art
Goff's Searing House on the Market Ever wanted to own a home designed by Bruce Goff? Here's your chance.
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