A recent article on SFGate.com highlights the career of San Francisco Bay area Organic Architect, Olof Dahlstrand. Olof who?
91-year-old Olof Dahlstrand is an Organic Architect who's time to shine is now. Specifically, seven magnificent houses he designed for clients in the San Francisco Bay area are drawing a lot of renewed interest--so much so that the UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design has requested that nearly all of the architect's papers be donated to its archive, including the records for all the homes he designed in the East Bay.
Inspired by a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin in 1934, his work took on many of the same archetypal Usonian aspects found in Wright's work: clerestory windows, built-in furniture,natural materials, soffited ceilings, etc. However, his designs are not seen as simply Wright derivative. As the article states:
One of the ways Dahlstrand distinguished himself was through the use of sliding doors between children's bedrooms, which are opened to make a common playroom during the day and closed off at nighttime for sleep.
So what are Olof's Magnificent Seven and where can they be found? They are:
• Muscatine Residence, 1949, Berkeley. (Designed in conjunction with Fred Langhorst.)
• Garneau Residence, 1951, Lafayette.
• Knapton Residence, 1951, Berkeley.
• Thurston Residence, 1954, Orinda.
• Valle-Riestra Residence, 1956, Walnut Creek.
• Peterson Residence, 1957, Point Richmond.
• Smith Residence, 1958, Orinda.
If you can't get to Bay area to see these Usonian gems, but want to see more anyway? Check out this recently published book all about them called Olof Dahlstrand: The Usonians by Bill and Bea Welty. Check out the article for more info and check out the book--Enjoy!
Book image copyright Bill & Bea Welty
Comments