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Two major renovation projects are in the planning stages for the little red house! With the "model room" pretty much done, we are setting the stage for some major overhauls to parts of the main living area and the bedrooms' closet core.
Over the next few weeks, I'll give you a sneak peek at some of the ideas behind these next steps in the "PrairieMod-ification" of our little atomic ranch. Let's look at the main living space...
The site ready for concrete work
We have broken ground for the foundation of the Taliesin Prototype. On March 29th, we poured the concrete and set the weld plates for the steel supports that allow the prototype to hover over the desert floor and wash.
Ever wonder what personality fonts have and how they would interact with each other? Thanks to Extensis and their Typematching game we don't have to wonder anymore. You get to choose 2 from the 6 fonts available and see if they are a match, if not choose again. They also have a questionnaire that typecasts you. Somehow my font is Comic Sans, not too sure about that. What font personality are you?
Image copyright Extensis
One of our readers sent us some fantastic links and photos regarding Isabel Roberts and Ida Annah Ryan. Many people know Ms. Roberts as Frank Lloyd Wright's secretary during the Oak Park years and whose beautiful Wright-designed house can still be found in River forest, Illinois. However, she was way more talented than her coffee-making/dictation-taking title would suggest...
Artopolis is coming to Chicago again. Don't know what it is? Well, it is our fine city's celebration of art, antiques and culture that is hosted by The Merchandise Mart. The events surrounding Artopolis run from April 24th-28th, 2008. You can read through the brochure and buy tickets online. Also, you can sign-up for the mailing list to stay on-top of details regarding Artopolis.
Image copyright Artopolis
Flickr is one of those websites that you could get sucked into for hours.
Case in point is this cool photoset I stumbled upon of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Follow the link to see all of the super sweet photos. Enjoy!
All photos copyright Flickr user: djodokla
I was in West Elm today and was drawn to two coffee tables on display. The designs are reminiscent of many Frank Lloyd Wright tables furnishing hundreds of Usonians across the US. If I had room in my modest ranch house I'd grab these babies!
View the Low Coffee Table page and the Floating Coffee Table for more details and pricing.
Images copyright West Elm
You never know where your going to run into a Prairie School reference on the web. I happened upon a website called BibliOdyssey that had a really nice write-up about Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, along with some fantastic images from their overseas work in Australia and India. Check out the site by following the link and enjoy!
I was able to attend the Break::the::Box event last night at Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple and it turned out to be one of those experiences you think about for days on end afterwards. Chicago's burgeoning "starchitect", Jeanne Gang, gave a presentation about her studio’s recent work and some of their processes and principles. What amazed me was the depth of her ideas and how sensitive they are to many of the same ideas that we at PrairieMod are extremely interested in.
One of our readers sent us a link to this ultra-designed dog bowl that she felt was perfect for her 72 pound Australian Labradoodle Service Dog. After doing some research, I found these details via MetroPawlis:
These intelligently designed dog bowls have won many awards, including: ID Magazine Annual Review Good Design Award - Chicago Museum of Architecture and Design; Editor's Choice Award 2002 - DogFancy Magazine
Wetnoz Ultra Collection Dog Bowls are made from 2MM surgical-grade stainless steel and have a built in rubber handle for easy scooping of food. Available boosters allow for stress free eating for taller dogs.
I have to agree with our reader, this dog bowl is not only beautiful but it is definitely useful! And they have versions for smaller dogs as well, the Pee Wee bowl (pictured below) is adorable.
Image copyright Wetnoz
Ok, it's completely my opinion--but why does it seem like every cool, important idea involving sustainable design and PreFab housing have to be packaged in a sterile set of cubes? Case in point: ZeroHouse.
Eric Carl has put up some really sweet vintage logos from a
mid-70's edition of the book World of
Logotypes on his Flicker page. This is a great resource with 120 pages of inspiration. Enjoy.
via Drawn
Image copyright Eric Carl
This Saturday, March 29th, major businesses and institutions all over the world will be participating in Earth Hour. So what is it? Some new variety show on TV?
A movie about Frank Lloyd Wright's Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, Iowa being shown at an environmental film fest? It might seem like an odd stretch, but an online article for the Washington Post describes the connections that the green movement and architectural preservationists have in common.
While reading this morning, I came across an Q&A article with Hiroshi Sugimoto from I.D. Magazine. After reading the article I wanted to acquaint myself with his photographs, so I went to his website. What beautiful images! I love the explanations of why he photographed the sometimes unusual things he did.
The April 2008 issue of Ode Magazine has hit the stands and their cover article seems pretty provocative. Not the Same Old Drive-Thru is about fast food joints that are using naturally raised meats, recycled packaging, and ovens that run on renewable power. These new green fast food stops are serving up burgers and fries to feel good about. Is this possible?
You can read the Letter From the Editor where Jurriaan Kamp breifly discusses the feature.
Image copyright Ode Magazine
If you are in (or near) the Dallas area, be sure to stop in at Aneita Fern's this weekend. They are just about to wrap-up their 1st annual Copper Dot Sale and you can still pick-up some sweet items at 30-50% off!
If you are no where near the Dallas area (like me), you can at least browse their website and soak in the brilliant photos that rotate on their home page. The store looks so inviting!
Image copyright Aneita Fern
It's always good news to read about conscientious people willing to undertake the thoughtful restoration of historic buildings. The online edition of the Newark Advocate recently reported on just such an individual ready and willing to restore one of Louis Sullivan's "Jewel Box" banks.
Mati Maldre, Professor Emeritus of Art at Chicago State University, will be having an exhibit of his photographs (including his amazing photos of Walter Burley Griffin buildings) at the Beverly Arts Center from April 4 through May 4. As stated on the Beverly Arts Center website:
The exhibit captures Maldre's diverse photographic work. Maldre's earliest view camera work from the 1968 Chicago Lakefront through his latest view camera project, The Landscapes of Jens Jensen in Beverly, completed during 2006-2008 will be included. Among other works on exhibit will be architectural view camera projects from Galena, Pullman, City Churches, Chicago Lake front Bath Houses, Beverly Hills/Morgan Park, Walter Burley Griffin in America, Chicago Bungalows, Prairie School in Beverly, Ema ja Isa (Estonian for Mom and Dad,) The Sweet Shop, and McCormick Place Hustlers. Maldre will also exhibit traditional photographs that emphasize form and/or abstract design as seen in plants, the nude, macro photography, and city textures.
Check out the link to find out more info. See you there!
Photo copyright Mati Maldre
I've really been enjoying photographer, writer and architecture critic, Lee Bay's weblog, The Urban Observer. He cruises the city of Chicago taking cool photos of its built environment and adding his interesting comments and critiques.
Lee's recent post on the Yale Apartments and the accompanying photos were especially enlightening. Even for a Chi-town resident tuned into the design scene, it still amazes me how many architecture gems there are out there waiting to be experienced.
Check out Lee's site and enjoy looking and reading all about Chicago's architectural gems.
Photos copyright Lee Bey
Follow the link to see the clip and enjoy!
I was eating my daily dose of Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt, when I read some info on the yogurt lid about a neat little service. Stonyfield (the first US manufacturer to offset 100% of their facility CO2 emissions) has partnered with Climate Counts.org through their lids of the month program. Here is the rundown....
Chicago likes to boast about having the biggest and best of everything. Well, now we can add the satisfaction of having the world's biggest "green" building as well!
It's Tuesday and odds are, you're already thinking about the weekend. If you live in or near Chicago, here are a couple of suggestions for cool things to do when the weekend finally gets here...
We received an email, letting us know that the Westcott House Foundation is breaking into social networking scene. If you're interested - check out their YouTube page with video snippets, Flickr page with various photos and a MySpace "space". (or FaceBook if you're on there). The Westcott House team's goal is to use these social sites to hopefully spread the word about The Westcott House to those who would not otherwise hear what great things they are doing. Good luck guys!
Image copyright WHF
Little touches continue in the "model room." After we moved in a bed from one of the other rooms, we realized that the bedspread we had just didn't fit the new color scheme of the room. It was a really nice bedspread and seemed like a terrible waste to get rid of something just because the color was off. So, we decided to do a little hunting to see if there was something out there on the market that would save the day.
Wright in Racine has a new post! Writer and photographer, Mark Hertzberg, provides insight into the exhibition, "Hollyhock House and Olive Hill: Frank Lloyd Wright and Edmund Teske," which runs from April 19 through June 15 at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum north of downtown Milwaukee. As always, Mark gives fantastic info surrounding the exhibition and the importance of the Aline Barnsdall project (including the Hollyhock House) on Olive Hill in Los Angeles, California. Check out the entire article by following the link and if you're in the vicinity, take the trip up to Milwaukee to check out the exhibit. See you there!
Drawing copyright Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
Architect, Jeanne Gang, will be delivering a lecture about the latest projects on the boards at her firm, Studio Gang. Studio Gang’s focus on materials, technology and sustainability—supported by a combination of practice, teaching and research—has produced some of the most exciting architecture today. Architect Jeanne Gang will discuss recent projects, including the SOS community center and the Aqua tower, one of the largest projects ever awarded to an American firm headed by a woman.
Check out Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple Restoration Foundation website for more details. See you there!
Blair Kamin, architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune, has started a new blog called "The Skyline" with the stated goal of "assessing the highs and lows of Chicago architecture."
So, does Chicago need another architecture blog? Anyone who is familiar with Mr. Kamin's writing and critical analysis will answer emphatically: "Yes."
WARNING: This post is going to come across as a cruel trick. Why? Because these ultra-cool wooden toys fashioned by Japanese artist, Takeji Nakagawa, aren't available in the USA. However, it doesn't stop me from showing you some of the amazing toys this modern-day Geppetto is making...
Continue reading "Forget The Chocolate, I Want These In My Easter Basket!" »
Let me introduce you to Rudy and Kevin. These guys are around 19-years-old and decided to take a road trip this past week to see several Frank Lloyd Wright buildings; from Madison to Grand Rapids to Pittsburgh back to Chicago then on to Milwaukee and finally ending in Spring Green, WI.
Armed with a video camera and presumably a laptop, these guys zealously share all that they saw and learned on the trip. I'm not sure the inspiration for this adventure (or who the mysterious, gift-giving Hannah is), but the PrairieMod Squad was amused to watch Rudy and Kevin speed across the country and highlight some amazing works of architecture.
Click the links below to see each of the 6 videos they posted on YouTube....
Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 6 and Day 7.
Screencap copyright Rudy & Kevin
The MassModern Gallery, outside of Boston, specializes in the study, exhibition and sales of 20th Century Design and Modern Studio Craft. They carry examples of mass-produced decor from such notable architects as Eliel Saarinen, Mies van der Rohe and of course, Frank Lloyd Wright...
We recently got word that the folks at Image Design, LLC officially received the Platinum LEED rating for their Onekama, Michigan Hybrid Home. As stated on their blog:
Only 22 other homes in the nation have received this honor. Along with the "Platinum" LEED Certifications and winning the GLREA 2007 Exemplary Project Award, this hybrid home has also been awarded an Energy Star Rating of 5+ Stars.
Congratulations to the whole team for such a wonderful honor! For your follow-up, how about a Platinum LEED rated modern-day interpretation of a Usonian home?
Image copyright Image Design, LLC
This nanosecond, you can sign-up for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC from May 17-20th, 2008. Design professionals or general design enthusiasts can register for the event, which is always worthwhile.
Since you can register so fast - while you wait until May for the show - be sure to view the ICFFcast and the Special Features section of the website.
Image copyright ICFF
Christian Vivanco is an industrial designer located in Barcelona, Spain who is creating some way cool and very cutting-edge furniture concepts that are just waiting to be produced...
ValleyWag, a self-described Silicon Valley tech gossip site (yeah, not sure how I ended up there) recently posted on a Santa Cruz Sentinel story discussing billionaire Phillipe Kahn's (current CEO of Fullpower Technologies) move to a new Marmol Radzinger prefab located on Kahn's Santa Cruz property. The cost of the new 3,200 square foot eco-friendly prefab is pegged between $300,000 and $1 million dollars.
If you stop and think about this, it's kind of amazing that someone with that much money and power didn't opt for a 14,000 square foot Mega-McMansion--instead choosing a much more humble abode. While I have to disagree with the blogger's characterization of calling Mr. Kahn "eco-trailer trash", I do agree that going Usonian would have been an even more exciting modest-home solution...but, to each their own! You can check out the entire Santa Cruz Sentinel article here.
Photo courtesy of Santa Cruz Sentinel
People who know me, know that I don't get too excited about much - but when I do get excited - watch out!
Today on a trip to Whole Foods, I freaked out when I came across some of the most amazing candles I've ever encountered - Seattle-based Big Dipper Wax Works' Lime & May Chang Natural Beeswax candle with a beehive shaped glass votive. They also have refills!
The Lime & May Chang scent is incredibly invigorating, but many of the others are amazing as well. I grabbed a couple, headed home to light 'em up and then learn more about Big Dipper Wax Works. This is what I found and wanted to share with you....
You can read their story, find out why you should burn beeswax and learn the details behind each scent/therapy.
Image Big Dipper Wax Works
Speaking as a designer, you can never have too many computer fonts. That said, with the seemingly endless supply of choices out there, there are times you can't find that perfect typeface to go with your design. So what do you do? Settle for using Eaglefeather for the umpteen-millionth time?!? Why not consider making your own font instead...
They are predicting snow here in Chicago, but I'm already having warm visions of Summer. Why? June 7th, 2008 is heating up to be chock full of amazing Wright-related tours...
April 3rd, 2008 the St. Louis Art Museum is hosting a lecture titles The Houses of Frank Lloyd Wright at 7pm, and it is free to the public...
Join architect, historian, and author Robert McCarter as he explores the interior spaces, materials, construction, and connections to nature in Wright's Prairie, Concrete Block, and Usonian Houses. McCarter's book Frank Lloyd Wright will be available for purchase at an author signing following the lecture. This lecture is cosponsored by The Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park.
Via Architectural Ruminations.
Image and text copyright Ebsworth Park
One of the things I love about Public Radio is the diverse amount of programming that it delivers on a daily basis. I had the distinct pleasure of catching a segment on yesterday's Chicago Public Radio's show, Worldview, which visited an amazing sustainable home in Elmhurst, Illinois that has me really excited!
True to Room & Board's strong commitment to American Craft, they have dedicated a room in each of their 8 nationwide stores that highlight themes speaking to what they have been about for decades. The pieces featured in these rooms are made by Vermont Furniture Design and include a mix of old and new. Three of the lines, Artisan, Prairie and Heartwood are from their archives. These designs are timeless and are so totally relevant today.
The once doomed Frank Lloyd Wright designed Charles Ennis House (1924) in L.A. went through a dramatic restoration last summer, saving it for generations of people to enjoy. So why isn't the Textile Block masterpiece opened up yet for admiring tourists to view? Turns out grouchy old neighbors are to blame.
There are some great upcoming lectures that are part of the Art Institute of Chicago's American Perspectives series. Lectures worth noting....
April 3rd, 2008 at 6pm (free) - Thomas Hines: The Other Hollywood--Modern Architecture and the LA Film Community
The prevailing taste in Hollywood, despite popular myth, was not all kitsch and glitz. Certain actors, writers, directors, and producers were sophisticated connoisseurs of the most advanced modern art and architecture. Actor Ramon Navarro's house--designed by Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright--and director Josef Von Sternberg's house, designed by Richard Neutra, were authentic works of art, not merely popular imitations of older styles. Join Thomas Hines on April 3 at 6:00 as he explores the two dominant branches of architectural modernism, rationalism, and expressionism in the works of Richard Neutra and Lloyd Wright.
Continue reading "Art Institute of Chicago Lecture Series: American Perspectives" »
I stumbled upon some really nice photos that blogger Lee Bey took of the Schurz High School, designed by Prairie School architect, Dwight Perkins. According to the Chicago Landmarks website:
Schurz High School also represents a significant
amalgamation of two important architectural styles. The strong vertical
piers are characteristic of the Chicago School, while the overhanging roof, detailed brickwork, and strong geometric forms are elements identified with Prairie School architecture.
Check out Lee Bey's website to see more images of this magnificent school.
Photo copyright Lee Bey
Thanks to Douglas Anders, who runs the Frank Lloyd Wright Newsblog, for posting an entry linking to an excellent article by Lynn Becker on the life and work of Alfonso Iannelli.
Iannelli is known for his beautifully abstract style as both a 2D and 3D designer. He worked with both Wright on Midway Gardens (sculpting the famous Sprites) and later on several projects with architect, Barry Byrne.
Check out the article and also some of the fantastic accompanying photos showing some of the very cool theater posters Iannelli designed. Enjoy!
Image courtesy of Lynn Becker
One of the simple joys in life is figuring out how to creatively solve problems that will save time, money, or resources. I recently faced one of those challenges and thought it would be a great opportunity to share with PrairieMod Monday readers.
Continue reading "Middleton Hills: New Urbanism's Pros And Cons" »
Nestled amongst giant Victorian houses and sprawling McMansions is an architectural anomoly. A little brick, house built originally with no outside windows that has two modern architectural pedigrees. Meet the Alfred Schiller House.
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