Homes...
Boulder Usonia
One of the best Usonian-style houses in Boulder, the Menkick House from 1970 by
Charles Haertling. Behind it is Green Rock.
November 4th, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Addenbrooke fireplace
Without preservation, houses crumble and fall, leaving us little architectural history to appreciate.
While the last ranch house at Addenbrooke Brooke park was torn down in 1997, the City of Lakewood did leave this solemn fireplace, made of stones gathered from around the world and some native American artifacts discovered on the property* to remind us of the history of the site, originally homesteaded by the Everitt family in 1876.
(* you can spot a stone bowl about halfway up, two or three stones from the left)
October 28th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Joshel House Meets The Eight-Foot House
If you are driving in Denver’s Hilltop neighborhood, you might have difficulty spotting this
beautiful International-style house through the landscaping.
It is the Joshel House, designed in 1951 by local architecture/design team, Joseph and Louise Marlow, with some interior elements by Victor Hornbein. This couple designed many great mid-century International-style houses in the Denver area. (You can locate these using the Historic Denver guidebook, The Mid-Century Modern House in Denver, by Michael Paglia and Diane Wray Tomasso.)
Despite its local and national landmark status, the Joshel House was in danger of becoming a mere memory after Suzanne Joshel passed away in 2009. The estate attorney felt the property had more value as a building site and worked to undo the protective measures her own client, Suzanne Joshel, had worked so diligently to put in place. Thankfully, Historic Denver refused to vacate its preservation easements and many preservation-minded buyers expressed interest in buying the home.
My wife, Shannon Stanbro of 5280mod.com, represented one set of those buyers and spent many hours trying to educate the attorney and neighbors about the importance of preserving Hilltop’s historic modern architecture. It seems fitting that her new listing, The Eight-Foot House,
is a 2011 International-style home influenced by the Marlows’ Joshel House design.
The Eight Foot House derives its name from a passive approach to sustainable design. Created and constructed by architect Bill Buyers, a no-waste approach embraced the use of 8-foot materials, including floor to ceiling doors and windows, while paying homage to the Marlows’ elegant historic design.
I just wanted to visually compare the front of the two houses, you can find a better read and complete set of photos of the Eight-Foot House here on Shannon’s site:
www.5280mod.com. And you can see interior shots of the original Joshel House here on Lesley’s MidModRedo site.
October 18th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Horizontal
A long, low, horizontal home oriented to the spectacular view.
Another one of the earlier houses in Panorama Heights. (Probably late 1950s)
September 29th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Panorama Heights
The original show home for Panorama Heights, likely circa-1955.
September 28th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Japanese in Lakewood
Incredible Japanese-styled house in Lakewood, CO, original design kept intact from the
early-1960s
August 15th, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Lakewood Formalism
The Formalist Busch House in Lakewood, designed 1963 by James Ream.
July 28th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Golden cantilevered mod
Incredible cantilevered modern house in Golden, with dual cylindrical flues!
(From the early 1960s, I presume)
July 21st, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Everyone’s favorite
Everyone’s favorite Bonnie Brae Streamline Modern home, designed 1938 by Lester Jones.
Photo taken of the back while driving by…
July 7th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
The Modern Architecture of Sleeper
Charles Deaton’s Sculptered House of Genesee
Woody Allen chose Colorado in 1973 to film his famous science-fiction comedy, Sleeper,
because of the abundance of futuristic modern architecture along the front range to
feature as backdrops in his film. Here is a rundown of locations in order of appearance
in the movie.
This house at the beginning of the film is actually the back of the Church of the Risen Christ, designed 1969 by James Sudler.
Next, this shot is the Boettcher Memorial Conservatory designed 1966 by Victor
Hornbein and Ed White, Jr. at the Denver Botanic Gardens. The movie has a little
model futuristic car riding on a track in front.
Some locations I could not identify such as this interesting interior above. I am hoping
readers can write in and enlighten us.
These underground parking shots are another unknown. One reader suggests these are
from Cinderella City, but I can’t find shots of this to verify. Anyone?
The amazing Sculptured House of Genesee, built by Charles Deaton in 1966 and not
actually lived in until John Huggins completed it after purchasing the home in 1999.
After watching the film, it is clear that the circular elevator is not used as the famous,
ahem, Orgasmatron in the film as rumored, it is really just a cheap small prop.
This odd, yet beautiful building is the Varner House, designed 1969 by James Ream.
Another interesting concrete shell structure, I am hoping someone can write in and tell
me where it is.
Next we are off to Boulder to see Charles Haertling’s impressive Brenton House,
a 1969 design that resembles barnacles or possibly mushrooms.
More shot’s of Deaton’s Sculptured House. Charles Deaton also designed this similar
bank on South Broadway.
No visit to Boulder is complete without a visit to the I. M. Pei masterpiece, the National
Center for Atmospheric Research, N.C.A.R. (more shots of this coming up)
Of the locations in the film that I could not identify, this is the one I would really like to
track down. Anyone? I am guessing it is a church. Note: Reader Eric identified this as
Culver City High School in California. It is still there!
This is the Mile Hi Church in Lakewood with a McDonalds sign over the eye. It is now
accompanied by two other larger structures, the newest one is an enormous concrete shell.
N.C.A.R. in Boulder, one of the most beautifully sited structures ever. Of all the I. M. Pei
projects in Colorado, this is the one that has remained the most-intact. Planning started
in 1961, the building was completed in 1967.
And, finally, the late, great Currigan Exhibition Hall, designed by Jim Ream in 1969
for William Muchow Associates. It was built with the world’s largest use of the space
frame. It was torn down in 2002 to make room for the expansion of the Denver
Convention Center.
(Brutalist structures are the most under-appreciated, most misunderstood and most
endangered modern architecture.)
June 24th, 2011 / 7 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Hawkins house
Ed Hawkins, the man responsible for Arapahoe Acres, built this house in 1957, after
returning from a visit to Japan. He lived in this residence for ten years.
The false balcony is a playful break from the honesty of his beautiful Usonian and
International style designs that permeate Arapahoe Acres.
June 16th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Crowther Usonian
The Nuefeld House, a 1956 Usonian home designed by Richard Crowther, known for his Cinerama movie theater designs and the Art Deco at Lakeside Amusement Park.
May 31st, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Mountain modern in Golden
A beautifully sited Rustic Modern house in Golden.
(click to enlarge)
May 27th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Boulder International-style
An International-style house on ‘The Hill’ in Boulder, designed by Glen Huntington,
sometime in the 1930s, I presume.
May 26th, 2011 / 2 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Morris house
And on the other side of 8th Ave near Cheesman Park, this 1961 Formalist house designed
1961 by Langdon Morris & Carl Groos.
(Architect names gleaned from the incredible guidebook The Mid-Century Modern
House in Denver by Michael Paglia and Diane Wray Tomasso.)
May 20th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
Cavode House
1950 International-style house just outside of Cheesman Park. Designed by Joseph
and Louise Marlow.
I included this closeup to more clearly detail how the entranceway was designed to allow
the tree to pierce the roofline.
May 19th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Amter house
Usonian-style home in the Hilltop area designed 1954 by Joseph Lort.
There is another Lort design in Hilltop, an International-style house from 1946, but his
other 1954 Hilltop Usonian design was torn down in 2000.
May 9th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Arapaho Hills
Finally took a photo of this home in Littleton’s Arapaho Hills that I am happy with (click to enlarge). It was designed in late-1950s (probably 1957) by Mannon Associates. Arapaho Hills was a follow-up development to Englewood’s Arapahoe Acres.
The low horizontal profile is deceiving… if you look at the size of the front door, you realize that the wall on the left is taller than a person. The design is based on one of the two Reed Houses in Arapahoe Acres. (Look here)
May 5th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Art Deco home
Art Deco house designed by Charles Jaka in 1931.
Jaka also designed the Art Deco Cruise Room in The Oxford Hotel (1930).
April 20th, 2011 / 3 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Centennial mod
Nice rooflines on this International-style home in Centennial.
I assume it is from the 1960s.
April 12th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Lakewood mountain homes
And for Friday, some beautiful Rustic Modern* homes in Lakewood, overlooking Denver.
The home above is from 1987 and makes use of Brutalist poured-in-place textured concrete.
This next one from 1973 is classic mountain Rustic Modernism.
The view of Denver from these homes.
And finally, another attempt at photographing the elusive Expressionist Fredrick House,
designed by Boulder architect Charles Haertling in 1964.
* Rustic Modern term coined by Diane Wray and Michael Paglia, authors of the outstanding guidebook The Mid-Century Modern House in Denver.
April 8th, 2011 / 3 Comments » / by Tom Lundin
More Barnum rooflines
A continuation of photos of Usonian rooflines in the Barnum area of Denver.
Again, not the best photos, I took these years ago, with no intention of publishing them
anywhere.
This home I would date from around 1950, the others probably mid-1950s.
This last one was in the middle of a paint job when I took the photo, so this one will not
enlarge when clicked. Just appreciate the roofline.
February 23rd, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Barnum rooflines
These photos might not be the best and they are a little old (as can be attested to by the
Hillary For President sign), but I love the Usonian rooflines of these homes scattered in
little pockets throughout the Barnum area of Denver.
February 21st, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Golden Ranch House
A beautiful ’50s ranch house in a great location in Golden, CO.
February 14th, 2011 / No Comments » / by Tom Lundin
Mountainside Wheatridge home
Beautiful setting for this mountainside ’60s-era modern home in Wheat Ridge.
January 4th, 2011 / 1 Comment » / by Tom Lundin
