Appearing for the first time in over thirty years on the WrightPlus house tour yesterday was the wonderfully restored O.B. Balch House (1911):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45747476@N ... 122100117/
Oscar Balch House
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Paul Ringstrom
- Posts: 4777
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 4:53 pm
- Location: Mason City, IA
Here are the plans and photo of Balch as presented in W A Storrer's "FLLW Companion." The flat roof apparently invited the provision of a roof stair, all too apparent in the photo. This in turn may have led to what appears to be a roof-top amenity in the latest photos ?
It would be helpful, or at least interesting, to know of the additions to this early post-Europe, (almost) symmetrical design.
Paul's photo of the street front
It would be helpful, or at least interesting, to know of the additions to this early post-Europe, (almost) symmetrical design.
Paul's photo of the street front-
Paul Ringstrom
- Posts: 4777
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 4:53 pm
- Location: Mason City, IA
The roof-top "sun-screen" is original.
Here are some more photos from John Eifler, restoration architect.
http://www.eiflerassociates.com/Pearson.htm
Furniture in the living room is by: http://www.hilestudio.com/
Here are some more photos from John Eifler, restoration architect.
http://www.eiflerassociates.com/Pearson.htm
Furniture in the living room is by: http://www.hilestudio.com/
The roof-top "sun-screen" is original
I love the shadows it produces. See Paul's sflickr photo IMG_2114.JPG. Nice shot!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45747476@N ... 122100117/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45747476@N ... 122100117/
Ha ha ! I initially read that as a canted surface. Thanks for the correction ! Was that trellis entirely aesthetic in function ? Perhaps Wright wanted to see greenery crowning the house ?
The handsome new wing suits my idea, at least in its exterior appearance, of what to do when a significant structure *must* have an attached addition.
SDR
The handsome new wing suits my idea, at least in its exterior appearance, of what to do when a significant structure *must* have an attached addition.
SDR
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Paul Ringstrom
- Posts: 4777
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 4:53 pm
- Location: Mason City, IA
The FLW purists must face the fact that life-styles change over 100 years and modifications must be made or the buildings will not be marketable and will just remain empty and deteriorate. Other than turning it into a FLW rental, which is a nice solution, a sensitive addition to the rear of the property can be the best that we can hope for.
Without wishing to offend present company, I have to say it amuses and/or troubles me (on alternate days ?) to find that "marketability" seems to take precedence over "livability" when house remodeling is the subject -- just as "curb appeal" is apparently a more important concept than the tastes and wishes of the current owner ! Why is this so ?
Or am I reading too much into these terms ?
SDR
Or am I reading too much into these terms ?
SDR
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Paul Ringstrom
- Posts: 4777
- Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2005 4:53 pm
- Location: Mason City, IA
By "marketable" I meant the ability to actually sell the house to someone who may not be completely enamored or even knowledgeable of FLW, thus increasing the pool of potential purchasers. If you are a dyed-in-the-wool FLW purist, of course you will modify your life-style to adapt to living in an unmodified home even if it is painful. These buyers are few and far between.
Everyone gets mad at me because I criticize unauthentic additions to Wright houses. I am not seeking to offend anyone. It is simply my passion taking precedence. What is lost…..is lost forever. Time will only further this deterioration of design.The FLW purists must face the fact that life-styles change over 100 years and modifications must be made or the buildings will not be marketable and will just remain empty and deteriorate. Other than turning it into a FLW rental, which is a nice solution, a sensitive addition to the rear of the property can be the best that we can hope for.
I can understand some modern changes like adding a new boiler and such. However, I feel the real problem with unauthentic modifications is the owner’s love of the house. The design may not be a fit for their family requirements (2BR house and 3 kids). So, instead of moving to a larger house, like a typical family would do in a conventional house, they modify it. The essence of the house is lost for good. What makes things even more difficult is there are so few Wright houses in particular geographic locations to move on to.
Another factor is Wright owners need to adjust their way of living to the way Wright wanted you to live. Most people, including myself, have a difficult time doing this. For instance, it was difficult to getting used to sitting on hassocks at Haynes. But, when there is nowhere else to sit….you get used to it quickly. Before you know it, it doesn’t become an issue anymore.
Wright houses are utra- custom. They are like an Armani suit. It looks beautiful and it fits the original owner perfectly. But, if someone else puts on the suit……it never fits properly. A suggestion for future Wright owners is to find a Wright house that was designed for a client that is identical as yourself. Or, if you outgrow the house, as the Haynes family did, then leave the Wright house and move on.
That seem reasonable enough.
As there are so few Wright houses, I guess I fail to see the advantage (to the architectural community, at least) of trying to suit those few that do become available, from time to time, to people who wouldn't find them acceptable as they are, without modifications. Rather than speculatively "improving" an historic and unique property, in the hopes of having it suit some future unknown buyer (with the purpose of appealing to the widest potential group of buyers, and/or achieving the highest possible resale price), wouldn't the responsible thing be to let that future buyer choose his own modifications (if any) and trust that he, or (more likely) another purchaser, will happily pay top dollar for an original and unaltered Wright structure ?
We seem to have fallen, collectively as a nation, into the hands of the real estate establishment, who wish to demonstrate the art of the "flip" -- at the expense of architectural and historic authenticity, to say nothing of mere sentiment at the possibility of gaining a bit of the past along with a new home. Owners of modernist properties in widely separated areas of the country are shocked to see their neighboring "twins" razed, or remodeled beyond recognition, in order to fatten the sellers' -- and their realtors' -- wallets to the maximum possible extent. It's far worse when unique homes such as ours fall victim to the same base motive -- isn't it ? Must everything in America be made to dance to the tune of greed ?
I prefer to believe the the current owners of the Balch residence added to their house to suit themselves, rather than to favor some future owner. Am I hopelessly naive ?
SDR
As there are so few Wright houses, I guess I fail to see the advantage (to the architectural community, at least) of trying to suit those few that do become available, from time to time, to people who wouldn't find them acceptable as they are, without modifications. Rather than speculatively "improving" an historic and unique property, in the hopes of having it suit some future unknown buyer (with the purpose of appealing to the widest potential group of buyers, and/or achieving the highest possible resale price), wouldn't the responsible thing be to let that future buyer choose his own modifications (if any) and trust that he, or (more likely) another purchaser, will happily pay top dollar for an original and unaltered Wright structure ?
We seem to have fallen, collectively as a nation, into the hands of the real estate establishment, who wish to demonstrate the art of the "flip" -- at the expense of architectural and historic authenticity, to say nothing of mere sentiment at the possibility of gaining a bit of the past along with a new home. Owners of modernist properties in widely separated areas of the country are shocked to see their neighboring "twins" razed, or remodeled beyond recognition, in order to fatten the sellers' -- and their realtors' -- wallets to the maximum possible extent. It's far worse when unique homes such as ours fall victim to the same base motive -- isn't it ? Must everything in America be made to dance to the tune of greed ?
I prefer to believe the the current owners of the Balch residence added to their house to suit themselves, rather than to favor some future owner. Am I hopelessly naive ?
SDR
Counting myself and my wife, good sport that she is, is the "few and far between" who alter their lifestyles to fit the house, there are limits to our bending...There are changes albeit subtle and not always seen or noticed, that we will make:
We will eventually put a dishwasher in the kitchen and move the clotheswasher elsewhere.
We will alter the kitchen cabinetry to accomodate drawers with roller hardware and stops..wood on wood grinding together for 57 years causes drawers to not fit, deposit sawdust on the drawer below, and lack of stops has caused drawers to fall out when opened too far.
Mahogany veneer plywood as a countertop material was used in the Sweeton house as an alternate to the specified linoleum, during construction. The plywood delaminated and rotted in the late '50s and was replaced by tile in the bath (mostly popped out now from 40 years of water swelling the wood substrate), and mahogany butcher block on the counter by the sink in the kitchen (which in turn has rotted through at the faucet, and has many hot pot, spoon, and cigarette scorches and chars). The original plywood tops remain next to the range with a long history of scorches burns in them as well. The wood work in the kitchen below 7' is in need of refinishing where possible and replacement where not. We will replace the countertops with more durable materials that are still appropriate to the character of the spaces.
The tub/shower was designed to have ...get this...painted concrete block on the long side and redwood veneer plywood at the front and rear surrounds. Needless to say, the plywood has delaminated, and the poorly ventilated bath (fan shared with the kitchen was intentionally blocked years ago) grew a great crop of mold on the CMU. The previous owner installed a white fiberglass surround at the tub to a height of 6' in the 1980's which, predictably, is peeling off the delaminated plywood. We will eventually remove the surround and install a durable and architecturally symapthetic replacement.
Changes do need to be made if the houses are to continue to be used as houses. Loren Pope's house can be pristine because it is not lived in. The Sweeton house cannot be frozen in 1951. Wright himself snickered at Colonial Williamsburg...he referred to one of its restoration specialists as the "head embalmer". The ticklish issue is these are not just works of art like paintings or trailered Dusenbergs....people live in them; they cook, eat, wash, and crap in them. Unless we want them all owned and cared for by the super rich or the government, and sheltered behind velvet ropes, they need to be able to be lived in by sympathetic people. Not all of those sympathetic people can afford to keep them as time machines or want to live in a time warp..some do.
The trick is to keep as much original as is practical and to realize which quirky details are important to the overall concept, and which are just plain quirky or tied to the practices of the day (see my roof condensation discussion). An understanding of the design intent is key...I don't claim to have it, but I'm gradually working toward it.
We will eventually put a dishwasher in the kitchen and move the clotheswasher elsewhere.
We will alter the kitchen cabinetry to accomodate drawers with roller hardware and stops..wood on wood grinding together for 57 years causes drawers to not fit, deposit sawdust on the drawer below, and lack of stops has caused drawers to fall out when opened too far.
Mahogany veneer plywood as a countertop material was used in the Sweeton house as an alternate to the specified linoleum, during construction. The plywood delaminated and rotted in the late '50s and was replaced by tile in the bath (mostly popped out now from 40 years of water swelling the wood substrate), and mahogany butcher block on the counter by the sink in the kitchen (which in turn has rotted through at the faucet, and has many hot pot, spoon, and cigarette scorches and chars). The original plywood tops remain next to the range with a long history of scorches burns in them as well. The wood work in the kitchen below 7' is in need of refinishing where possible and replacement where not. We will replace the countertops with more durable materials that are still appropriate to the character of the spaces.
The tub/shower was designed to have ...get this...painted concrete block on the long side and redwood veneer plywood at the front and rear surrounds. Needless to say, the plywood has delaminated, and the poorly ventilated bath (fan shared with the kitchen was intentionally blocked years ago) grew a great crop of mold on the CMU. The previous owner installed a white fiberglass surround at the tub to a height of 6' in the 1980's which, predictably, is peeling off the delaminated plywood. We will eventually remove the surround and install a durable and architecturally symapthetic replacement.
Changes do need to be made if the houses are to continue to be used as houses. Loren Pope's house can be pristine because it is not lived in. The Sweeton house cannot be frozen in 1951. Wright himself snickered at Colonial Williamsburg...he referred to one of its restoration specialists as the "head embalmer". The ticklish issue is these are not just works of art like paintings or trailered Dusenbergs....people live in them; they cook, eat, wash, and crap in them. Unless we want them all owned and cared for by the super rich or the government, and sheltered behind velvet ropes, they need to be able to be lived in by sympathetic people. Not all of those sympathetic people can afford to keep them as time machines or want to live in a time warp..some do.
The trick is to keep as much original as is practical and to realize which quirky details are important to the overall concept, and which are just plain quirky or tied to the practices of the day (see my roof condensation discussion). An understanding of the design intent is key...I don't claim to have it, but I'm gradually working toward it.