Unsonian for sale

[jim]

Usonian for sale in the San Francisco exurbs. A Beautiful Usonian, not by Wright but by Taliesin Associated Architects, with working drawings signed by Wes Peters in 1963. The Donald W. Aitken house, built for Mr. Aitken and his wife, who was the daughter of Herbert and Katherine Jacobs (Jacobs First Residence [S 234] and Jacobs Second Residence [S283]). The newly completed building is pictured in "Frank Lloyd Wright, America's Greates Architect,", by Herbert Jacobs, Harcourt, Brace & World, 1965 (opposite page 161).



An "in-line right handed plan" in Storrer parlance, rendered in beautifully executed desert rubblestone; glass; and luhan mahogany for trim, partitions, and ceilings. Located one-half hour south of San Francisco along the Bay Area Ridge Trail, on 5.8 acres surrounded on three sides by the Russian Ridge Open-Space Preserve. House looks nrthwest into oak woodlands and the Coast Range, with some views the Pacific in the distance from portions of the property.



Interior has a strong family resemblance to the Usonian Exhibition House (S 370) with celing in 4' x 4' mahogany plywood panels. Plan similar to Loveness (S 391) except all bedrooms are on one side of the living room. Plan can also be compared with Pratt (S 295), Feiman (S 371), Trier (S 398). Facade, window treatment, and cornice details similar to Loveness. In fact, the private facade looks much like the Storrer photograph of Loveness.



While Peters was responsible for some terrible buildings, this is not one of them. Wright scholars would have to study the Taliesin archives, but I suspect this was either designed by Howe or some other very talented apprentice, or that this was a design previously prepard by Wright for a different client and different site before his demise.



While it clearly cannot be called a Wright, it is very nice indeed. And astoundingly, the realtor has absolutely no idea what they have. The first ad had a picture of the public facade, and mentioned The Frank Lloyd Foundation, but subsequent ads make no mention of design quality or lineage. The price is $1,548,000, which in Woodside, where it is located, might buy a vacant lot. In San Francisco new condos are going for up to $1200/square foot, and this price would get you a two-bedroom on a lower floor. The way it is being marketed, at a price which is an ablsolute steal, it could well be bought as a tear-down by someone who does not appreciate its design quality.



The house appears to be in reasonably good shape, although the housekeeping and yard maintenace could be described as a little haphazard. There are two cracks in the living room floor, although the realtor says the radiant heat works. There is also something a little funny with one of the bedroom partitions. Glass is single pane, and the celing does not appear to be insulated. It undoubtedly is cold when the fog rolls in. The kitchen (larger than many Usonians) and the bathrooms are in good condition. There are 3 bedrooms (the master completely enclosed;the 2 others with 3/4 height pony walls), 2 baths, a two car carport with a large exterior storage area (in the manner of Kraus, and others). The house is located down a 2000' dirt fire road, maintained by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, with 4 or 5 other driveways but no visable houses; and further down a 1000' once-paved road that appears to be on this large rural parcel. There is a well, an underground reservoir for fire protection, underground electric, gas, a wood deck at ground level and a hot tub (both of no design quality), and solar hot water panels on the hillside below. The house is well sited, with a triangular terrace (on desert rubblestone) on the private side, and a desert rubblestone retaining wall forming the entry on the public side.



Also on the property is a 1,000 sq. ft. geodesic dome (of no design quality) and the ruins of a couple of stables. A bit of the cornice of one other (modern) house is visible from the property, as is a high tension power line you drive under when entering the property, otherwise you could be in a Wilderness area.



The realtor's (Cashin Realty) website listing is:



www.cashin



home search



Cashin listings



city: scroll to Woodside



address is 20100 Skyline Boulevard, Woodside, 94062.



I hope this opportunity finds a buyer who appreciates it. They will get a marvelous house at an unbelievable price. I am sure the realtor thinks the house is a liability and that the property would sell better vacant.

[KevinW]

Thanks for posting this, I really fear for the future of this house. It no doubt will be marketed as a tear down so some with more money than taste can build their Taco Bell on Steroids! Makes me sick. This house is a little gem. Dr. Aitken is a recognized authority on Eco-Architecture. See link; http://www.donaldaitkenassociates.com/

While Peters signed the drawings, it is quite possible he had a number of locals to assist in either its design, and very likely its construction. Also in Woodside is the MidGlen Studio, Taliesin Fellow (1940's) Bill Patricks' compound. Northern California was and is home to one of the largest groups of former apprentices anywhere. Also in the area was my former boss Aaron Green, Bob Beharka, Jack Howe worked for Aaron in the 1960's, Wes, Aaron and Jack were very close.

To me the house has Jack written all over it! Too simple (in a good way) for Wes, and it lacks the overall wholeness and attention to detail to be of Aarons' hand. Jack was with Aaron in 1967 if memory serves. So the date of 1968 certainly looks good for Jack.

Lets keep an eye on this, see what happens. I will call my friend at the archives and send her the listing, she will have some info, I am sure.

Thanks again.

[jim]

Fascinating to learn a little more of the real story! Thanks very much.

[therman7g]

"Peters played an enormous role in the development of Modern architecture in America because he figured out how to build what Wright intuitively designed," architectural scholar Jonathan Lipman told the Associated Press, which also quoted Peters' colleague Marshall Erdman as saying: "This is the end of an era. Wes was the pillar who carried on after Mr. Wright died."



Latimes.com



http://www.calendarlive.com/galleriesan ... t-features

[KevinW]

In 2001 I purchased several of the Wes Peters designed furnishings, from the Benton House, including two diferent sets of bookends, and tables. I always liked the Benton House, so when those items became available, I jumped at the chance to own them. From time to time you will see some of the bookends on ebay. They are really delightful items.

[John95819]

Awesome house. If only I lived in the Bay Area and made a few more bucks!



I wonder if any attempt is being made to market it based on its architectural merits....however since the asking price is most certainly giving a "value in the land only" sentiment, I fear for this house.



BTW, to me its masonry is evocative of the Berger house, also located in Northern California.



John

[wjsaia]

The Aitken house was designed by David Wheatley. David had been married to Elizabeth Aitken's sister, Susan. Elizabeth and Susan are the daughters of Herb and Katherine Jacobs.

[RJH]

Usonian for sale in the San Francisco exurbs.



A Beautiful Usonian, not by Wright

but by Taliesin Associated Architects, with working drawings signed by Wes

Peters in 1963. The Donald W. Aitken house, built for Mr. Aitken and his wife,

who was the daughter of Herbert and Katherine Jacobs (Jacobs First Residence [S

234] and Jacobs Second Residence [S283]). The newly completed building is

pictured in "Frank Lloyd Wright, America's Greates Architect,", by Herbert

Jacobs, Harcourt, Brace & World, 1965 (opposite page 161).



An "in-line right handed plan" in Storrer parlance, rendered in beautifully

executed desert rubblestone; glass; and luhan mahogany for trim, partitions, and

ceilings. Located one-half hour south of San Francisco along the Bay Area Ridge

Trail, on 5.8 acres surrounded on three sides by the Russian Ridge Open-Space

Preserve. House looks nrthwest into oak woodlands and the Coast Range, with some

views the Pacific in the distance from portions of the property.



Interior has a strong family resemblance to the Usonian Exhibition House (S 370)

with celing in 4' x 4' mahogany plywood panels. Plan similar to Loveness (S 391)

except all bedrooms are on one side of the living room. Plan can also be

compared with Pratt (S 295), Feiman (S 371), Trier (S 398). Facade, window

treatment, and cornice details similar to Loveness. In fact, the private facade

looks much like the Storrer photograph of Loveness.



While Peters was responsible for some terrible buildings, this is not one of

them. Wright scholars would have to study the Taliesin archives, but I suspect

this was either designed by Howe or some other very talented apprentice, or that

this was a design previously prepard by Wright for a different client and

different site before his demise.



While it clearly cannot be called a Wright, it is very nice indeed. And

astoundingly, the realtor has absolutely no idea what they have. The first ad

had a picture of the public facade, and mentioned The Frank Lloyd Foundation,

but subsequent ads make no mention of design quality or lineage. The price is

$1,548,000, which in Woodside, where it is located, might buy a vacant lot. In

San Francisco new condos are going for up to $1200/square foot, and this price

would get you a two-bedroom on a lower floor. The way it is being marketed, at a

price which is an ablsolute steal, it could well be bought as a tear-down by

someone who does not appreciate its design quality.



The house appears to be in reasonably good shape, although the housekeeping and

yard maintenace could be described as a little haphazard. There are two cracks

in the living room floor, although the realtor says the radiant heat works.

There is also something a little funny with one of the bedroom partitions. Glass

is single pane, and the celing does not appear to be insulated. It undoubtedly

is cold when the fog rolls in. The kitchen (larger than many Usonians) and the

bathrooms are in good condition. There are 3 bedrooms (the master completely

enclosed;the 2 others with 3/4 height pony walls), 2 baths, a two car carport

with a large exterior storage area (in the manner of Kraus, and others). The

house is located down a 2000' dirt fire road, maintained by the Midpeninsula

Regional Open Space District, with 4 or 5 other driveways but no visable houses;

and further down a 1000' once-paved road that appears to be on this large rural

parcel. There is a well, an underground reservoir for fire protection,

underground electric, gas, a wood deck at ground level and a hot tub (both of no

design quality), and solar hot water panels on the hillside below. The house is

well sited, with a triangular terrace (on desert rubblestone) on the private

side, and a desert rubblestone retaining wall forming the entry on the public

side.



Also on the property is a 1,000 sq. ft. geodesic dome (of no design quality) and

the ruins of a couple of stables. A bit of the cornice of one other (modern)

house is visible from the property, as is a high tension power line you drive

under when entering the property, otherwise you could be in a Wilderness area.



The realtor's (Cashin Realty) website listing is:



www.cashin



home search



Cashin listings



city: scroll to Woodside



address is 20100 Skyline Boulevard, Woodside, 94062.



I hope this opportunity finds a buyer who appreciates it. They will get a

marvelous house at an unbelievable price. I am sure the realtor thinks the house

is a liability and that the property would sell better vacant.

[jim]

Very nice to learn about David Wheatley and the history of the Aitken house. This house certainly shows his talent and accomplishment. Thanks!

[jim]

After almost 2 months of mis-marketing, the price has been reduced by $110,000 to $1,475,000. See www.cashin.com and go to Woodside.

[JimM]

The odds of this house surviving in that neighborhood are nil, unless a VERY sympathetic buyer pops up.



Unfortunately, it looks nice enough. The detailing looks too "clean" to be completely by Wes; but you never know. All in all, the budget probably dictated keeping this usonian as simple and appealing as it appears, as opposed to the more over-detailed designs that later, well off, clients received.

[Roderick Grant]

Frankly, I was disappointed with the interior shots. The scale looks wrong. But you are right, JimM, it doesn't look like Wes at all, which is a good thing. The one thing I don't understand is why it has not yet sold. That price for 5.8 acres adjacent to land that can never be subdivided in one of the most desirable cities in the state seems like an excellent deal. But once sold, the house will disappear, for sure.

[jim]

Roderick Grant - You obviously are better informed and have a better eye than I do. I would be grateful if you would help educate me on what is wrong with the interior proportions.

[Roderick Grant]

The relationship between horizontal and vertical doesn't look quite right to me. It's hard to judge any building second hand, but just from the photos posted on the realtor's site, it looks too tall. Both Donald and Elizabeth are tall, and perhaps they would have felt cramped in a more typical FLW-scaled house, so there is probably a good reason for the scale as it is. But it just doesn't look good to me. I would like to see it first-hand; that would probably be an entirely different experience.

[jim]

Yes I believe you are right - the ceilings are higher than a typical Wright Usonian. And I guess that does make it seem more ordinary and less magical. Thanks for the tip.