Mid Century Modern Architecture

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

Finally, this one story is one of my favorites. It is about 4000sq ft. I've been told that there is an indoor pool, or maybe part indoor/part outdoor. The exterior is field stone with green tinted windows and copper gutters.

There are many other fine examples of Mid-Century architecture around here. Personally, I would never buy a flat roofed house in this area - too much rainfall.

I'll try to go further up the road today, one place has a neat split driveway with a shrub and rock landscape theme.

5-31-2009-10-25-23--58limited.jpg
 
58 Limited . . .

That second house (with the for sale sign) is very interesting. It has lots of International Style and Bauhaus influences, as distinct from the MCM ranch style of most of the others. I'd love to know its' history - I don't think it's a developer house but rather a custom house, probably designed by an architect.

The bottom house is very nice too, and looks to be quite original. It would look better without the semi-circular driveway though.
 
Flat roofs

A friend of mine who owned a roofing company once commented about flat roofs: "They all leak"...

When I asked why, the basic answer was that they generally leaked through the penetrations. On a sloped roof, the roofing material can be overlapped so that water drains down around the penetrations and their flashings. On a flat roof, there must be a water-tight seal around everything, and given the vagaries of sun, wind, rain, etc, sooner or later something pulls apart and then the fun starts. Plus the no-no of people walking on flat roofs.
 
Jim, I was driving my '77 Lincoln Continental convertible.

Rich, when I first moved here the owners of a couple of the flat roofed houses would have the roofs re-tarred about every two to three years. Most of those houses have changed hands and I haven't seen any roofing activity. I'll bet that they will have a rude surprise before long.
 
That house (with the Lakeshore street sign) is terrific! I wonder though why the wall of brick interspersed with with the flagstone. Seems a little out of place, but otherwise, talk about your linear look! Love that flying carport roof.

In theory, even residential flatroofs are supposed to have a little bit of pitch to avoid ponding. Tar and gravel works pretty well, if maintained. Guess what? Nobody maintains 'em (or the scuppers). Practically all commercial buildings are "flatroofs" but I notice roll-out rubber roofing being the primary covering these days. Few seems, quite durable, easy to patch. We've made some real advancements in roofing materials the last few years, but the biggest failures are lack of knowledge on installation, and lack of upkeep.

There's a gorgeous butterfly roof locally that was turned into a shed roof some time in the past, if you can believe it. Talk about disproportionate!

Cory
 
Have you ever cruised through Arden Park?

Arden Park? Not familier with that unless you mean Arden Arcade. That is the area around Arden Fair Mall and Arden Way. I have seen neighbor hoods in that area with similar MCMA's. It blends in with Carmichal with also has neighborhoods with some MCMA's. My sister use to live in one there. If I find the time I will take a run out there and see if I can snap some photos.
 
flat roofs: "They all leak"...

Here are some photos of houses with re-designed roofs. Some were flat top,some were not. Most of the HVAC duct work was exposed on these style house. They now have an attic so the duct work is not exposed now....

6-2-2009-00-38-52--spankomatic.jpg
 
I think Arden Park

Is South of Arden , East of Watt, West of Eastern (not positve
on the Eastern boundary) and North of Fair Oaks. I think it
was in full swing by 1949 and continued to 1960 as far as the
prime building times. Lots of good mcm's, custom tracty. No doubt about it, there are great mcm's all over the "Greater Sacramento" area.
 
5 I have been inside this one. Very cool. The house is the WRONG color though... Would look much better with a different color.

6-2-2009-00-51-45--spankomatic.jpg
 
6 I have been inside this house also.. Very nice sunkin family room with raised fire place. Also sunkin double walk in showers in the master bath.

6-2-2009-00-54-28--spankomatic.jpg
 
neptunebob

Sure the Jetsons would be considered MCM!

I really like the style of that school! The two-story front configuration DOES remind you of the Jetson's skypad apartments.

I think more schools should be individually designed with an emphasis on modern styles. I see too many new schools that are just boxes connected together. No personality.

My old alma mater, in my old hometown of Augusta, KS, is mid-century modern style. The gymnasium has flying gables, the commons area is sunken with a wall of floor to ceiling windows that look out onto the courtyard. The main office has a glass front with sliding glass doors for entry. It was built in 1973 I believe. I will obtain a photograph or two the next time I'm there.

~Tim
 
Certainly the whole aesthetic of The Jetsons was much influenced by the most modish architecture and design of the MCM era, so in that respect the show was Mid-Century.

From the rendering of the proposed new high school it's difficult to tell how truly Mid-Century it would be. The soaring triangular canopy at the entrance looks like it was cribbed directly from one of Albert Frey's most famous designs, a gas station in Palm Springs that has now been transformed into a visitor center. The rest of the school is an eclectic combination of various influences, even a bit of '70s Brutalism and then some shopping mall skylights. From the small scale of the rendering it's hard to tell what materials are being proposed and that's a key part of any design - are the red roofs sheetmtal, and do I see matching red windows at the upper corners of those trianular curtainwalls, a la Cesar Pelli? To be honest I feel for any architect trying to design a school now: the big issue is budget, and things like quality and good design often take a back seat. I wish them luck, and give them points for trying to do something other than a generic box.

Here is Frey's gas station. If it were in concrete then it would look more like something from John Lautner, another master of MCM architecture and creator of the Elrod House as pictured above. Just imagine leaving the Elrod house in a '59 Electra convertible and wafting over to Frey's gas station for a fillup . . .

6-2-2009-22-43-59--hydralique.jpg
 
You can't let MCM get shabby! It loses its look!

That elementary school is kind of like a mini version of the present HS. Actually even though the present HS has a 50's look it was a dark, depressing, overheated and creepy place on the inside as far back as the 70s. It's so bad off that the architects decided that it would cost as much to refursbish it as to build a new building (hydralique being an architect do you know anything about how a decision like this is made?). The link below is from the architect, it kind of explains the way they were thinking. It's kind of what they do on Trading Spaces.

One thing will be different I think: This design calls for balconies on the second floor - you should have heard what the audience had to say about that - The kids will throw each other over the balcony!

http://www.phsd.k12.pa.us/pdf/ProposedModelD.pdf
 
Here is the gym and auditorium of the high school in Port Arthur. Formerly known as Thomas Jefferson, the school was renamed to Memorial H.S. in 2003. The rest of the school looks like the elementary school posted by Jim, but is two stories.

Not a great pic, took from car.

6-3-2009-13-09-18--58limited.jpg
 

Similar threads

T
GE Wall Fridge LW-11 repairs - This one was a mess!
Replies
3
Views
323
turbokinetic
T
combo52
Warning never ever use Tesla for solar panels
Replies
3
Views
136
firedome
firedome
W
Rental Woes...
Replies
7
Views
510
stan
stan
H
New to me Kenmore 80 series - questions and advisory
Replies
5
Views
289
HighpowerXTL5K
H
F
Housing market update
Replies
18
Views
156
ea56
ea56

Latest posts

Back
Top