Dominic Bradbury is a busy man.
No sooner did a copy of his “Iconic American Homes” land on our doorstep than his “Mid-Century Modern Design – A Complete Sourcebook” arrived via UPS.
But let’s tackle the former first. Subtitled “Architectural Masterworks since 1900,” it’s a 320-page tome dedicated to 50 modern American icons. Bradbury provided the prose; Richard Powers handled the photography.
All the major projects are here, including Farnsworth, Douglas, Falllingwater and the Glass House, among others. But there are some lesser-known works too that are just as powerful.
“We were picking out houses with particular resonance.” Bradbury says. “We gathered them into a larger narrative, telling a story through individual houses with different threads and strands and crossovers and serendipitous moments that connect them together.”
Powers took between 20 to 40 shots of each house, so the selection process was wide-reaching. “Everything was freshly shot by Richard,” he says. “It’s a great mixture of material.”
Many of the homes selected were driven by site, context and regional styles. “Even something like the Glass House, you don’t think it’s like a contextual building but it’s very carefully located on the brow of a hill looking out below,” he says. “One of most the amazing things is its setting and surroundings.”
Then there are the material choices for projects, like Charles Gwathmey’s home for his parents in Amagansett. “Before he died, he said he’d wanted to build it out of concrete but couldn’t afford it, so he built it out of timber,” he says. “And the timber is the character of his house and a thread through many of his other buildings and work.”
All in all, the book tells the story of American modernism during the 20th and 21st centuries. “We’re not following one perspective or even our own preference but wanted to show different approaches and capture the variety,” he says.
From Welton Becket to William Zimmerman, they’ve pulled together an encyclopedia of contemporary American architecture.
For more, go here.
“The sinuous roof line creates a doubleheight space to the front, with framed
views across the treetops; this part of the
studio serves as a gallery.”
Nakashima Farmstead & Conoid Studio
NEW HOPE, PENNSYLVANIA
George Nakashima (1959)
Photograph: Richard Powers
"The beautifully crafted kitchen was
designed by Wharton Esherick, and
has been lovingly looked after by the
current owners.”
Margaret Esherick House
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Louis Kahn (1961)
Photograph: Richard Powers
"“The clamshell surface of the building was
made with poured concrete, which was
then coated in a protective layer of
synthetic rubber.”
Sculptured House
GOLDEN, COLORADO
Charles Deaton (1965)
Photograph: Richard Powers
“Landscaping softens the single-story
home, with an ornamental lake and
integrated planting creating connections
to the natural world.”
Sunnylands
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA
A. Quincy Jones (1966)
Photograph: Richard Powers
“Esherick’s home adapts to the
landscape’s gentle shifts in level;
planting is sensitive and naturalistic,
with flagstone terraces to one side.”
Esherick Hedgerow House
SEA RANCH, CALIFORNIA
Joseph Esherick (1966)
Photograph: Richard Powers
"In the dining room, the table, chairs,
rug and mural, which is by Garth
Benton, are all original to the house.”
Gerald Ford Estate
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIFORNIA
Welton Becket & Associates (1978)
Photograph: Richard Powers
"The entrance courtyard offers a
borderland between inside and out,
setting a tempting tone for the journey
into and around the house.”
Joe & Etsuko Price Residence
CORONA DEL MAR, CALIFORNIA
Bart Prince (1989)
Photograph: Richard Powers
“The steel-framed master pavilion offers
a fluid, double-height living space, with
vast winding windows that retract to
connect inside and out.”
House at Toro Canyon
MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA
Barton Myers (1999)
Photograph: Richard Powers
“The house unfolds dramatically to the
rear gardens, where a series of terraces
and semi-shaded outdoor rooms lead
down towards the swimming pool and
lawn.”
Greenberg House
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Ricardo Legorreta (1991)
Photograph: Richard Powers
“The overlapping plates that shelter the
house create a carapace in the rugged
landscape, nestling gently among the
rocks and boulders.”
High Desert House
JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA
Kendrick Bangs Kellogg (1993)
Photograph: Richard Powers
“The central, open-plan living area is
largely concentrated on the view out
across the water, yet the integrated
fireplace also offers another key focal
point for the seating area.”
The Pierre
SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WASHINGTON
Tom Kundig / Olson Kundig (2010)
Photograph: Richard Powers
"In the living area, boulders push
upwards through the flagstones next to
the fireplace; fitted sofas reduce the
amount of free-floating furniture."
Fallingwater
MILL RUN, PENNSYLVANIA
Frank Lloyd Wright (1939)
Photograph: Richard Powers
"“The semi-covered porch sits within one
segment of the main dome, holding an
outdoor fireplace at lower ground level and
a balcony above.”
Ford House
AURORA, ILLINOIS
Bruce Goff (1950)
Photograph: Richard Powers
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Tags: Book Review, featured, Iconic American House
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