Rudolph Michael Schindler, who went by Michael, was one of the most important Modernist architects of the 20th century, yet he is largely unknown to the public outside California.  Frank Lloyd Wright hired him in 1918, and soon he was running Wright's studio in Oak Park the later in Los Angeles. Schindler and Wright argued frequently and eventually Schindler quit, becoming a huge success on his own.  Schindler and his wife Pauline were dead center in the Los Angeles creative scene, hanging out with the era's celebrities in art, sculpture, design, and dance. Richard Neutra and his wife lived at King's Road with Schindlers for several years! We talk with Dr. Mary Schindler, his daughter-in-law, perhaps one of the last living people who knew Michael Schindler, who died in 1953.  She was married to his son Mark at the time and lived in their famous King’s Road house with Mark, Michael, and Pauline. We also talk with musician Guillaume Schindler, Schindler's great-grandson, who is a docent at the King's Road house.  And did you know that, briefly, Dr. Mary Schindler was Groucho Marx' therapist?

What makes a house too big?  And is it really anyone’s business other than the owner?  We talk with Thomas Bena and Mollie Doyle, stars and creators of the new documentary One Big Home, based in Martha's Vineyard MA.  Like many wealthy coastal communities, new homes there are not the cottages which have dominated the area for centuries.  10,000 sf and 20,000sf and even larger McMansions started appearing during the 1990’s.  One Big Home is a documentary about Thomas Bena's work to curb the disruption of life on the island by giant houses.  But the film is more than the story of a cause.  Along the way, he found a girlfriend, Mollie Doyle, they married, moved, had a beautiful daughter named Emma - all events that influenced or changed his progress and perspective on the film and his life. 

Fire Island, just 50 miles from New York City, was one of the few gathering places in the 1950’s where gay people could feel safe in a world that certainly did not offer such a welcome.  It was also a haven for the creative class from New York and LA who built houses by Andrew Geller, Harry Bates, and the unbelievably attractive Horace Gifford. Our guest is Chris Rawlins, architect and author of critically-acclaimed Fire Island Modernist: Horace Gifford and the Architecture of Seduction.  Chris is an architect who lives in New York City and Fire Island and is founder of Pines Modern, a non-profit preservation initiative documenting the island’s architecture. We also talk with the last living mid-century architect of Fire Island, Harry Bates, whose masterful Modernist coastal residences adorn both Fire Island and the Hamptons.

Ever wondered how the famed children's book Knuffle Bunny intersects with thoughtful urban planning?  Probably not. However, today's guest is well-versed in both! Allison Arieff is editorial director of SPUR, a San Francisco-based thinktank promoting urban planning in the Bay area. Allison writes about architecture, design, and cities for the New York Times, California Sunday, Wired, MIT Technology Review, and CityLab. She is a former editor-at-large for GOOD and Sunset magazines and was a founding editor at DWELL, one of our favorite design publications.  Allison is the author of Prefab, Trailer Travel: A Visual History of Mobile America, and Airstream: The History of the Land Yacht. She's been on NPR, KQED Forum, the Diane Rehm Show, the Sundance Channel, HGTV, CNN Money, and 99% invisible.

One of the problems with preserving futuristic-looking Modernist buildings is that they just don’t look that old.  They aren’t universally loved, in fact some of them weren’t that popular when they were built.  The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private nonprofit organization to decelerate the destruction of important artistic treasures throughout the world.  You might have heard of the Leaning Tower of Pisa?  They helped fix it.  Well, they helped stop the extra leaning.  We'll talk with Joshua David, President and CEO of the WMF about the fund's latest focus on Modernist buildings around the world. Filmmaker and high school teacher Matthew Silva produced the acclaimed documentary “Modern Ruin” about one highly endangered Modernist site, the New York State Pavilion in Queens New York, or if you’re under 40, the Men In Black headquarters. As a kid. Matthew would ride past the ruined, hulking New York State Pavilion, built for the 1964 World’s Fair, and wonder what it was. Years later while studying architecture, he could not believe such a visible building by Philip Johnson could be left to ruin. His film charted the up and down history of the complex and has led to new public funding for its preservation.

Host George Smart reports from the USModernist trip to London last May.  He visits architect Alison Brooks who has won the triple crown of the UK's most prestigious awards for architecture: the RIBA Stirling Prize, the Manser Medal and the Stephen Lawrence Prize. Do you know you've arrived as an architect when your building gets a nickname?  And, for the first time, you'll hear the guys all sing!   

Host George Smart reports from February's Modernism Week in Palm Springs, the center for all things Mid-Century Modernist!  He spoke poolside from the Hotel Skylark with keynote speakers from the amazing week of design, art, food, lectures, movies - a delightful week. George talks with Penelope Seidler, her daughter Polly Seidler, and documentary producer Daryl Dellora who created a compelling documentary about Australian architect Harry Seidler, Polly’s dad and Penelope’s husband. Harry Seidler, who died in 2006, was Australian architect considered to be one of the country's leading Modernists.  He designed more than 180 buildings and won many architectural awards throughout his 58-year career. Daryl Dellora is also the producer behind The Edge of the Possible, the story of Jorn Utzon and the Sydney Opera House.

June is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frank Lloyd Wright, the most famous architect in the world, still showing off 58 years after his death. Few architects have come close to Wright's arrogance, his brilliance, and his incredible output that's still with us plus buildings he designed that never got built. Today we talk with Eric Lloyd Wright, grandson of Frank, and son of Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr., aka Lloyd Wright. Although he aspired for another career, Eric eventually returned to his roots in architecture. Following his apprenticeship with his grandfather 1948-1956 he moved back to Los Angeles to work with his father until 1978. He has since been in private practice, creating his own projects plus helping clients of his grandfather and father restore and expand their buildings. Eric is the Obiwan Kenobi of architecture, involved in seven decades of buildings you know and love, such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York and Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin; the Wayfarer’s Chapel in Palos Verdes, California; plus restoring older Wright projects such as Auldbrass in South Carolina; the Storer and Ennis Residences in LA, and his own house – still under construction after 30 years in Malibu.  

Host George Smart reports from February's Modernism Week in Palm Springs, ground zero for all things Mid-Century Modernist!  He spoke poolside from the Hotel Skylark with keynote speakers from the week. And today is Indiana day! Todd Zeiger is the Northern Regional Director for Indiana Landmarks Director, a nonprofit saving significant and meaningful places.  He's been particularly working saving and restoring Fred Keck's House of Tomorrow, a home that was ahead of it's time 80 years ago and in many ways still is. Jennifer Sandy is a Senior Field Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, currently living in Chicago. She manages a diverse portfolio of National Treasure campaigns, working to save historic places by providing on-the-ground support to individuals, communities, and organizations engaged in protecting America’s heritage. Marsh Davis is the President of Indiana Landmarks. He is an ardent preservationist and has successfully saved several wonderful buildings. Davis co-wrote 99 Historic Homes of Indiana: A Look Inside. He is a founder of the National Barn Alliance and originated the long-standing Barn Again in Indiana program.  

Kate Wagner created the riotously popular blog McMansionhell.com where she tears into the impractically large, ridiculously constructed, and often hilariously furnished monuments to wealth misspent.  As a writer for Curbed and other design publications, she has appeared on 99% Invisible and has her own TEDx talk.  Like us, she's a fan of Modernist evil lairs, writing on buildings used in film to depict the evil corporation archetype in Robocop, Blade Runner, and The Matrix.  She's got a huge following and a new book in the works!

Host George Smart reports from February's Modernism Week in Palm Springs, the Mecca for all things Mid-Century Modernist!  He spoke poolside from the Hotel Skylark with keynote speakers from the week. Annalisa Capurro, aka Ms. Modernism, is a interior designer, design educator, architectural historian, speaker, writer, preservationist, MCM photographer, and mid-century design afficionado who lives in the 1956 Russell Jack House in Sydney, Australia. She is an educator at Design Centre Enmore and the University of New South Wales. At Modernism Week 2017, she starred in SEXY & CULTURE, six presentations on surprising topics related to sexual mores in the MCM world. She love-love-loves the color orange. Brooke Hodge is an architect, journalist, and blogger for the New York Times Style Magazine - and the Director of Architecture and Design at the Palm Springs Art Museum, overseeing their huge architectural assets including the Architecture and Design Center and the 1964 Albert Frey house. She's worked for some of the greatest names in design museums: the Cooper Hewitt Museum, the Hammer Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. She's also into Japan, California, juggling, modeling hats, and writing Mad Libs. Besides serving as Treasurer for Palm Springs Modernism Week, which is a huge job, Mark Davis is Chair of the Aluminaire Foundation, dedicated to preserving, moving, and rebuilding Albert Frey's and Lawrence Kocher's iconic Aluminaire House from New York to Palm Springs.  Spoiler: they moved it.  Next challenge, getting it rebuilt.  You can help!

A lot of Modernist houses you love from the 1950's and 1960's are going the way of unfortunate "renovations" or the bulldozer, largely because few people are aware of their architectural significance.  Although most houses by famous architects are on lists, it's difficult to find where they are actually located. We talk with two expert house trackers who have between them documented thousands of houses and flown tens of thousands of miles to visit them! Jan-Richard Kikkert is an Amsterdam-based architect and head of the Architectural Department of the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture. He has visited every project designed by John Lautner, over 300 from Los Angeles to Aspen and from Anchorage to Acapulco.  He is Head of Architecture Department at the Amsterdam University of the Arts and a member of the Board of Advisors of the John Lautner Foundation.  He was in the documentary Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner. Paul Moore is a former architect turned IT professional. He graduated with a BS in Architecture from the University of Michigan in 1986 and moved to Los Angeles to study at SCI-ARC. He started working on the digital version of Sweet's Catalogs for several years and in 2007, began using online mapping tools to locate public art and architecture posting to VirtualGlobeTrotting.com.  He has searched for and found nearly 11,000 houses!

Host George Smart reports from February's Modernism Week in Palm Springs, the Mecca for all things Mid-Century Modernist!  He spoke poolside from the Hotel Skylark with keynote speakers from the amazing annual event. Bill Earls is the author of The Harvard Five in New Canaan, Modernist houses by Breuer, Gores, Johansen, Johnson, and Noyes.  A virtual tour of thirty-five landmark houses, 1947-1966, that elicited strong reactions from nearly everyone who saw them and are still astonishing today. Devon Chivvis is a writer, director, and producer of narrative and documentary television and film with a passion for visual storytelling. Since 2003, she has produced, written, and directed documentary and narrative television and film for a variety of clients such as Nat Geo Channel and Travel Channel. She's working on a documentary on the Harvard Five architects with Bill Earls. Bert Simonis is the producer of Quiet Elegance, a documentary on Palm Springs architect Hugh Kaptur. Originally from Amsterdam, Simonis' other documentaries include The Last First Comic, an award-winning film chronicling the start of stand-up comedy in the burlesque industry; Mid-Century Moderns: The Homes That Define Palm Springs; 88 Days in the Mother Lode: Mark Twain Finds His Voice; and The Neon Struggle.

Today we explore two different approaches to reviving Modernist buildings: preserving them or building them from scratch! Michael Miner is a documentary filmmaker who since 2002 has devoted his career entirely to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, chronicling the master architect’s buildings in a series of films. Miner’s first Wright film, Sacred Spaces, was completed in 2005 followed by A Child of the Sun, the story of the West Campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland and Romanza, which was released in 2011. Miner's fourth film is called Masterpieces. But here what's really interesting - he's on a mission to actually build some of Wright's unbuilt buildings starting in Banff, Canada. Liz Waytkus is the Executive Director of Docomomo US, the leading preservation organization dedicated to the preservation of modern architecture, landscapes, and design. She has worked to increase the awareness of and appreciation for significant modern sites and developed annual Docomomo US National Symposium and the Modernism in America Awards. Her organization's most recent success was preserving the Ambassador Grill near the United Nations in NYC.

Host George Smart reports from February's Modernism Week in Palm Springs, the Mecca for all things Modernist!  He spoke poolside from the Hotel Skylark with keynote speakers from the week. Alan Hess is a journalist, historian, architect, and author with 19 books specifically addressing mid-century modernism and countless appearances in architecture documentaries.  He's the Samuel L. Jackson of architecture movies! Janice Lyle is the Director of Operations for Sunnylands Center and Gardens, known as the "Western White House" or “Camp David West” as a secure facility established by Walter and Leonore Annenberg for internationally significant meetings.  Like world-leaders level of significant!  She is the author of "Sunnylands: America’s Midcentury Masterpiece" and is the former Director of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

If you’ve seen a thriller like North By Northwest or Diamonds are Forever (or many others since) you may have noticed that the bad guy has impeccable taste.  The classic villain has custom-tailored suits (or dresses, let’s not be sexist), a high-end car you can’t even buy used at Carmax, a British or vaguely Russian accent, and a gorgeous Modernist house, preferably with a killer view as certainly there will be some killing going on.  We're talking about Evil Lairs, the tricked-out Modoernist houses no self-respecting villain intent on world domination would be without.  Our guests are two authors who have written about some of these infamous houses, both real and imagined. Adele Cygelman was editor-in-chief of the Robb Report Collection and Senior editor at Architectural Digest, both of which surely had villain Ernst Blofeld as well as James Bond as readers.  She is the author of “Palm Springs Modern” which was the first book to focus on desert modern architecture and its talented architects.  The book has been a best-seller since 1999 and was re-issued in 2015 to rediscover the timeless, cool appeal of the mid-century modern.  Adele spoke at Modernism Week this year on Arthur Elrod, who you’ll learn about shortly. Christine Madrid French is a nationally known advocate for the study and preservation of American architecture. After working as a historian for the National Park Service, she directed the Modernism Program for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and taught at the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida.  I consider her ten-year fight to save Neutra’s Cyclorama in Pennsylvania is considered one of the heroic legends in preservation, even though the bulldozer ultimately prevailed.  Her new book, Critical Insights Series: Alfred Hitchcock, will be out soon.    

Tom goes around the world!  Frank is Shanghai'd!  And George mumbles something about an evil lair!  Learn more about what's coming up as USMR resumes March 6 with great guests.

In 1957, architect Jorn Utzon unexpectedly won the commission for the iconic Sydney Opera House.  His submission was one of 233 designs from 32 countries, many of them from the most famous architects of the day.  Saarinen described the design as "genius" and declared he could not endorse any other choice. Yet building the project was rife with politics, cost overruns, incompetent cost estimators in the Australian government, and years and years of wrangling.  Utzon was eventually fired, though no fault of his own. The Opera House was finally completed, and opened in 1973.  Utzon was rehired in 1999 to develop a master plan and bring closure to a long-running drama. Annalisa Capurro is an interior designer, writer and speaker working in the sectors of commercial, residential, hospitality, conservation/heritage and textile design, both in Australia and overseas.  She is a design educator at Sydney Institute's Design Centre Enmore in Sydney, Australia where she specialises in teaching design studio, design processes and methodology, material technologies, architectural and design history and conservation/restoration studies. She regularly presents public lectures including the Sydney Design Festival, Sydney Architecture Festival, Sydney Writers Festival and Modernism Week in Palm Springs.  She also owns the iconic 1957 Sulman Award-winning Jack House in Sydney designed by architect Russell Jack, founding partner of the prestigious Australian architectural firm Allen Jack + Cottier.

Sean Knorsandi of the Paul Rudolph Foundation Every year, Sarasota Mod in Sarasota FL throws a great conference on mid-century modern and this year was focused on Paul Rudolph, an architect who made his name in exciting coastal architecture before moving on to become Dean of Architecture at Yale.  Rudolph's work is recognized around the world for bold, progressive masses.  People are polarized around his work.  Modernists praise his visionary designs of concrete and steel, others see them as cold and impractical.  Sean Khorsandi is on the board of the Paul Rudolph Foundation, dedicated to continuing and preserving Rudolph's work.  George Smart spoke with him about architecture and about Rudolph during the Sarasota Mod conference last November.

Stephanie Grosskreutz of Visit Sarasota Every year, Sarasota Mod in Sarasota FL throws a great conference on mid-century modern and this year was focused on Paul Rudolph, an architect who made his name in exciting coastal architecture before moving on to become Dean of Architecture at Yale.  Rudolph's work is recognized around the world for bold, progressive masses.  People are polarized around his work.  Modernists praise his visionary designs of concrete and steel, others see them as cold and impractical.  Stephanie Grosskreutz works with Visit Sarasota, the folks who want you to travel down there and stay, dine, tour, and take in the scenery.  We talk about how Modernist architecture has impacted Sarasota and has become one of the big draws for people to visit.  George Smart spoke with her during the Sarasota Mod conference last November.

Every year, Sarasota Mod in Sarasota FL throws a great conference on mid-century modern and this year was focused on Paul Rudolph, an architect who made his name in exciting coastal architecture before moving on to become Dean of Architecture at Yale.  Rudolph's work is recognized around the world for bold, progressive masses.  People are polarized around his work.  Modernists praise his visionary designs of concrete and steel, others see them as cold and impractical.  Carl Abbott is one of the most important architects of the Sarasota style of Modernist design.  He studied at the University of Florida under Buckminster Fuller then received his Master’s from Yale with studies under Paul Rudolph and Louis Kahn. He has worked in Hawaii, in New York with I.M. Pei, and in London with classmates Lord Richard Rogers and Lord Norman Foster.  George Smart spoke with him about architecture and about Rudolph during the Sarasota Mod conference last November.  

Every year, Sarasota Mod in Sarasota FL throws a great conference on mid-century modern and this year was focused on Paul Rudolph, an architect who made his name in exciting coastal architecture before moving on to become Dean of Architecture at Yale.  Rudolph's work is recognized around the world for bold, progressive masses.  People are polarized around his work.  Modernists praise his visionary designs of concrete and steel, others see them as cold and impractical.  Dr. Christopher Wilson teaches architecture and design history at Ringling College of Art and Design. He has been a board member of the Sarasota Architectural Foundation since 2012.

Every year, Sarasota Mod in Sarasota FL throws a great conference on mid-century modern and this year was focused on Paul Rudolph, an architect who made his name in exciting coastal architecture before moving on to become Dean of Architecture at Yale.  Rudolph's work is recognized around the world for bold, progressive masses.  People are polarized around his work.  Modernists praise his visionary designs of concrete and steel, others see them as cold and impractical.  Larry Scarpa is a principal in Pugh+Scarpa, award-winning architects.  He worked for Rudolph and shares Rudolph's influence during a talk during the Sarasota Mod conference.

Every year, Sarasota Mod in Sarasota FL throws a great conference on mid-century modern and this year was focused on Paul Rudolph, an architect who made his name in exciting coastal architecture before moving on to become Dean of Architecture at Yale.  Rudolph's work is recognized around the world for bold, progressive masses.  People are polarized around his work.  Modernists praise his visionary designs of concrete and steel, others see them as cold and impractical.  Ernst Wagner was Rudolph's partner and has been working since his death to create a legacy Rudolph  organization.  We spoke to Wagner during the Sarasota Mod conference.

Hi folks, here's a few minutes of fun, our "best of" clips from 2015.  Happy New Year!  George, Frank, and Tom

Todd Kosmerick is University Archivist for NC State University's Archives.  He and his staff collect, preserve, and make accessible vast physical and online resources that document the growth and development of the university and its continued service to the people of North Carolina.  It provides a resource for study and scholarship while ensuring that future generations will have resources available to understand and interpret the history and achievements of North Carolinians. Designed by Terry Waugh, Harrelson Hall was the first round classroom structure ever built on a university campus.  With a huge 206 foot diameter and a long winding ramp to the top floor, staff and faculty offices were located on the rim, while lecture rooms are along the inner part of the building.  While folks generally admired the design concept, the building was generally hated as an academic building.  The weird-shaped, windowless classrooms, the wacky and rarely working HVAC, the too-easy temptation of skateboarders, bicyclists, and remote controlled cars careening down the pedestrian ramp four floors, and for a while the complete lack of an elevator - all contributed. After a long period of service, abandonment, and use as temporary offices as newer buildings were built, it is scheduled for deconstruction/demolition.  It was a really brilliant design idea that just didn't function. 

Architect Harwell Hamilton Harris FAIA never reached the celebrity status of his peers such as Richard Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright, yet his quieter career work stands as some of the most brilliant of the 20th century.  Practicing primarily in California, Texas, and North Carolina, his achievements in residential, commercial, and academic settings earned national admiration and awards including the Richard Neutra Medal and an honorary doctorate from North Carolina State University.  Architect Frank Harmon FAIA was Harwell's student, close friend, and executor of his estate.  Harmon was educated in North Carolina State University’s School of Design and at the Architectural Association in London.  After working with McMinn, Norfleet & Wicker of Greensboro, Richard Meier in New York, and Harmon & Simeloff in London, he founded Frank Harmon architect in 1985. His firm has won more than 40 design awards.  Harmon has received over 40 design awards, including the 2013 F. Carter Williams Gold Medal.  Harmon announced his retirement in November 2015.  Architect Jeffrey Lee writes:  “Across the architectural profession, Frank Harmon is the face of North Carolina architecture.“ Author Lisa Germany Ziegler has written on architecture since the early 1980’s, contributing to publications such as Architectural Record, Harvard Design Magazine, and Progressive Architecture. Her beautiful and detailed 1991 book on Harwell Hamilton Harris traced the development of Harris's life and career and his honored place in American modernism.  Her most recent book is Houses of the Sundown Sea: The Architectural Vision of Harry Gesner.     

In the deep woods of Wisconsin, about an hour outside of Madison, sits one incredible house.  If you didn't know otherwise, you'd be sure it was a Frank Lloyd Wright design.  And you'd be close.  It was designed by his son-in-law, William Wesley Peters.  The place has been immaculately maintained and restored by a loving couple who are looking to downsize.  You'll hear from those owners, their realtor Aaron Weber, and the challenges of selling one of the state's architecture masterpieces.  It's at 4212 CO Road JJ, Black Earth, WI.  Somebody's dream house is waiting for them!

Michael Hammond is co-founder and Editor in Chief of World Architecture News (WAN). He chairs the WAN AWARDS jury panel and produces the topical series of podcasts, Shop Talk which has featured many of the world’s leading architects over its 100+ programmes to date.  Prior to WAN, Michael spent 25 years in construction project management before taking up writing; he authored Performing Architecture published by Merrell in 2006. He has also contributed many other architectural features to media including the Architects’ Journal, Architect, British Airways magazine Highlife, CNN, CBC, the BBC, The London Evening Standard and the Radio Southern Florida Architects’ Radio show. Before the Beatles, before the Rolling Stones, architect, photographer, artist, and Jaguar-driving Brian Shawcroft was Raleigh North Carolina’s British invasion.  He is now the state's oldest practicing architect.  Born in England, he followed a masters in architecture at MIT with jobs with Page & Steele in Toronto; Tomei and Maxwell in London; Slater Uren and Pike; back to Page and Steele; then Eduardo Catalano in 1960 where he worked on the Julliard School of Music in New York City.  Henry Kamphoefner brought him to North Carolina to teach at the NCSU School of Design through 1968.   In 1991, he was awarded the Kamphoefner Prize for achievement in the Modern Movement in Architecture.  And each year, NC State gives a Brian Shawcroft Prize for hand drawing, now a lost art.  He is the author of the book 50 Houses. 

Craig Dykers, at just 28 years old, received international acclaim after winning the $350 million commission for the Library of Alexandria in Egypt.  He is founder of the design firm Snøhetta, with offices in Oslo Norway and New York, architect for some of the most amazing modern buildings in the world.  Snøhetta is the design architect for the James B. Hunt Jr. Library at NC State University. Greg Raschke is the Associate Director for Collections & Scholarly Communication at NC State University.  He's been deeply involved in the design and construction of the Hunt Library.  You may recall he's a great friend of the show, having binge-listened earlier this year - and survived! Learn more about the people and topics mentioned in this episode:  James B. Hunt Jr. Library * Snøhetta * Bookbot * Library of Alexandria (old) * Library of Alexandria (new) * Sex in Libraries * The Scream *

Aidan Buehler is 14 years old. He's an eighth grader in Chapel Hill NC with an interest in drafting.  What he did next is remarkable.  Instead of just piddling around on his computer like most kids, he contacted Chapel hill architect Lucy Carol Davis to be his mentor on a school-wide design competition.  Aidan's house was one of the most elaborate projects.  According to his interview with the News and Observer, "Basically, I designed a house from start to finish,” he said, although it ended up being larger than planned. He laid out rooms and external design features, furnished the house, and added paint and textures. He did not include a plumbing system, electrical system, or internal wiring. “I did put in some vents and designed it so that, with some editing, it could be built legally I should hope,” he said.  He got some of his ideas from architecture books he read. “For the most part, however, it was me experimenting with random ideas of mine and seeing if they looked good,” he said. “Although I did go into this project with ideas as to what qualities I wanted in my house, my model was constantly changing.”  He estimates that he spent several hundred hours on the project.George Smart of USModernist Radio chats with Aidan, his dad, Georg Buehler, and Lucy Carol Davis.Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/chapel-hill-news/article29888074.html#storylink=cpy

Nathanial Kahn is a director and producer.  He is also the son of architect Louis Kahn, one of the most influential architects of the 20th century.  In 2003, he produced the Oscar-nominated film My Architect about the life and work of his dad, interviewing people who knew Kahn including Frank Gehry, Philip Johnson, and I.M. Pei.  Kahn created modern buildings with the feel and presence of ancient ruins using concrete.  His brilliant projects include the Four Freedoms Park, the Phillips Exeter Library, the Salk Institute, and his most famous work, the National Assembly building in Bangladesh. Alexandra Lange is the architecture critic for Curbed and a columnist at Dezeen.  She is a rising authority and a prolific writer for print and digital publications like Architect, Domus, Dwell, Metropolis, New York Magazine, and the New York Times.  Previously a Loeb fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, she taught architecture criticism at New York University and is a leader in the new breed of digital curators, people who curate visually interesting exhibits you see on your screen and not inside a brick and mortar gallery or museum. She is the author of Writing About Architecture: Mastering the Language of Buildings and Cities.

Eames Demetrios is the grandson (and namesake) of Charles and Ray Eames and leads the Eames brand which has roared back into the public eye.  His mission is communicating, preserving and extending the brilliant work of designers Charles and Ray Eames who were best known by the public for their furniture and for their 125 short films, including the much-heralded-and-still-relevant Powers of Ten.  Their Eames Lounge chair for Herman Miller is one of the most popular furniture designs in the world.  Demetrios is also creator of Kcymaerxthaere, a global work of three-dimensional fiction exploring stories of imaginary peoples, movements, even physical laws -- and then memorializing these stories on bronze plaques.  He has written several books about Charles and Ray Eames—Including An Eames Primer, Eames: Beautiful Details, and The Furniture of Charles and Ray Eames. Jerry Nowell ran North Carolina’s first all-contemporary furniture store, names, not surprisingly, Nowell’s Contemporary Furniture.  He was the third generation of Nowell since 1905 to bring exciting designs like the Eames chair and many other  iconic furnishings to the state. In 1968, Nowell's became the first all contemporary furniture store in North Carolina.  It was also among the first furniture stores to challenge the “blue laws” prohibiting sales on Sunday and likely the first to hire black salespeople.  Jerry closed the store a few years ago to spend more time with his family.  The 20,000 sf store is greatly missed as a regional destination for Modernist house owners. 

California interior designer Brad Dunning grew up in Memphis and LA. He has early, wilder roots in the LA punk rock scene as part of the original Gun Club, a seminal noisy punk/blues band.  Widely praised as designer to the stars such as Tom Ford, Sofia Coppola, and Demi Moore,  Brad has been featured in Architectural Digest and created a look the magazine calls Cocktail Modern. Plus, he helped restore Neutra's famous Kaufmann House by Neutra in Palm Springs, where he’s been active for 20 years helping preserve MCM houses and buildings. Durham builder Leon Meyers graduated from Duke University and after working for Chapel Hill’s well-known Security Building Company, he went solo in 1982 as LE Meyers Builders, later merged with BuildSense in Durham.  Since then, Leon has become one of the most sought-after contractors for Modernist houses. Priority one message from Starfleet - somebody wrote a Star Trek book!  The Tom Cruise of Modernist builders!  George's second language!  Guildmaster!  Leon speaks French! Learn more about the people and topics mentioned in this episode:  Brad Dunning / Leon Meyers / Richard Neutra / Richard Neutra's Kaufmann House / Quincy Jones the architect / Quincy Jones the musician / Star Trek: The Original Series

The world's largest erector set:  the Lustron was a house you put together with a screwdriver.  It was metal, yet would never rust.  It was ingeniously heated and insulated.  It came on a truck ready for assembly.  A brilliant design produced only a few years after WWII, the Lustron now has a cult following to repair and preserve them -- or assemble ones long in storage. Author Tom Fetters is King of Lustrons, the go-to guy for anything about these unique houses.  He also has interests in railroad history and dirigibles. His book The Lustron Home chronicles the history of the Lustron Corporation—how it started, why it failed, and what Lustron means to post-war America. Virginia Faust is by day a realtor for Howard Perry and Walston and by night the research engine behind North Carolina Modernist Houses (NCMH), scouring the state to document Lustrons and other livable works of art.  She developed a special love for Lustrons from growing up in Ohio where they were plentiful. Find out what Frank gets in the mail!  Finally, the difference between a blimp and a dirigible!  And opportunities for owning your own Lustron!

Landscape architect Susan Saarinen, daughter of architect Eero Saarinen, granddaughter of architect Eliel Saarinen  (pronounced sahrr-uh-nen), andRaymond Neutra, retired physician and epidemiologist in California, son of architect Richard Neutra (pronounced noy-tra). In the 1950's when the general public really didn’t pay much attention to architects, Richard Neutra and Eero Saarinen were rockstars, creating buildings like the TWA Terminal at JFK and the Kaufmann house.  They were each on the cover of TIME magazine and brilliantly shaped the period we now call mid-century Modernism.  In the architect’s families, however, art and architecture were not just buildings or occasional topics of conversation, they were a way of life. Growing up as the child of a well-known star in any profession can be thrilling – and also stressful.  We'll talk with Susan and Raymond about growing up with genius.   Marvin Malecha is the Dean of the College of Design and Professor of Architecture at NC State University.  He was President of the national AIA and Dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, where he worked closely with Neutra's wife Dione Neutra to save the famous VDL house as well as to protect Neutra's archives.   Learn more about the people and topics mentioned in this episode:  Richard Neutra / Eliel Saarinen / Eero Saarinen / Lillian Saarinen / Dione Neutra / Dion Neutra / Washington Dulles Airport / The St. Louis Arch / TWA's JFK Terminal / The Kaufmann House George and Frank get updated on jello flavors!  Eero Saarinen goes diving on Cape Cod!   And, wait for it, we discover the real precautionary principle of epidemiology!  

Justin Shubow is President of the National Civic Art Society, a Washington DC educational non-profit for the classical and humanistic tradition in public art and architecture.  With a background in law, philosophy, comedy, and physics, his sharp wit informs and entertains through articles in Forbes and appearances before Congress and various Washington committees. We talk about Frank Gehry's design for the Eisenhower Memorial in Washington DC, a project estimated to cost $150M that has dragged on since 1999.  Shubow has been a vocal opponent of both the selection process that chose Gehry and Gehry's various designs for the memorial. What happens when a lawyer, philosopher and physicist go into a bar?  Our #1 fan Consuelo battles it out in Modernist musical chairs! Learn more about the people and topics mentioned in this episode:  Maya Lin / Vietnam Veterans Memorial / MLK Memorial / Civil Rights Memorial / 911 Memorial / FDR Memorial / National Civic Arts Society.   Also in the studio, Jason Hart, Vinny Petrarca, and Katherine Hogan, winners of Jury honors in the 2015 George Matsumoto Prize for excellence in recent Modernist residential architecture.  

Paul Rudolph was not as well-known as Frank Lloyd Wright but he designed some of the most fascinating and creative Modernist buildings in America. While inspiring a generation of architects, the public generally does not warm to his large brutalist designs, finding the intense use of concrete and steel to be ugly and oppressive.  But hey, we love 'em, and today we welcome two passionate and willing-to-do-something-about-it architects who fight for Rudolph’s brilliant buildings from different parts of the country. Gene Kaufman has designed over $1B of hotels in New York City.  In 2011, his firm Gene Kaufman Architect joined forces with the esteemed Modernist architecture firm Gwathmey Siegel; the result is Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman & Associates Architects.  Gene talks about his attempt to save a building you can’t check into for the night, the Goshen government complex designed by Paul Rudolph. Joe King is an architect and contractor practicing in Bradenton FL.  With Christopher Domin, he is co-author of the book Rudolph: The Florida Houses.  He has owned several Rudolph houses and is re-creating Rudolph's famous Walker Guest House for a national tour. Noah Goldstein, the ark-itect!  Why you don't want to see Joe King coming down the driveway with a crowbar!  And those damned hotel air conditioners that blow the curtains up! Learn more about the people and topics mentioned in this episode:  Paul Rudolph houses / Gene Kaufman / Rudolph: The Florida Houses / Paul Rudolph, rock star in Singapore / Yale Arts and Architecture building / Sarasota High School / Riverview High School / Rudolph Obituary / Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation / Sarasota MOD

Sarah Susanka is an internationally-known architect and author of the best-selling "Not So Big" series of books, which kicked off with The Not So Big House in 1997.  Over the years, she has been featured on Oprah, Charlie Rose, and many architecture and design publications.  She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Monique Lombardelli is a San Francisco filmmaker, CEO, Realtor, and developer. She produced three documentary films, including Little Boxes and People in Glass Houses: The Legacy of Joseph Eichler. From her work on Eichler's much-loved homes in California, long out of production, she revived the brand and is launching them nationally. What's up with America and big houses? Learn more about the people and topics mentioned in this episode:  Sarah Susanka / Monique Lombardelli / Joseph Eichler / The Not So Big Life Workshop / Las Vegas Eichler / Where Steve Jobs Grew Up Houses like Eichler:  Stoneson Brothers / Brown & Kaufman / Mackay Homes / Robert Rummer  

Joe Kwon is the cellist for the internationally acclaimed band The Avett Brothers.  He's the client of Robby Johnston and Craig Kerins, principals in the design/build firm Raleigh Architecture & Raleigh Construction.  Block by block, they are developing a stretch of Raleigh's downtown into small, sustainable, walkable Modernist houses.  Joe's recently built house is the third in what will be about a dozen completed within a three year timeframe. Robby and Craig drink their way through Belgium!  What's Joe's favorite room of the house? 

Ever since Modernist houses hit the mainstream market in the 1950’s, the real estate community has largely stayed away. Unaware of history, contemptuous of design style, and overreacting to certain flaws, realtors can do more to scare buyers away than to close the deal. Two Modernist realtors keep it real about these livable works of art. Crosby Doe is one of the leading Modernist realtors in America. Since 1983 he has sold houses by internationally prominent architects including Richard Neutra, Harwell Hamilton Harris, Rudolph Schindler, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner, Charles Eames, Craig Ellwood, Pierre Koenig, and Frank Gehry. Emilie Huin started in real estate only four years ago but has become one of the leading Modernist realtors in North Carolina.  She sold (and preserved) an important and endangered Modernist house in Chapel Hill by the late Arthur Cogswell. Crosby Doe's first sale (it was a Neutra)!  Growing up with the Guild's in Durham!  Life lessons from liposuction! 

Imagine buying a lot, designing a house, getting all the neighborhood and city approvals, starting construction, then - boom - your neighbor sues to stop construction.  Here's the background.  You'll hear one couple's incredible story - and how it attracted worldwide coverage. Louis Cherry has been an architect since 1983 and is principal of a design/build practice focusing on modern residential, commercial and institutional design.  He is the husband of Marsha Gordon, associate professor of film studies at North Carolina State University. Their contested house, aka Oakwood House, is at 516 Euclid, Raleigh.  The house also has its own Twitter feed, independent of the owners. They honestly don't know who's behind the often-hilarious comments: @ModernOakwood. Paul Goldberger is an architecture critic and winner of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.  He is the author of several books, including Why Architecture Matters, and wrote about the Cherry Gordon house for Vanity Fair. Contact the guests @MarshaGGordon, @LCherry, and @paulgoldberger. USModernist Radio's parent organization, North Carolina Modernist Houses, provided financial support to the Cherry's cause through its Legal Defense Fund.

John Morris is a Usability Engineer by day but by night he's the Batman of downtown architecture documenting buildings in Chicago and Raleigh. He's also a superfan of Modernist architect Milton Small Jr., student of Mies Van der Rohe.   Although Small died in 1992, his firm lived on through Small’s son Milton Small III of Small Kane Architects.  We'll talk with John and Milton about the man they both admire. Frank relives his Modernist childhood!  Water heaters over the sink!  Mt. Olive University!  The masterpiece at 3515 Glenwood Avenue!  John tries to speak Russian!  

Author J. Michael Welton writes about architecture, art, and design for national and regional publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Dwell, and Architectural Record. His new book is "Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand." One of the architects featured in the book is Jim Cutler, Seattle-area architect well-known for his work in sustainability.  He also designed a little $66M house for Microsoft's Bill and Melinda Gates in the 1990's (with Peter Bohlin). Cutler is a passionate advocate for the return of freehand training in university architecture programs. His theory on how drawing affects thinking has huge implications for creativity in architecture. The Ferrari of drawing pencils! Does Bill Gates' house use Windows Update? Does CAD make architects dumber? What area of the brain lights up when you draw? Anyone want to start up a Kickstarter campaign for the externalization of cognition? The first iPad-like product by Microsoft!