The Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2010, showcasing 15 mid century modern residential and commercial buildings built between 1945 and 1970 in the South Land Park and adjacent neighborhoods of Sacramento. Tour participants are invited to visit the interior spaces of structures designed by architects and designers including: Jones + Emmons for Eichler Homes, Carter Sparks, Donald Thaden, George Muraki, designer George W. Haggett, designer Robert N. Hill, Rickey + Brooks, Bucky H. Fong, Herbert Y. Niiya, Albert Dreyfuss, Sooky Lee, Dean Unger, Harry J. Devine, Grant Caywood, and William Koblik.

In order to join the Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour, you will need to register at the Sacramento Executive Airport, a wonderful mid century modern building designed by renown Sacramento architect Leonard F. Starks. There will also be mid century modern related interpretive materials on display at this location. So be sure to check them out!

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Shorter Center South, who provides classes in a studio setting, taught by artists working in their own disciplines, for people with developmental disabilities.

Event Summary

What: Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour

When: Saturday, June 26, 2010 – Registration begins at 9:00 am at the Sacramento Executive Airport at 6151 Freeport Boulevard. Participants will receive tour guidebooks upon check-in. Homes will be open to visitors from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Where: The Land Park and South Land Park neighborhoods of Sacramento (easily accessible from the I-5, I-80, US-50, and CA-99).

Cost: Tickets are $20 if purchased in advance, $25 if purchased the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased online via PayPal at SacMCMHomeTour.blogspot.com, or with cash or check at the following locations: Capital Nursery, Parkside Pharmacy and Blomberg Windows.

More Information: Visit website or email SacMCMHomeTour@gmail.com.

The exhibit will display Ju-Nel Homes artifacts and memorabilia including original Ju-Nel Homes drawings and blueprints, photos and period advertisements. The exhibition will be open to public between April 23 and May 28, 2010. The exhibition will kick off with a speaker forum and reception on April 23 from 6:30pm to8:30pm.

Event Summary

Ju-Nel Homes: Dallas Jewels of Mid-Century Modernism Exhibition
When: April 23, 2010 to May 28, 2010, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Where: Dallas Center for Architecture, 1909 Woodall Rodgers Fwy., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75201
Cost: Free and open to the public

Speaker Forum and Reception
When: April 23, 2010 (Friday), 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Dallas Center for Architecture, 1909 Woodall Rodgers Fwy., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75201
RSVP: Space is limited to 100 – reserve your spot at info@dallascfa.com
Parking: Free after 6pm in garage under Dallas Center for Architecture

For more information, contact Dallas Center for Architecture at 214.742.3242 or info@dallascfa.com

Great news for Dallas area mid century modern fans – White Rock Home Tour, the area’s all-modern home tour will be held on April 24 – 25, 2010. The tour will feature five modern homes: four mid century modern homes including two Ju-Nel Homes and one sustainable home (designed by Alan Hoffman) in honor of concurrent Earth Day. Proceeds from the tour will benefit Hexter Elementary School.

One of the Featured Homes

Event Details:
Date: April 24 – 25, 2010 (noon to 5 p.m.)
Cost: $10 in advance at White Rock Coffee, Green Spot or Select Tom Thumb stores, $15 at the door of any tour home during event hours
More information: Visit website or call Home Tour Hotline at 972-502-5815.

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Special thanks to: Christine R. and Tesa G.

Bruce Goff (1904–1982) was an American architect, who spent most of his life practicing in Oklahoma, Illinois, and Texas. Goff designed numerous residences in the American Midwest as well as commercial and civic buildings. His remarkable style of organic architecture was influenced by a variety of sources, including the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan.

Bruce Goff's Green Glass Cullets

My first encounter with the architecture of Bruce Goff was the Bavinger House, the last stop of the Oklahoma Modernism Architecture Tour in May, 2009. The world renowned Bavinger House is considered to be one of the most significant designs of Bruce Goff. I was impressed with the Bavinger House so much that I wanted to visit other buildings by Bruce Goff. I have known that there were many buildings designed by Goff in Bartlesville, so I planned a mini self-guided tour of Bruce Goff architecture.

The Bavinger House in Norman, Oklahoma

Between 1956 and 1964, Bruce Goff set up his home and studio in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. So I thought it was appropriate to start my tour at the Price Tower. The Price Tower is the only realized skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was commissioned by Harold C. Price of the H. C. Price Company, a local oil pipeline construction firm. The 19 story tower was open to the public in 1956 – the tallest building in Bartlesville at the time. It was Bruce Goff who referred Harold C. Price to Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Price Tower by Frank Lloyd Wright

My next stop was the Redeemer Lutheran Church Education Building (1959). The two story rectangular building is located behind the main church building. The building is sheathed with stone and the same green glass cullets seen at the Bavinger House in Norman. It is located at 3700 SE Woodland Road, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The tour of the building may be arranged by contacting the church office in advance.

Redeemer Lutheran Church Educational Building

There are two houses located just down the street from the church: Harold Jones House (1958) at 3411 SE Wildwood Court and Russell Collins House (1959) at 3400 SE Wildwood Court. Both of them are pretty much hidden behind the trees. Needless to say, these are private properties and you can only view them from the street.

Russell Collins House

I drove by two more houses: J.R. Akright House (1959) at 2412 SE Circle Drive and J.O. and Mary Motsenbocker House (1957) at 2416 SE Circle Drive.

J.R. Akright House

J.O. and Mary Motsenbocker House

I then drove a few miles north of Bartlesville to see C.A. Comer House (1957), located at 1316 N. Creek in Dewey, Oklahoma. This amazing house stands out on an quite neighborhood filled with ordinary houses.

C.A. Comer House

There are few more structures designed by Bruce Goff (that I didn’t get to see) in Bartlesville:
Play Tower (1963) at Sooner Park
Robert White House (1958) at 1525 SW Whiteway Court
James Fitchette House (1961) at 1900 SE Saturn Court
Richard Bennett House (1959) at 2841 Silver Lake Road

The details of the structures mentioned here are listed in the Bruce Goff Oklahoma Guide published by Friends of Kebyar. If you are interested in visiting Bruce Goff’s buildings in Oklahoma, I recommend you pick up a copy. If you are visiting any of these properties, please remember to respect the privacy of the owners.

Mid Century Modern Books

This list is by no means complete – if you have a book to suggest, please let everyone know by adding a comment!

Alexander Girard Designs for Herman Miller (Schiffer Design Book)
By Leslie A. Pina

An Eames Primer
By Eames Demetrios

Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes
By Michelle Gringeri-Brown

Case Study Houses (Taschen 25th Anniversary Special Editions)
By Elizabeth Smith

Cliff May and the Modern Ranch House
By Daniel P. Greg

Eichler: Modernism Rebuilds the American Dream
By Paul Adamson

Forgotten Modern: California Houses 1940-1970
By Alan Hess

Julius Shulman: Modernism Rediscovered
By Pierluigi Sorriano (Author) & Julius Shulman (Photographer)

Mid-Century Modern: Interiors, Furniture, Design Details (Conran Octopus Interiors)
By Bradley Quinn

Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s
By Cara Greenberg

The Bavinger House Twilight Tour

The Bavinger House in Norman, Oklahoma is hosting the “Twighlight Tour” on July 24, 25, and 26th. The tour will be held in the evening between 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM. If you are living in the area, don’t miss this chance to see the Bavinger House at night!

For more information:
Website: http://www.thebavingerhouse.org
Email:info@thebavingerhouse.org
Phone: 405-397-1937

West Coast Modern Home Tour
Where: West Vancouver, B.C., Canada
When: July 11, 2009 from 11am to 6pm
Contact: 604-925-7270
Website: http://westvancouvermuseum.ca

This year’s West Coast Modern Home Tour features five architect designed mid century modern homes in West Vancouver. A wine reception will be held in a showcase home following the guided bus tour. Tickets are $100 each which includes tour bus, tickets for door prizes and the wine reception.

Downtown Vancouver Modernist Architecture Walking Tour
Where: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
When: August 22, 2009 from 10am to 12:30pm
Website: http://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org

A guided walking tour exploring modernist buildings in downtown Vancouver. Tickets are $14.00 each which includes GST and map guide). The tour will meet at 250 W. Pender Street.

Mid Century Modern Residential Bus Tour
Where: Vanvouver, B.C., Canada
When: October 3, 2009 from 1pm to 6pm
Website: http://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org

The Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s annual bus tour features five modernist homes. A reception will be held at the end of the tour in one of the tour homes. Tickets are $100 plus GST each.

The tour will feature six homes in various stages of restoration. Tour participants will be able to visit these six homes inside and out and meet the home owners. The tour will start at 5:30 and ends at 8:30. There will be an after party and all tour participants are invited. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 day of the tour (can be purchased at any of the featured homes).

Advance tickets are available at:

Dwelling Spaces: 119 South Detroit

Ida Red Boutique: 3346 South Peoria

Tulsa Foundation of Architecture: 2210 South Main

Urban Furnishings: 3636 South Peoria

The Bavinger House

The Bavinger House was the last stop for the Oklahoma Modernism Architecture Tour. It was designed by Bruce Goff and built by Eugene Bavinger, a former art professor at the University of Oklahoma, between 1950 and 1955. The world renowned Bavinger House is considered to be one of the most significant designs of Bruce Goff. The house has won the Twenty-Five Year Award by the American Institute of Architects in 1987, and is listed on the National Historic Register, a National Landmark, and Oklahoma Historical Society.

The house sits in a rural area of Norman, a suburb of Oklahoma City. It takes a good 30 plus-minute scenic drive from Oklahoma City to get to the house. A short walk from the entrance of the property takes you to the house. Going up the gentle hill, we passed many trees and bamboo, almost like going through a forest. Then the house just appeared out of nowhere, right in front of you. From this point, the tower part of the house and a part of the roof that is level to the ground can be seen. The house is made of locally quarried ironstone. Eugene Bavinger dug many of these stone out with his hands.

Glass Cullet Thoughout the Property

Big chunks of blue-green glass cullet are found throughout the property, many embedded among the ironstone, giving an charming accent to the property. The house integrates into the surrounding nature very well. The untraditional, unique house and its surroundings give you an illusion of being in a different world – I was expecting a hobbit or Totoro to come out of the woods at any time…

Interior of the Bavinger House

The house’s unique structure features a logarithmic spiraling building with 200 tons of ironstone forming its wall. The roof, living areas, stairs, bridge, and closet are supported by a drill stem pipe in the center of the structure. There are five living areas: living room, master bedroom, playroom, bedroom and art studio. The first four living areas are gold carpeted bowls suspended from the ceiling. The house’s only bath room is located on the third level which also gives an access to the bridge connecting the house to the outdoors. The bridge is used as a counter-weight for the roof to keep the drill stem pipe from bending. Bob Bavinger, a son of Eugene Bavinger recalls jumping from the bridge to the pond below as a child. It would be really fun growing up in such a unique house! The interior space is very open and flows continuously. However, the entire interior space cannot be viewed from any one point in the house.

My Favorite Piece of Art

Many art, sculpture, and pottery can be found throughout the inside and outside of the house, many giving a whismical feel to the place. My favorite piece is the set of five sinks/railroad ties sculpture across the pond. It took me a while to figure out the top part was the sinks, because they looked like the faces of pigs and bears from the distance!

The house was home to Eugene Bavinger and his family for 48 years. The house has been vacant since 1989 and is in need of restoration. Bob Bavinger and his son are renovating the house, hoping to open the house up for tourism and education. They are hoping to cover some of the renovation cost through donations. You can donate with your time, materials, funds, equipment and by visiting their events.

For more information:
Website: http://www.thebavingerhouse.org
Email:info@thebavingerhouse.org
Phone: 405-397-1937