The Modern Dwelling at America's Crossroads

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The Modern Dwelling at America's Crossroads

Day Three Early Afternoon Sessions
The Modern Dwelling at America's Crossroads

Session 1
Residential Modern at America’s Crossroads: Chicago Houses, 1929-1975

Session 2
Revitalizing the Farnsworth House

Session 3
Transforming the Netsch Home

Residential Modern at America’s Crossroads: Chicago Houses, 1929-1975

This presentation, based on the book explores the substantial yet overlooked role that Chicago and its suburbs played in the development of the modern single-family house and its accompanying lifestyle. In a city usually associated with the architectural innovations of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the examples discussed in this generously- illustrated book expand and enrich the story of the Midwestern city’s built environment. By including the work of known and lesser-known architects, Susan Benjamin and Serge Ambrose present and discuss the inspiring results of these practitioners.

Susan Benjamin

Susan Benjamin is an architectural historian with 40-plus years of experience in a broad variety of preservation activities. She and members of her firm, Benjamin Historic Certifications, write National Register nominations, prepare Historic American Buildings Survey documentation and work with homeowners and developers so they may receive tax incentives for rehabilitating their historic buildings.  Susan frequently lectures on a variety of topics from historic landscapes and residential architecture to intriguing subjects like the history of the shopping mall. Before completing Modern in the Middle (Monacelli Press, 2020) with Michelangelo Sabatino, she and architect Stuart Cohen co-authored two books on Chicago area architecture: Great Houses of Chicago: 1871-1921 and North Shore Chicago: Houses of the Lakefront Suburbs 1890-1940, (Acanthus Press, 2008, 2004).

Serge Ambrose

Serge Ambrose is an architect and engineer focused on contemporary design and the conservation of 20th Century architectural heritage. He has worked on building projects in Florida, Texas and Illinois and has presented conservation research at several Docomomo US Symposia and other conferences. Serge is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology and has served on the Riverside (IL) Historical Commission. Serge served as the Docomomo US/Chicago Board Chair from 2016-2020. He is currently working on the restoration of the 1930’s modernist Benda House and landscape in Riverside, IL.

Revitalizing the Farnsworth House

Since opening to the public in 2004, the Farnsworth House focused almost exclusively on the architect, Mies van der Rohe, and the home’s importance to the International Style. In 2018, the “Farnsworth Founders Series” was launched to gradually expand the mission, vision and audience by including more design history, an arts and humanities focus and nature and wellness programming. A new Stewardship Council and Program Advisory Committee are bringing diverse perspectives and helping to imagine an expanded vision for the future. Increased visibility, attendance and fundraising are positioning Farnsworth for ongoing capital improvements and the launch of its first-ever capital campaign. In addition to tackling a backlog of building preservation and site conservation needs, new visitor amenities and expanded outreach and relevance are key to current revitalization efforts. Farnsworth Executive Director Scott Mehaffey will provide an overview and update, inviting Docomomo US members to join this effort.

Scott Mehaffey, MS, FASLA

Scott Mehaffey, MS, FASLA is Executive Director of the 56-acre Farnsworth House National Historic Landmark, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Scott holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois College of Fine & Applied Arts, and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Dominican University. Prior to joining the National Trust, Scott was Landscape Coordinator for the City of Chicago under Mayor Richard M. Daley, and for many years, was Landscape Architect for the historic Morton Arboretum. Scott is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and has been active in cultural landscape preservation since the 1980s as a consultant, curator, program organizer, author, speaker and advocate. Scott has been an Adjunct Professor in the Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture, a workshop leader and recurrent speaker for the American Public Gardens Association, and has taught cultural landscape preservation for landscape architects, contractors and historic preservation students.

Transforming the Netsch House

SOM Consulting Partner Brian Lee will present on the challenges and exciting potentials of adapting a modern home to suit contemporary needs and aesthetics, using SOM's renovation of the historic Netsch Residence as a case study. Originally designed by Walter Netsch and completed in 1974, the Netsch Residence appears as a deceptively simple box from the outside, but contains a rich variety of spaces within, with multiple interior levels connected by open-riser stairs. In 2013, SOM worked with the new owners to maintain the spirit of the house by sensitively adapting and renewing select elements of the structure. The Netsch Residence is situated inconspicuously in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. Inside, multistory ceiling heights create the illusion of a much larger house.

Brian Lee, FAIA, LEED AP

Brian Lee, FAIA, is a Design Partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), one of the largest and most influential architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms in the world. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with Highest Honors from the University of California, Berkeley in 1976 and his Master of Architecture with Commendation from Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1978. After practicing in the SOM San Francisco office for 28 years, he joined the Chicago office in 2007. Brian Lee’s portfolio encompasses an array of award-winning domestic and international projects on all scales, including the Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch, and the China World Trade Center in Beijing. His work has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Urban Land Institute, American Library Association, the Chicago Athenaeum, MIPIM, and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Brian has lectured, taught, and participated in studio reviews or Dean’s committees at Harvard, UC Berkeley, Stanford, California College of Arts, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Virginia Tech, and TU Delft; served on AIA, Athenaeum, Marcus Prize, and Spark juries; and has been published worldwide. His work was exhibited in the 2004 Venice and Beijing Biennales, featured at the 2008 World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, and the 2015 Chicago Biennial. Brian plays an active role in the community with the Urban Land Institute, Chicago Architecture Foundation, the Economic Club of Chicago, and the Chinese American Service League of Chicago. He is a former board member of Habitat for Humanity San Francisco, Chinatown Community Development Corporation San Francisco, and is Director Emeritus of On Lok Inc., a nationally recognized leader in community healthcare. Brian is a registered NCARB architect and in multiple states across the nation, and is a LEED accredited professional. He is a member of the AIA and was named to its College of Fellows in 2008.