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Other
winners
2010
Kane, an 1890s "Folk Victorian" house in
Old Sixth Ward
2337
Blue Bonnet, a 1937 International Style residence
2421
Brentwood, a 1929 Katharine Mott-designed home
201
Main, the former First National Bank Building
Spire
Realty Group for its commitment to preservation downtown
1600
Westheimer, the former Imperial Plumbing Supply Building
3842
N. Braeswood, a 1960 modern office building
4916
Main, the former Weldon Cafeteria
Keck
Hall (Chemistry Building), Rice University
Girl
Scout Troop 12357, San Jacinto Council, for research
and assistance at Glenwood Cemetery
John
L. Nau III for his leadership in preservation
AIA
25 year award: Mies van der Rohe additions to the
Museum of Fine Arts |
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The International Style originated in Europe in the 1920s.
Its clean lines fit well with Houston's image as a "modern"
city. The International Style home at 2337 Blue Bonnet
was built in 1937 for the L. D. Allen family, and it is
an important part of Houston's architectural history.
The original architect, Harold Calhoun of the firm of
Wirtz & Calhoun, had studied the International Style
at Rice Institute. With his clients, Mr. and Mrs. Allen,
he attended the 1936 Chicago World's Fair and saw a house
designed by Walter Gropius of the Bauhaus school. They
also saw a demonstration of a new construction system
called Stran-Steel. They returned to Houston convinced
that Calhoun should design a home for the Allens in the
International Style using the innovative Stran-Steel system.
The resulting house was recognized by national magazines
as an excellent example of the International Style.
Fast-forward from 1937 to 2001. Although the house was
largely unchanged, neglected repairs had left it in a
sorry state. Fortunately, like the Allen family almost
65 years earlier, the present owners, Courtney and Fred
Steves, are enthusiastic about the style of their home
and committed to restoring it to the 1937 splendor that
had earned it so much recognition. Good fortune visited
the house again when Mr. and Mrs. Steves retained Glassman
Shoemake Maldonado Architects to undertake the restoration.
The architects' clear understanding of the tenets of the
International Style resulted in a meticulous restoration
of an important example of that style. The Good Bricks
jury was unanimous in its praise for this project.
The major challenge was responding to the Steves' need
for increased space without comprising the front façade
or the main living areas or the interior. The architects
met this challenge with vision and skill. The windows,
which had long presented leakage problems, were replaced
with green-gray steel windows that replicate the original
window configuration. Much of the original 1937 cabinetry
and built-ins were repaired and refinished. The original
bathroom fixtures were retained. Even some of the original
furnishings, including two Herman Miller beds, were integrated
into the restored house.
This Good Brick recognizes the efforts of the home's owners,
Courtney and Fred Steves, and Glassman Shoemake Maldonado
Architects. Together they have ensured that Houston will
retain one of its true architectural treasures for generations
to come.
See more photos from this project >
Next
winner: 2421 Brentwood >
Text: Martha Peterson
Copyright 2003, Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
This
year's sponsors >
GHPA home >
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