Esoteric Survey

The Raymond Loewy house by Albert Frey (1946) or "Tierra Caliente" as Loewy called it. The house was a collaboration between the designer and architect.  Like the next door neighbor,  Kaufmann house , the terrain looked a lot different in the late 40s.   All vintage photos: © Julius Shulman, Peter Stackpole. Source: The Getty Research Institute, Julius Shulman Archive; LIFE The pool continuing into the living room is the most noted aspects of the design This happened more than once. During Palm Springs Modernism I was able to get a close-up look at The Aluminaire House by Albert Frey and managing editor of Architectural Record, A. Lawrence Kocher (1931). Source: Albert Frey / Inventive Modernist

Albert Frey: Inventive Modernist  at the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center Curated by Brad Dunning Architecture exhibitions are tough to pull off. Often it's mostly photos and plans, which this exhibition certainly has a lot of. However, Brad was able to mount a dynamic show of an architect he knew personally and it shows. In addition to a stellar exhibition design (no surprise there with his background), there are a number of three dimensional pieces and videos. Frey is one of my personal favorites and I certainly learned a lot. So much so that I'm going to have to go back at least once more. Although Albert Frey  (1903-1998)  is synonymous with mid-century Palm Springs architecture, he began his career in the midst of European International Modernism. He  was born in Zurich, Switzerland and studied architecture at Technische Hochschule, Zurich. He  moved to Paris in 1928 to work for Le Corbusier. The Villa Savoye, one of the most iconic mo...

Inspiration Heights, serene contemplative living. Designed in 1960 by Harold Zook.  This is a continuation on my latest visit to the Joshua Tree Retreat Center . To be honest, I never noticed these buildings before. However, they are now being restored in a collaborative effort by the retreat center and Homestead Modern . Brad Dunning  is leading the design and restoration. Needless to say, it's in great hands and soon you'll be able to stay at The Bungalows . The housing was built on a knoll referred to as Inspiration Heights. The permanent living suites were designed for students and retired members of the organization. They were completely furnished and touted as being  "thoroughly modern."  In newspaper articles of the day, it was also described as "serene contemplative living."   Harold B Zook A.I.A, a Cornell graduate and former Albert Frey employee, was the architect and O.K. Earl Jr was the builder. Both were based in Pasadena. Earl was fresh off o...