The Amato House in New Canaan, Conn. designed by James Evans c. 1966It always sounds curious to talk about preservation and Modernism in one breath, but the two are fast becoming linked as time marches forward, leaving the mid-century Modernism movement farther and farther in our past.  In an effort to protect mid-century Modern houses for future preservation The Philip Johnson Glass House (a National Trust Historic Site in New Canaan, Conn.) has created a “narrative survey of 91 existing modern homes in New Canaan” designed by masters of the era like Marcel Breuer, Eliot Noyes, and John Johansen, as well as a second generation of Modernists.  Following the lead of DoCoMoMo (the international organization for the Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the Modern Movement), the Glass House hopes that the Modern Homes Survey will provide “criteria for significance,” rendering the featured houses preservation worthy.  The digital version of the Survey is accessible online for free.  It tells an interesting tale of a bucolic region surprisingly populated by the works of celebrated Modernists. 

I wrote about my visit to the Glass House here.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

There's been fun news here at Katie Hutchison Studio.  Earlier this week the Atlanta-based blog Things That Inspire featured an interview with me in the "Inspirational Architect" series. It was an honor to be included. The response at Things That Inspire has since inspired a new, House Enthusiast, magazine category called "Readers write." This is my first "Readers write" post, which will typically invite folks to share their thoughts on residential design, much the way the readers at Things That Inspire commented on my request for small-house design input. 

Take a look at this excerpt from my Things That Inspire interview, along with a reader comment, and then add your comments:

Click to read more ...

The New York Times discusses “green" building which really isn’t all that green. In the Sunday article Mireya Navarro writes that research by the U.S. Green Building Council, which administers the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program, “suggests that a quarter of the new buildings that have been certified do not save as much energy as their designs predicted and that most do not track energy consumption once in use.” The article comments on a study the USGBC performed last year of certain buildings certified through 2006. Navarro continues, “Anecdotal information from follow-up research to that study indicated that the best-performing buildings had limited window areas and tended to be smaller.” Big surprise. Smaller buildings generally have fewer windows than larger buildings, and by the very nature of their smallness, smaller buildings are easier on the environment. It’s only common sense. I wrote about common sense green design here.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

When I was describing the location of my house to a friend, she said, “Oh, the one with the fake quoins?” Though, I did get her drift, I felt a correction was in order. “No, the one with the real quoins,” I responded.

Quoins are the large, alternating blocks that climb and wrap the corners of many antique buildings. On my c. 1768 Georgian home, they are wooden (not “fake”) and take their inspiration from the sizable, masonry blocks often set to form the corners of classical, stone or brick buildings. They lend the buildings they adorn a certain heft, an appearance of elegant authority. Many folks are quite taken with them. Earlier this week even Zippy The Pinhead fell under their spell.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Wednesday's Globe highlighted a growing phenomenon which is win-win for everyone. Michael Prager's article features three "urban ag outfits" in the Boston area that participate in lawn farming. Their innovative business models range from full care, using homeowner property for community supported agriculture (in which property owners get a share or portion of a share depending on garden size); to garden creation, so homeowners can grow their own produce; to consulting. 

Living in a condo, with only a tiny patio, a lawn farm isn't an option for me, but I'd happily contribute to a nearby urban community garden farmed by others. (As I've confessed before, I'm not much of a gardener, more of a garden fan.) Or maybe, just maybe, it's time for me to give this community gardening thing a try. Either way, Grow Salem will be hearing from me.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast