Events

David Osler's Former Architectural Studio Tour 8/10/14-parking update!

Registration for the David Osler architectural studio tour is now open.

Description
Sunday, August 10, 2 pm – 4 pm
This event has limited space availability. Cost: $10/person. Registration is required.

Osler’s architectural studio was built in 1902 by the Washtenaw Light and Power (predecessor of Detroit Edison) as a place to change voltage from high to low, it had been empty since 1949. Windows were missing. The slate on the roof was damaged from the years of being jiggled by all the trains going by. Conduit insulators were sticking out just below the roof. The inside was a total mess. In addition, the neighborhood, then filled with ramshackle houses, was considered a bad part of town. Osler admits “there were not many who would want it,” but he could see the possibilities.
“It was like the building was shaking hands with me,” says David Osler, describing turning a deserted electric power substation into a modern office. He made the dilapidated shell into a useable space and then put on an addition, staying within the perimeters allowed by the structure and lot. The tour will show how a historical building can successfully be repurposed. The current owners of the building, Dr. Kristine Freeark and Dr. Robert Zucker, will be in attendance to answer questions about the most recent reuse of the building.

Light refreshments will be served.

a2modern is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the awareness of and appreciation for mid-century architecture and design, celebrating the accomplishments of the architects, designers, builders, and homeowners in Ann Arbor. UMMA is pleased to partner with a2modern to provide audiences the opportunity to experience Ann Arbor’s modernist architecture in conjunction with the exhibition Three Michigan Architects: Part 3—George Brigham on view July 19 –October 12, 2014.

The exhibition Three Michigan Architects: Part 3—George Brigham is the final in a series of architectural exhibitions that also featured Michigan Architects David Osler (Part 1) and Robert Metcalf (Part 2). It is part of the U-M Collections Collaborations series, co-organized by and presented at UMMA and designed to showcase the renowned and diverse collections at the University of Michigan.

REGISTER HERE
Space is limited
$10/person

LOGISTICS

The office is located at 916 Fuller Street. There is not enough room to park at this location so, you will need to park nearby and walk a bit to get to the office. Some suggestions:

To the east (toward Glen):

On Glen Court there are spaces on the street with no time limit.
At the end of Glen Ct. is a U of M parking structure (open on weekends and weekdays after 6 p.m.). No UM permit is required on Sundays. [This is kitty corner to Angelo’s and has plenty of parking]

In the other direction there’s parking on State St. and on High St.

UPDATE: Geoff Perkins owner of Perkins Construction and former Osler employee has offered his parking lot and side of building for attendees. Perkins Construction is located at 310 Depot Street right next to Casey’s. You can park in the back or on the side of the building.

a2modern upcoming summer activities

a2modern has several activities planned for the rest of the summer. See registration links below and descriptions by date.

JULY
Saturday 7/19 Mies van der Rohe’s Lafayette Park, Detroit Tour
Thursday 7/31 Walking Tour I

AUGUST
Thursday 8/7 Walking Tour II
Sunday 8/10 David Osler’s Former Architectural Studio Tour

JULY
7/19/14
Modern Living Series: Tour of Detroit’s Mies van der Rohe Historic District

Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Cost: $30/person
This event has limited space availability. Registration is required. See www.a2modern.org for registration details, follow the link below REGISTER HERE or email modernists@a2modern.org.

Detroit’s Mies van der Rohe Historic District in Lafayette Park includes 186 cooperatively owned Town House and Court House units, three apartment towers, an elementary school, a retail district, and a 13-acre park known as the Lafayette Plaisance.

The neighborhood has been hailed as “one of the most spatially successful and socially significant statements in urban renewal” and as a “prototype for future urban development predicated on human values.” The site contains the largest collection of buildings by the architect Mies van der Rohe in the world, as well as the only group of row houses built to his specifications.

The tour will be conducted by Christian Unverzagt and Neil McEachern, both long-time residents of Lafayette Park. Unverzagt is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Architecture at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College. McEachern, now retired, is a former Detroit Public Schools principal.

You can learn more at MiesDetroit.org

REGISTER HERE

LOGISTICS
Transportation is on your own. We will all meet at 12:45 p.m. at the Mies van der Rohe plaza located between the two buildings at the Lafayette Park Shopping Center on E. Lafayette between Rivard St. and Orleans St.

The Mies van der Rohe Historic District is located at the northeast corner of E. Lafayette St. and Rivard St. Take the freeway to downtown Detroit as if you were headed to Greektown, exiting at the E. Lafayette exit off southbound I-375. But instead, turn left and head east at Lafayette. Rivard St. is one block east of I-375.

Parking is available in the parking lot of the shopping center, one half mile east of Rivard, or on the public streets of Joliet Place and Nicolet Place (off Rivard, north of E. Lafayette.) If you park on Joliet or Nicolet you can walk east through the park to the shops, just beyond the Chrysler School.)

For questions about this event email: modernists@a2modern.org

Modern Living Series: Walking Tour I of Ann Arbor Hills Modern Residences

Thursday, July 31, 5:30 pm – 7 pm
$10/person
This event has limited space availability. Registration is required. See www.a2modern.org for registration details, follow the link below REGISTER HERE or email modernists@a2modern.org.

This walking tour is a look at several modern homes located in one area of Ann Arbor Hills. The tour will view the exteriors of homes designed by Robert Metcalf, George Brigham, William Muschenheim, David Osler, Edward Olencki and Joseph Albano. It will provide a historical overview of the area and will look at in particular at site planning. The tour will conclude with an interior view of Robert Metcalf’s first commission, the Crane residence (1954). Current homeowners Linda and Jim Elert will be present to answer questions about the house and its history. The walking tour will be lead by Nancy Deromedi and Grace Shackman.

a2modern is a local 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to the awareness of and appreciation for mid-century architecture and design, celebrating the accomplishments of the architects, designers, builders, and homeowners in Ann Arbor. UMMA is pleased to partner with a2modern to provide audiences the opportunity to experience Ann Arbor’s modernist architecture in conjunction with the exhibition Three Michigan Architects: Part 3—George Brigham on view July 19 –October 12, 2014.

The exhibition Three Michigan Architects: Part 3—George Brigham is part of the U-M Collections Collaborations series, co-organized by and presented at UMMA and designed to showcase the renowned and diverse collections at the University of Michigan.

REGISTER HERE

LOGISTICS: Park near 1109 Heather Way which is at the corner of Heather Way and Aberdeen. We will proceed from there.

AUGUST

a2modern Modern Living Series: Walking Tour II of Ann Arbor Hills Modern Residences

Thursday, August 7, 5:30 pm – 7 pm
Cost: $10/person
This event has limited space availability. Registration is required. See www.a2modern.org for registration details, follow the link below REGISTER HERE or email modernists@a2modern.org.

This walking tour will look at several modern homes located in one area of Ann Arbor Hills. The tour will view the exteriors of homes designed by Robert Metcalf, William Muschenheim, David Osler and Herbert Johe. It will provide a historical overview of the area and will conclude with an interior view of Herbert Johe’s Holcomb residence (1959). Current homeowner Glenn Watkins will be present to answer questions. The walking tour will be lead by Nancy Deromedi and Grace Shackman.

a2modern is a local 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to the awareness of and appreciation for mid-century architecture and design, celebrating the accomplishments of the architects, designers, builders and homeowners in Ann Arbor. UMMA is pleased to partner with a2modern to provide audiences the opportunity to experience Ann Arbor’s modernist architecture in conjunction with the exhibition Three Michigan Architects: Part 3—George Brigham on view July19 –October 12, 2014.

The exhibition Three Michigan Architects: Part 3—George Brigham is part of the U-M Collections Collaborations series, co-organized by and presented at UMMA and designed to showcase the renowned and diverse collections at the University of Michigan.

LOGISTICS: Park near 1109 Heather Way which is at the corner of Heather Way and Aberdeen. We will proceed from there.

REGISTER HERE

Sunday August 10th
a2modern Presents: Tour of David Osler’s Former Architectural Studio
Sunday, August 10, 2 pm – 5 pm
This event has limited space availability. Cost: $10/person. Registration is required.

Osler’s architectural studio was built in 1902 by the Washtenaw Light and Power (predecessor of Detroit Edison) as a place to change voltage from high to low, it had been empty since 1949. Windows were missing. The slate on the roof was damaged from the years of being jiggled by all the trains going by. Conduit insulators were sticking out just below the roof. The inside was a total mess. In addition, the neighborhood, then filled with ramshackle houses, was considered a bad part of town. Osler admits “there were not many who would want it,” but he could see the possibilities.
“It was like the building was shaking hands with me,” says David Osler, describing turning a deserted electric power substation into a modern office. He made the dilapidated shell into a useable space and then put on an addition, staying within the perimeters allowed by the structure and lot. The tour will show how a historical building can successfully be repurposed. The current owners of the building, Dr. Kristine Freeark and Dr. Robert Zucker, will be in attendance to answer questions about the most recent reuse of the building.

Light refreshments will be served.

a2modern is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the awareness of and appreciation for mid-century architecture and design, celebrating the accomplishments of the architects, designers, builders, and homeowners in Ann Arbor. UMMA is pleased to partner with a2modern to provide audiences the opportunity to experience Ann Arbor’s modernist architecture in conjunction with the exhibition Three Michigan Architects: Part 3—George Brigham on view July 19 –October 12, 2014.

The exhibition Three Michigan Architects: Part 3—George Brigham is the final in a series of architectural exhibitions that also featured Michigan Architects David Osler (Part 1) and Robert Metcalf (Part 2). It is part of the U-M Collections Collaborations series, co-organized by and presented at UMMA and designed to showcase the renowned and diverse collections at the University of Michigan.

Modern Living Series: Robert C. Metcalf's Patterson House Tour – Sat., June 28th(this saturday!)

Modern Living Series: Robert C. Metcalf’s Patterson House Tour – Sat., June 28th
LOGISTICS UPDATE: The residence is located at 1605 Harbal, Ann Arbor. The homeowners have received permission to allow parking on both sides of the street on Saturday. So, you can park on Harbal even though it says no parking!

Also: You will be asked to leave shoes at the door, no interior photography and the owners ask that you do not excursion around the property due to the steep slope and poison ivy!

Currently, the UM Museum of Art is featuring an exhibit (through July 13th) titled “Three Michigan Architects.” This house is one of the fourteen projects in the Robert C. Metcalf exhibit. It was the goal of a2modern to coordinate an interior view of one of the projects featured in the exhibit, in a sense, to add the layer of time and living patterns and needs to the discussion.

a2modern is pleased to host a tour that offers homeowners and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to experience Robert Metcalf’s residential work. This home, designed in 1956 and built in 1957 for Kenneth and Elizabeth Patterson, is an excellent example of Metcalf’s site planning, use of natural materials, and blending the inside with the outside. Present homeowners Audra Wenzlow and Dave Hollinden will be in attendance to answer questions about the home and its history.

Time: 2:00-5:00 p.m. (note: 2:00 time is now sold out but there is room at 3:00 or 4:00!)
When: Sat., June 28th
Where: 1605 Harbal Street
Cost: $10/person
Space is limited, see registration link below.

Light refreshments will be served.

Registration
This event has limited space availability.
Registration is required.
REGISTER HERE

Logistics: The residence is located at 1605 Harbal. The homeowners have received permission to allow parking on both sides of the street on Saturday. So, you can park on Harbal even though it says no parking!

Questions? email: modernists@a2modern.org.

[Image source: Robert Metcalf Collection, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan]

Modern Living Series: Tour of Detroit’s Mies van der Rohe Historic District

Modern Living Series: Tour of Detroit’s Mies van der Rohe Historic District

Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m.
When: Saturday, July 19th
Cost: $30/person, registration required

Detroit’s Mies van der Rohe Historic District in Lafayette Park includes 186 cooperatively owned Town House and Court House units, three apartment towers, an elementary school, a retail district, and a 13-acre park known as the Lafayette Plaisance.

The neighborhood has been hailed as “one of the most spatially successful and socially significant statements in urban renewal” and as a “prototype for future urban development predicated on human values.” The site contains the largest collection of buildings by the architect Mies van der Rohe in the world, as well as the only group of row houses built to his specifications.

The tour will be conducted by Christian Unverzagt and Neil McEachern, both long-time residents of Lafayette Park. Unverzagt is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Architecture at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College. McEachern, now retired, is a former Detroit Public Schools principal.

You can learn more at MiesDetroit.org

Space is limited, REGISTER HERE

LOGISTICS: Transportation is own your own. We will meet at the Mies van der Rohe Plaza in the Shops at Lafayette Park at 12:45 p.m. Parking is available in the shops (off Lafayette). Alternatively, public parking is available on Joliet Place and Nicolet Place (off Rivard) and the plaza may be approached from the north by walking through the Plaisance.

Questions? email: modernists@a2modern.org.

Modern Living Series: Robert C. Metcalf's Patterson House Tour – Sat., June 28th

Modern Living Series: Robert C. Metcalf’s Patterson House Tour – Sat., June 28th

a2modern is pleased to host a tour that offers homeowners and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to experience Robert Metcalf’s residential work. This home, designed in 1956 and built in 1957 for Kenneth and Elizabeth Patterson, is an excellent example of Metcalf’s site planning, use of natural materials, and blending the inside with the outside. Present homeowners Audra Wenzlow and Dave Hollinden will be in attendance to answer questions about the home and its history.

Time: 2:00-5:00 p.m.
When: Sat., June 28th
Where: 1605 Harbal Street
Cost: $10/person
Space is limited, see registration link below.

Light refreshments will be served.

Registration
This event has limited space availability.
Registration is required.
REGISTER HERE

Questions? email: modernists@a2modern.org.

Logistics: The residence is located at 1605 Harbal. There is limited parking. a2modern will email registered attendees on parking specifics closer to the event.

[Image source: Robert Metcalf Collection, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan]

"Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide," reception and book signing

At Home with David Osler Tour opens a2modern's 2014 Modern Living Series-now SOLD OUT!

a2modern opens the 2014 Modern Living Series with “At Home With David Osler”, a tour of the original William Mundus (I) home. Built in 1964, the home reflects the architect’s considerable abilities to design modern homes that reflect his minimalist views. a2modern is pleased to host this tour that offers homeowners and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to experience a David Osler residential work. It is planned that during the afternoon, both the original homeowner William Mundus and David Osler, architect will join us for questions and answers. Present homeowners Kenneth Wisinski and Linda Dintenfass will share results of their recent renovation by architect Stan Monroe, Wright Street Design Group, Inc. Stan Monroe will be in attendance to answer questions.

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Tour Details *THE EVENT IS NOW AT CAPACITY! We will be having another tour to coincide with the Robert Metcalf exhibit that will be at the University of Michigan Museum of Art sometime between April 5th and July 13th, so please continue to check out www.a2modern.org.

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DETAILS ON OSLER TOUR FOR REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS:

• Light refreshments will be provided. A Tour Map and a handout of the home’s history written by Grace Shackman and a tour map of the Arb/Geddes/Ann Arbor Hills area will be available at the event free to all participants!
• Registration will be checked at the door. Only registered participants will be allowed as this is a limited space event.
• We will also ask you to take off your shoes so, please bring slippers or heavier socks if you will be cold!
• Photography: No interior photography please.
  

Questions: Contact modernists@a2modern.org

Alden Dow's architectural legacy in Ann Arbor, October 13th, 2013

a2modern celebrates modern architecture and design on Sunday, October 13, 2013 with a discussion of Alden Dow’s architectural legacy in Michigan including his work in Ann Arbor.

Craig McDonald, Director of the Alden Dow Home and Studio in Midland, MI will provide an overview of Dow’s work including those in Ann Arbor as well as on the University of Michigan Campus. Following the presentation will be a tour of Dow’s Morris House (1965) on Regent Drive and a door prize give-away.

Alden Dow’s first Ann Arbor residential commission, in 1932, was designed for his sister Margaret and her husband, U-M physician Harry Towsley in Ann Arbor Hills. Over the next thirty-six years, Dow designed seventeen more Ann Arbor buildings; by the 1960s, the high regard for his work helped him land the administrative buildings contracts for both the city of Ann Arbor and the U-M: the Larcom Municipal Building (1961) and the Fleming Administration Building (1964) respectively.

Grace Shackman, a2modern Historian, interviewed the original owners (in 1998) of the private residence featured on the tour – the Morris House. In the early 1960s, Joe Morris, on the advice of Harry Towsley, wrote Dow to ask if he would be interested in designing a home for the Morris family. Dow responded by inviting Morris to Midland for lunch. The Morrises waited two years before Dow had time to work on their house.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Morris (1965)

“Joe Morris called the home ‘magnificent simplicity.’ This tour offers a rare inside look at an Ann Arbor Dow Home with many of its features still intact.” explained Shackman. “A home’s original features contribute to its authenticity and offers a fantastic opportunity to view a mid-century modern Dow gem right here in Ann Arbor,” she said.

Logistics:
Space is limited for this event on the architectural legacy of Alden Dow. Proceeds from ticket sales will be used for the development of new a2modern tours and programming for 2014.

Location: The event will be at the Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Morris residence designed by Alden Dow. The residence is located at 7 Regent Drive, Ann Arbor.

Cost: $25.00/person

Event time: 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The event will begin at 2:30 p.m. on October 13th and the lecture will start at approximately 3:15 p.m.

Parking: Parking is limited on Regent Drive, therefore, we ask that you park on adjacent streets and walk to the event.

REGISTER HERE

We will be serving light refreshments and there will be a door prize!

Questions about this event? E-mail modernists@a2modern.org

"A Sensitive Wrightscape": Landscape Renovation at the Palmer House and Tour of the Home and Tea House

a2 modern presents, “A Sensitive Wrightscape”: Landscape Renovation at the Palmer House and Tour of the Landscape, Home and Tea House

Sunday, October 6th, 2013 (September 18, 2013: This event is SOLD OUT)

This event features a presentation about the Frank Lloyd Wright Palmer House landscape, a landscape tour and a tour of the home and tea house.

Noted as a masterwork in Wright’s canon, the Usonian style Palmer House (1952) was also noted for its impressive landscape designed by the late owners, William and Mary Palmer. Drawing on Wright’s philosophy, Japanese garden design, and the modernist milieu, the Palmers created a renowned
setting for their pristine home. Unfortunately, the inevitable effects of
natural growth and decay combined with new environmental pressures contributed to deterioration of the original design intent over time. Juliana Cerra, FLW Palmer House landscape manager, outlines the process of landscape renovation currently underway on the property. Utilizing principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative, the Palmer House landscape represents a valuable case study for rehabilitation of a mid-century modern site that honors the original design intent while applying today’s best
management practices.

Tour of the William and Mary Palmer House
Tour participants will have an interior view of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1952 Usonian built for the Palmer family. The house is a beautiful example of Wright’s usonian style and is in excellent condition. The home also retains it’s original furnishings. For details on the history of this house see: Grant Hildebrand with Ann and Leonard Eaton, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Palmer House, University of Washington Press, 2007.

Logistics
This event will start with a presentation by Juliana Cerra on the rehabilitation of the Palmer House landscape at the Gallup Park Livery meeting room (designed by David W. Osler) Gallup Park, 3000 Fuller Road. We will then carpool to the Frank Lloyd Wright Palmer House for a tour of the house, tea house and landscape.

Space is limited for this event and registration is required.
Cost $25
Time: 2:30-5:00 p.m.

REGISTER HERE

Questions about this event or a2modern contact: modernists@a2modern.org

Image source: Juliana Cerra

Tours: Michigan Modern Design That Shaped America and Anders Ruhwald at Saarinen House

Detroit Art Deco Society and a2modern join forces to offer a tour of the Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America and Anders Ruhwald at Saarinen House: The Anatomy of a Home exhibits.

Saturday, September 14th 12:30 p.m. (Meet the group at Visitor Services which is located inside Cranbrook Museum of Art at 12:15 p.m.)

The tour will start with the Anders Ruhwald exhibit located within the Eliel Saarinen House on the campus of Cranbrook Art Academy. Following the tour of Anders Ruhwald at Saarinen House: The Anatomy of a Home, the group will visit Cranbrook Art Museum for the tour of the Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America exhibit.

The cost is $22 per person and includes 2-guided tours!

This event has limited space available.

REGISTER HERE