Week 6 Observations

On Tuesday, February 24th, we visited the Erlanger house, which was designed in 1964 by Jack Baker for UIUC dance professor Margaret Erlanger.  Tossing the proverbial book of architectural norms out the window, Baker designed a space that would provide Erlanger with the privacy she desired with a sleek and angular interior.

The walk to the Erlanger house was as interesting as the house itself, as it established the aforementioned architectural norms.  The "suburban" post-World War II design featured a large buffer between the street and the sidewalk, followed by a sizeable front lawn and a walkway that led to a porch at the front of the house.  On one side or the other there was a driveway that typically led back to a one- or two-car garage.  Following this driveway, there was typically a side entrance, as well as a rear entrance accompanied by a deck or porch.

As time progressed, this style of houses began to change, which was made evident by the houses that we saw.  The buffer between the road and the sidewalk gradually became smaller, and in almost every other house we could see what had once been a porch was closed off to create another usable indoor room.  The idea of having an open space on the front of the house that was seldom used fell out of style to create a more "functional" living space for the owners.

Keeping in mind the post-WWII suburbia, the Erlanger house was a whole different beast entirely.  From the outside, it appears to be nothing more than a brick cube.  There is no porch, there are no windows, there is no driveway that leads to a one car garage around the back.  It must have looked quite strange for the time period and even looks a bit odd today, considering its location.  As we traveled through the front entrance, however, it became clear that the Erlanger house was not what it appeared to be.

The first floor of the house had a very open layout, with a large "living room" in the rear of the house and a recessed floor/seating area towards the front.  On both the front and rear faces of the house there are large glass windows; the rear window looks out on the neighborhood, while the front window looks out onto an enclosed garden that appears to be a continuation of the seating area due to the similar cobble material with which the flooring is made.  Also found on the first floor is a large square fireplace painted black.  The flue is a rectangular column that runs vertically to the ceiling.  On the right side of the house (when facing the back) is a small kitchen area, with refrigerator and storage integrated into the structure to appear seamless.  To the left is a staircase that leads to the second floor.

The second floor has the feeling of "floating" in the house, due to the open space over the living room area and the gap between the second floor and the front window, much like the passerelle of our models.  On the second floor was a sleep/study area and other accommodations typically found in a master bedroom.

I think the most interesting parts of the house were the consistent use of angles and the minimal use of different colors and materials.  It provided an elegant, yet simple look and made the entire living space seem more fluid.  No particular space of the house was truly closed off from the rest and it gave the space a very open feeling.