In 1947, Constance Perkins started working as a professor of Art History at Occidental College and here she met Richard Neutra, eventually asking him to design her home.
When Neutra was designing the house for her "he had to reexamine the single-family home and rework conventional patterns of the type."[1] The house itself sits on a little hill in Pasadena, California. "The tiny house was constructed of inexpensive materials- wood, plaster, and glass; a spiderleg beam extended the space by projecting out into a small reflecting pool that meanders through one of the glass walls of the house...He also measured the physical dimensions of his clients. Constance Perkins was a small woman, so he scaled the house to her."[2]
Neutra and Perkins worked closely together on the development of the building. In August 1953, Perkins sent Neutra a list of "Likes and Dislikes" with her autobiography so that Neutra could get a feel for what exactly she wanted for her new home.[1]
In October 1953 Neutra had completed the preliminary drawings for her house and after approval and construction, Perkins was finally allowed to move into her new home in December 1955.[1] The Perkins house is one of Neutra's smaller designs. It was formatted specially for Perkins and her budget. The house consists of "a free-from pool extending into the living room."[3] Apparently Neutra and Perkins had some disagreement over what the pool should look like. She didn't want it to be of a surrealist nature but wanted, "something relaxing and more intimate."[1] The final cost of the house came to about $17,166, which was over her original budget, nonetheless she was happy with the results.[1]
Both Perkins and Neutra were influenced by John Entenza's Arts and Architecture Magazine. The magazine feature a lot of Neutra's work and other famous architects. "The avowed purpose [of the magazine] was to present good, contemporary design to the magazine’s largely lay audience and nudge its professional and architectural student subscribers into a truer path. The results were remarkable and A&A’s readers, who held architecture and art close to their hearts, would curl up with a cup of coffee for an hour or so to read the latest issue of the magazine."[4] Perkins saw a great deal of Neutra's designs from this magazine and no doubt inspired her even further to have him design her own home.
Perkins' home is influential in modern architecture because of its design and the type of family that would occupy such a space. Perkins herself was a single working woman who had chosen a career over a family. She has requested no main bedroom, but would prefer sleeping in her workspace. She wanted a space "as a domestic environment in which individual creativity and work, rather than family and leisure activities were the central concept."[1]
Perkins died in March 1991 and left the house to the Huntington Library and Art Gallery in which she volunteered the last years of her life. The house is now privately owned.[1]
Quotesedit
Constance Perkins's critique on Richard Neutra's book Survival Through Design:
"The greatest enjoyment derived from re-readings of Survival Through Design may be gained from the unique and penetrating manner in which the author has related the numerous philosophies of eighteenth-century rationalism through twentieth-century concepts of a space-time experience, to problems of contemporary design."[5]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefghiFriedman, Alice T. (2007). Women and the Making of the Modern House. New Haven, Conn: Yale University Press. pp. 160–188. ISBN978-0-300-11789-9. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
^Design and Feminism: Re-visioning Spaces, Places, and Everyday Things. Joan Rothschild, Alethea Cheng
^Drexler, Arthur and Hines, Thomas A., The Architecture of Richard Neutra The Museum of Mondern Art, 1982
^Constance M. Perkins The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 13, No. 2 (Dec., 1954), pp. 273-274 Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The American Society for Aesthetics
constance, perkins, house, house, designed, richard, neutra, built, pasadena, california, united, states, from, 1952, 1955, street, viewgeneral, informationtypehousearchitectural, stylemoderntown, citypasadena, californiacountryunited, statescompleted1955inaug. The Constance Perkins House is a house designed by Richard Neutra and built in Pasadena California United States from 1952 to 1955 1 Constance Perkins HouseStreet viewGeneral informationTypehouseArchitectural styleModernTown or cityPasadena CaliforniaCountryUnited StatesCompleted1955Inaugurated1952Cost 17 166ClientConstance PerkinsDesign and constructionArchitect s Richard Neutra Contents 1 Design and construction 2 Constance Perkins 3 Quotes 4 ReferencesDesign and construction editIn 1947 Constance Perkins started working as a professor of Art History at Occidental College and here she met Richard Neutra eventually asking him to design her home When Neutra was designing the house for her he had to reexamine the single family home and rework conventional patterns of the type 1 The house itself sits on a little hill in Pasadena California The tiny house was constructed of inexpensive materials wood plaster and glass a spiderleg beam extended the space by projecting out into a small reflecting pool that meanders through one of the glass walls of the house He also measured the physical dimensions of his clients Constance Perkins was a small woman so he scaled the house to her 2 Neutra and Perkins worked closely together on the development of the building In August 1953 Perkins sent Neutra a list of Likes and Dislikes with her autobiography so that Neutra could get a feel for what exactly she wanted for her new home 1 In October 1953 Neutra had completed the preliminary drawings for her house and after approval and construction Perkins was finally allowed to move into her new home in December 1955 1 The Perkins house is one of Neutra s smaller designs It was formatted specially for Perkins and her budget The house consists of a free from pool extending into the living room 3 Apparently Neutra and Perkins had some disagreement over what the pool should look like She didn t want it to be of a surrealist nature but wanted something relaxing and more intimate 1 The final cost of the house came to about 17 166 which was over her original budget nonetheless she was happy with the results 1 Both Perkins and Neutra were influenced by John Entenza s Arts and Architecture Magazine The magazine feature a lot of Neutra s work and other famous architects The avowed purpose of the magazine was to present good contemporary design to the magazine s largely lay audience and nudge its professional and architectural student subscribers into a truer path The results were remarkable and A amp A s readers who held architecture and art close to their hearts would curl up with a cup of coffee for an hour or so to read the latest issue of the magazine 4 Perkins saw a great deal of Neutra s designs from this magazine and no doubt inspired her even further to have him design her own home Perkins home is influential in modern architecture because of its design and the type of family that would occupy such a space Perkins herself was a single working woman who had chosen a career over a family She has requested no main bedroom but would prefer sleeping in her workspace She wanted a space as a domestic environment in which individual creativity and work rather than family and leisure activities were the central concept 1 Constance Perkins editConstance Perkins was born in Denver in 1913 Her father was a doctor and her mother was an invalid citation needed She studied art and got her BA at the University of Denver In 1937 she attained her master s degree in Art History at Mills College in Oakland 1 Perkins died in March 1991 and left the house to the Huntington Library and Art Gallery in which she volunteered the last years of her life The house is now privately owned 1 Quotes editConstance Perkins s critique on Richard Neutra s book Survival Through Design The greatest enjoyment derived from re readings of Survival Through Design may be gained from the unique and penetrating manner in which the author has related the numerous philosophies of eighteenth century rationalism through twentieth century concepts of a space time experience to problems of contemporary design 5 References edit a b c d e f g h i Friedman Alice T 2007 Women and the Making of the Modern House New Haven Conn Yale University Press pp 160 188 ISBN 978 0 300 11789 9 Retrieved 2008 04 27 Design and Feminism Re visioning Spaces Places and Everyday Things Joan Rothschild Alethea Cheng Drexler Arthur and Hines Thomas A The Architecture of Richard Neutra The Museum of Mondern Art 1982 Arts amp Architecture Mag Issue Date Constance M Perkins The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism Vol 13 No 2 Dec 1954 pp 273 274 Published by Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The American Society for Aesthetics 34 07 51 N 118 10 46 W 34 1308 N 118 1794 W 34 1308 118 1794 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Constance Perkins House amp oldid 999071899, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
