A Theme Park of Modern Houses

The Grand Rapids
Homestyle Center
1954-1957

[Thread]
A Theme Park of Modern HousesThe Grand Rapids Homestyle Center1954-1957[Thread]
A Theme Park of Modern HousesThe Grand Rapids Homestyle Center1954-1957[Thread]
A Theme Park of Modern HousesThe Grand Rapids Homestyle Center1954-1957[Thread]
A Theme Park of Modern HousesThe Grand Rapids Homestyle Center1954-1957[Thread]
The Homestyle Center & Home Research Foundation were conceptualized by Detroit realtor Jason Honigman. His vision for the Homestyle Center was a tourist attraction in the form of a neighborhood of experimental houses, each representing a different region of the US.
The Homestyle Center & Home Research Foundation were conceptualized by Detroit realtor Jason Honigman. His vision for the Homestyle Center was a tourist attraction in the form of a neighborhood of experimental houses, each representing a different region of the US.
The Homestyle Center & Home Research Foundation were conceptualized by Detroit realtor Jason Honigman. His vision for the Homestyle Center was a tourist attraction in the form of a neighborhood of experimental houses, each representing a different region of the US.
To lead the project Honigman hired a local Grand Rapids architect named Arleigh “Bud” Hitchcock, who had designed a number of homes himself and had experience as a salesman for Herman Miller.
To lead the project Honigman hired a local Grand Rapids architect named Arleigh “Bud” Hitchcock, who had designed a number of homes himself and had experience as a salesman for Herman Miller.
To lead the project Honigman hired a local Grand Rapids architect named Arleigh “Bud” Hitchcock, who had designed a number of homes himself and had experience as a salesman for Herman Miller.
To lead the project Honigman hired a local Grand Rapids architect named Arleigh “Bud” Hitchcock, who had designed a number of homes himself and had experience as a salesman for Herman Miller.
To lead the project Honigman hired a local Grand Rapids architect named Arleigh “Bud” Hitchcock, who had designed a number of homes himself and had experience as a salesman for Herman Miller.
Hitchcock quickly became the face of the Homestyle Center, promoting the project to national magazines and news outlets and courting a list of prominent architects from around the country to participate.
When time came for construction to begin on the first round of 12 homes, sufficient funds still hadn’t been raised, and when a 1957 request for a municipal bond was rejected, Honigman & Hitchcock were forced to fold the project.
The only physical trace that exists of the Grand Rapids Homestyle Center is the man-made lake that was to be at the center of the development, now part of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
The only physical trace that exists of the Grand Rapids Homestyle Center is the man-made lake that was to be at the center of the development, now part of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
The only physical trace that exists of the Grand Rapids Homestyle Center is the man-made lake that was to be at the center of the development, now part of the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Fortunately, we also have at least one rendering for each of the 12 original house designs...
Alden B. Dow
Midland, MI
House for the Midwest Suburbs

Dow’s design was a model house for sloping sites, built of concrete block with entrances at two levels.
Alden B. DowMidland, MIHouse for the Midwest SuburbsDow’s design was a model house for sloping sites, built of concrete block with entrances at two levels.
Alden B. DowMidland, MIHouse for the Midwest SuburbsDow’s design was a model house for sloping sites, built of concrete block with entrances at two levels.
Alden B. DowMidland, MIHouse for the Midwest SuburbsDow’s design was a model house for sloping sites, built of concrete block with entrances at two levels.
Alden B. DowMidland, MIHouse for the Midwest SuburbsDow’s design was a model house for sloping sites, built of concrete block with entrances at two levels.
Robert Little
Cleveland, OH
House for the Midwest Suburbs II
Robert LittleCleveland, OHHouse for the Midwest Suburbs II
Robert LittleCleveland, OHHouse for the Midwest Suburbs II
Ralph Rapson
Minneapolis, MN
House for the Upper Midwest
Ralph RapsonMinneapolis, MNHouse for the Upper Midwest
Ralph RapsonMinneapolis, MNHouse for the Upper Midwest
Painter Weeks & McCarty
Knoxville, TN
House for the Mid South
Painter Weeks & McCartyKnoxville, TNHouse for the Mid South
Painter Weeks & McCartyKnoxville, TNHouse for the Mid South
John Dinwiddie
New Orleans, LA
House for the Deep South
John DinwiddieNew Orleans, LAHouse for the Deep South
John DinwiddieNew Orleans, LAHouse for the Deep South
Eliot Noyes
New Canaan, CT
Concrete Bubble House
Eliot NoyesNew Canaan, CTConcrete Bubble House
Eliot NoyesNew Canaan, CTConcrete Bubble House
R. Buckminster Fuller
Geodesic Dome House
R. Buckminster FullerGeodesic Dome House
R. Buckminster FullerGeodesic Dome House
George Nelson
New York, NY
Modular House on Stilts
George NelsonNew York, NYModular House on Stilts
George NelsonNew York, NYModular House on Stilts
Harwell Hamilton Harris
Austin, TX
House for the Southwest
Harwell Hamilton HarrisAustin, TXHouse for the Southwest
Harwell Hamilton HarrisAustin, TXHouse for the Southwest
Zema & Baumgardner
Seattle, WA
House for the Pacific Northwest
Zema & BaumgardnerSeattle, WAHouse for the Pacific Northwest
Zema & BaumgardnerSeattle, WAHouse for the Pacific Northwest
Wurster Bernardi & Emmons
San Francisco, CA
House for the Bay Area
Wurster Bernardi & Emmons San Francisco, CAHouse for the Bay Area
Wurster Bernardi & Emmons San Francisco, CAHouse for the Bay Area
A. Quincy Jones
Los Angeles, CA
House for the Southwest II
A. Quincy JonesLos Angeles, CAHouse for the Southwest II
A. Quincy JonesLos Angeles, CAHouse for the Southwest II
Kazumi Adachi
Los Angeles, CA
House for Southern California
Kazumi AdachiLos Angeles, CAHouse for Southern California
Kazumi AdachiLos Angeles, CAHouse for Southern California
Finally, the star of the (never-built) Grand Rapids Homestyle Center

Paul Rudolph
Sarasota, FL
House for the Gulf Coast
Finally, the star of the (never-built) Grand Rapids Homestyle CenterPaul RudolphSarasota, FLHouse for the Gulf Coast
Finally, the star of the (never-built) Grand Rapids Homestyle CenterPaul RudolphSarasota, FLHouse for the Gulf Coast
Finally, the star of the (never-built) Grand Rapids Homestyle CenterPaul RudolphSarasota, FLHouse for the Gulf Coast
Finally, the star of the (never-built) Grand Rapids Homestyle CenterPaul RudolphSarasota, FLHouse for the Gulf Coast
You can follow @JoshLipnik.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled:
There are a lot of misconceptions about the Turkish diaspora in Germany. Since i just finished writing an essay about this topic I thought it's time to give other people
Read more
Las mejores calculadoras online en 2020A thread http://totumat.com/2020/11/26/las-mejores-calculadoras-online-en-2020/ Cuando se estudian asignaturas que requieren de cálculos complicados, nada mejor que contar con una buena calculadora.
Read more
Mitigating #ClimateChange is as much about taking up new techs as about leaving others behindMost studies focus on #coal's global downfall but another #energy tech decline is loomingRead my new
Read more