Us Modernist Radio - Architecture You Love

Carol and Dan Price stepped in to save architect Victor Lundy's Bellaire, Texas, home just weeks before demolition.  Erin DiFazio champions Sarasota's architectural heritage, and owner Joel Disend shares his 1959 Edward Durell Stone house in New Canaan, Connecticut.  Then from teen idol to chart-topper to movie star to pro basketball team owner (and Debbie's dad), we've got the great Pat Boone, with a career spanning seven decades. 

In our continuing series, Children of Genius, we'll talk with the children of extraordinary architects. First, Llisa Demetrios, Curator of the Eames Institute and youngest granddaughter of design legends Ray and Charles Eames. Next, Sarah and Cameron Nims, children of Florida architect Rufus Nims, and later, we'll talk with Gabriela Liebert, the architect reviving Nim's iconic "Jetsons House" in Miami.  Then, it's the daughter of architect Irving Tobocman, and also our musical guest, jazz singer Susan Tobocman. 

We've dug into the USModernist Radio vault to bring back a special interview on early 20th century Modernist Harwell Hamilton Harris, with author Lisa Germany and Harris' friend and executor, Frank Harmon. 

Today on the show, George writes a song in 30 seconds.  Architects Margaret Sullivan and Jim Richärd turn libraries into vibrant hubs. Glenda Flaim and Federico Engel restore a William Wurster house in San Francisco, and later we'll croon with musical guest Matt Belsante.

Today we welcome podcast host Evan Troxel of Archispeak; developer Ken Reiter, who answers the question, what do you do with a old Modernist school?  Jason Langkammerer, founder of AT6 Architecture + Design Build, on renovating his own house; and returning podcast guest, the enchanting Julianna Raye, singer-songwriter and CEO of Unified Mindfulness, blending soulful music with meditation practice.

Our first guest Volker Welter uncovers how architect Leopold Fischer fled Europe to shape Modernism in the US.  We have Cranbrook Museum's Chief Curator Andrew Blauvelt, and later, musical guests Gregg and Kathy Gelb in a tribute to Paul Montgomery.

We've dug into the podcast vault to bring back two interviews with internationally respected architects Moshe Safdie and Danlel Libeskind.  

Shane Hood safeguards Tulsa's architectural gems. Peter Maunu lovingly restored Frank Lloyd Wright's Lamberson House in Iowa.  Emily Almloff, the youngest licensed architect in the US, is transforming hospitals across the Midwest. Later, musical guests Danger Hall, with Peter Lamb and Daniel Hall.  

First up, three prolific architecture authors: Alan Hess, Dominic Bradbury, and Sam Lubell. Then we meet Harper Halprin and Aaron Leshtz of AAHA Studio — a marriage proving that design collaboration isn't just for coworkers. And later, Montreal-born jazz master Steve Rosenbloom, who leads a 16-piece ensemble by night and is a psychologist by day.

Aidan Anderson is a former carpenter in Sydney Australia who turned a local furniture business into the Local Project, a worldwide media company for architecture and design. Trading a career a NASA for furniture, you will meet The Rattan Man Harvey G. Schwartz. And later, Hugh Martin, one of the founders of the UK Modern House Index, a huge digital archive documenting British modernist homes from the 1920s to today. 

We've dug into the podcast vault to bring back a show from the first year of USModernist Radio.  One of the best 80s films is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Here's the plot: near the end of the school year, high school senior Ferris Bueller (played by Matthew Broderick) fakes being sick to stay home. His parents believe him, though his sister Jeanie (played by Jennifer Grey, the baby you don't back into a corner) is not convinced. Ferris persuades his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) to help lure Ferris' girlfriend (Mia Sara) out of school and let them use his father's prized 1961 Ferrari. Spoiler:  that Ferrari tumbles out of a really cool Modernist house, much to the chagrin of Cameron and his dad. Our pal Bob Langford, who pretty much knows every line in the movie, drops by to help us examine this cultural icon with guest Meghann Salamasick, who with her husband Chris are the owners of the that famous Modernist house. Later in the show, with apologies to Wayne Newton, it's George and Bob and Tom serenading Megha

Tom Kundig of Seattle's Olson Kundig is a superstar in residential architecture, and he's got a new book, Complete Houses.  But you can't have a world-class architect without a world-class builder, and we'll talk with Kundig's close friend and frequent collaborator, Jim Dow of Dowbuilt. Later, you'll hear Veronneau, a husband-and-wife duo whose tunes go around the world.

Back on the show is one of our favorite guests, YouTube architecture star Professor Stewart Hicks; Brian Horowitz revives the joy and nostalgia of pinball, that midcentury pastime that was going to rot our midcentury minds; and author Hillary Carlip shares the wonderful world of Willis Wonderland, a new popup book for all ages.

E. Fay Jones is a name most architects know but the public does not.  A student of Frank Lloyd Wright, Jones blurred the line between indoors and outdoors with careful use of wood, stone, and glass.  It’s like these buildings just emerge from the woods. Today, we’ve got three people dedicated to preserving Jones legacy. David McKee worked for Jones and is the go-to guy for restoring houses.  We’ll talk with Jonathan Formanek, who created the E. Fay Jones Conservancy, along with his partner, Andy Whitmore, who live in the Faubus house in Arkansas.  And back in the studio, we talk with influencer Maggie Weber, whose takes on bad design keep us laughing. 

We've got author and architect Peter Forguson celebrating Michigan’s extraordinary collection of bold, Modernist houses with the new book Contemporary Michigan, from the UK, Michael Diamant rants against Modernism, and later on, musical guest Brent Jensen serves classic tunes made famous by Paul Desmond.  

Kata Walters went from the catwalk to the construction site, changing from an international career in modeling to building Modernist houses.  Allison Meier shares her map of New York, uncovering hidden histories in architecture and culture from cemeteries to the streets. Kyle Bergman of the New York Architecture and Design Film Festival shares this year’s highlights, and from Sweden, musical guest Klas Lindquist.  

We’re back with one of our most popular segments, Children of Genius. Them apples don’t fall too far from the tree, and today we’ll hear from two that dropped nearby, Toby Rapson and Ron Kappe. They grew up immersed in Modernist design with some of the most influential architecture of the 20th century, thanks to their fathers Ralph Rapson and Ray Kappe, tradition they continue today. Later, Modernist homeowner and musical guest Holly Cole.  

You all know we love midcentury modern houses in Palm Springs, but what about new ones?  These will be the houses we will tour and sip martinis at and give lectures about 40 years from now.  Today we’ll talk with one of those architects, Jill Lewis, about a new house in the Desert Palisades area of Palm Springs, along with the landscape architect for that project, John Hreno.  Then we’ll meet the leader of SOCOMCM, architect Edward Peck, plus returning jazz vocalist Jaimee Paul. 

Who’s the author of that architecture book on your coffee table?  It’s probably written by one of our guests, Dominic Bradbury and Adam Stech.  Later on, jazz with returning musical guest Elijah Rock. 

Today, it’s Bartlesville, Oklahoma, home to Frank Lloyd Wright’s skyscraper, the 19-story Price Tower, talking with new owners Macy Snyder-Amatucci and John Snyder, about their plan to bring the tower back to life. Then it’s on to Washington DC and the administration’s plans for architecture, with writer and critic Ian Volner. Next, World’s Fairs with Bill Cotter, and later, music from jazz pianist Lenore Raphael.