Alternative Views of Modernism in the United States before and after World War I Maybeck and Greene & Greene: Craft and Nature

Architectural design in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century had already separated itself into several different camps. The Chicago School, which had been so influential in the development of skyscraper technology and was the home of both Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, never really continued to pursue the ideas of Sullivan or Wright at monumental scale after the World’s Columbian Exposition of Both Chicago and New York had moved into the safer and more comfortable position of enclosing skyscraper technology with envelopes of traditional, historical styles. Although both Sullivan and Wright built important buildings in other cities such as Buffalo and St. Louis, much of the experimentation with what Wright hoped would become an American architecture took place in the sphere of residential design.

Other architects also developed new ideas about design in the residential category. Among them were Greene and Greene and Bernard Maybeck. The Greenes were born in Ohio, grew up in St. Louis, attended MIT, but ultimately settled in California. Maybeck also practiced in California after having studied at the Beaux-Arts academy in Paris. The work that these three architects produced create a regional style that is sometimes called “Arts and Crafts” or “Craftsman” or “California Bungalow.”

(Charles b. Brighton, Ohio 1868; d. Carmel, California, 1957; Henry b. Brighton, Ohio 1870; d. Altadena, California, 1954) The partnership of Greene & Greene was established in Pasadena, California in Comprised of two brothers, Charles Sumner Greene (born in Brighton, Ohio in 1868) and Henry Mather Greene (born in Brighton, Ohio in 1870), the partnership flourished until 1922 when both began practicing independently. Both Charles and Henry attended the Manual Training High School of Washington University in St. Louis where they gained critical educational experience. They also attended the MIT school of Architecture from 1886 to 1888, but left because they felt creatively stifled. After a two-year apprenticeship in Boston where they became familiar with the Boston shingle style, the brothers formed their own firm.

The most exceptional work put out by Greene & Greene occurred between 1903 and During this period they created houses of exceptional craftsmanship and refinement. All the houses were notable for their articulated surfaces and oriental sensitivities. Informal and regionally relevant, the designs by Greene & Greene extolled the natural lifestyle of Southern California. The brothers complemented each other architecturally with Charles providing the imagination and artistic eye and Henry providing the sense of order and conceptual vision. Separately, they were regarded as highly as they were when they worked together.

Bernard Maybeck Maybeck was born in New York in In 1882 he travelled to Paris where he studied architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. During his studies he embraced the theories of Viollet-le-duc with their combined emphasis on medievalism and technological advancement. After uneventful periods in New York and Kansas City, Maybeck moved to San Francisco where he joined the firm of A. Page Brown. By 1894 he had established a private practice in Berkeley. He was an important mentor to a number of young architects, including JuliaMorgan. Maybeck developed an eclectic vocabulary of forms that borrowed from the regional forms and construction of California.

Although his designs show a relationship between decoration and structure, Maybeck accepted and used a variety of styles. He resolved each designwith the belief that every architectural problem required an original solution. Maybeck was awarded the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects in He died in Berkeley, California in 1957.

Berkeley, CA, Maybeck, First Christian Science Church