Carl Koch TechBuilt house, Turning Mill Rd, Lexington MA

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    I can't decide if I love this house or if I hate it. Pasting from the real estate listing:

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    Techbuilt model home by architect Carl Koch defines mid-century modernism. One of 12 homes featured on the Lexington Historical Society modernism tour. Versatile design w/ option for expansion/change. Upstairs family room was 2 additional bedrooms and can easily be restored back. Set high on a knoll, 3/4 acre wooded/private lot in area of more expensive homes. Deep 1 car garage w/ loft has heater. Neighborhood pool, Estabrook school, Lexpress @ driveway.

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    I like the design, but it looks like it would be hard to make any changes without ruining the character of it. I like the setting (no lawn to mow!) but I don't like that it's about 100 meters from a major Interstate highway. I like that it's cheaper than other houses in the neighborhood, but that isn't saying much (and, bleh, suburbs).

    Pasting from the Wikipedia entry on Carl Koch:

    [start-quote]

    Carl Koch ( May 11, 1912- 03 July 3, 1998) was a noted American architect. He was most associated with the design of prefabricated homes and development of the Techcrete building system.

    Education

    He was born Albert Carl Koch in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was educated at Harvard College and received his Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He completed his studies in 1937. The time he spent at Harvard overlapped with arrival of Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus in Germany.[1]

    Career

    After completing his education, he moved to Sweden where he worked for Sven Markelius for six months.[2] There he blended what he had learned in his formal education with clean Scandinavian design. These influences were evident in his work, especially the Techbuilt homes.

    Work

    Koch believed that the American lifestyle would be best served by a housing system which could be easily assembled, disassembled and reconfigured. This passion led him to pioneer prefabrication technologies. His Techbuilt series of homes was designed to be built with prefabricated panels for the walls, floor and roof. [3]

    Buildings

    His prime legacy is the Techbuilt system of home construction. In the Techbuilt house, the master bedroom is upstairs while the other bedrooms, kitchen and living space are all on the first floor. [4]

    Projects

    • Snake Hill, Massachusetts group of eight houses (1942) [5]
    Acorn House (1948)
    • Staff housing for the US Embassy, Belgrade (1956)
    The Techcrete Academy Homes (1962)
    Eliot House, Mount Holyoke College (1962)

    Legacy

    Carl Koch is known for his successful early designs for prefabricated housing. He created the Techbuilt System of home construction. Progressive Architecture magazine gave him the unofficial title "The Grandfather of Prefab" in 1994. [6] In total, over 3,000 Techbuilt homes were sold. [7] He outlined his thoughts and experiences on prefabrication in a book which he wrote with Andy Lewis entitled At Home With Tomorrow (NYC: Rinehart Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1958.)[8]

    Awards

    • First Award American Institute of Architects (1954)

    References

    1. ^ "Carl Koch". National Trust for Historic Preservation. http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/northeast-reg ion/new-canaan-ct/architects/carl-koch.html. Retrieved 15 November 2009. 

    2. ^ McCallum, Ian (1959), Architecture U. S. A., New York: Reinhold Pub. Corp., pp. 170–174, http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015009424741 

    3. ^ Ford, Katherine (1955), Designs for living; 175 examples of quality home interiors., New York: Reinhold Pub. Corp., pp. 22–23, http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015006327749 

    4. ^ Ford, Katherine (1955), Designs for living; 175 examples of quality home interiors., New York: Reinhold Pub. Corp., pp. 22–23, http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015006327749 

    5. ^ Gutheim, Frederick (1957), One hundred years of architecture in America, 1857-1957, celebrating the centennial of the American Institute of Architects., New York: Reinhold Pub. Corp., http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015006723400 

    6. ^ Long, Tom (1998). "Carl Koch, 86; noted architect". The Boston Globe. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-8498009.html. Retrieved 15 November 2009. 

    7. ^ "Carl Koch". National Trust for Historic Preservation. http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/northeast-reg ion/new-canaan-ct/architects/carl-koch.html. Retrieved 15 November 2009. 

    8. ^ Modernism 101: Architecture [1]

    Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Koch_(architect)"
    Categories: American architects | Harvard University alumni | Modernist architects | 1998 deaths | 1912 births

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    kpmue, ursonate, lavardera, and 4 other people added this photo to their favorites.

    1. Louis Abate 38 months ago | reply

      I think it is pretty sweet. Not too crazy about the brown though.

      --
      Seen on your photo stream. (?)

    2. jenosale 38 months ago | reply

      Love it - esp. the brown, white & orange (?) exterior. I bet the interior space is fabulous with all that glass. And these Techbuilt homes are solidly constructed.

    3. ursonate 30 months ago | reply

      the brown dates it, but i think the appeal lies in the concept.

    4. ursonate 26 months ago | reply

      spammer be gone?

    5. Chris Devers 26 months ago | reply

      Hilariously, for some reason, the Delete button on ccocoo's spam comment didn't seem to work.

      On the bright side, Flickr lets you block users, which removes all their comments, so the spam should go away shortly.

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