Long summer weekend in Michigan

I took the tail end of last weekend and traveled with my mom via the coal-fired, steam-powered SS Badger across Lake Michigan to visit a sculptor/teacher friend.

During that visit we took a side trip to visit the home and studio complex (I guess a complex it would be called - at 14,000 square feet plus) of Alden Dow in Midland, Mich.

As an heir to the Dow-Corning fortune, he was able to persue an architecture career starting out in the height of the depression in the 1930s, and continuing for nearly 50 years.

As a student of Wright, he was a member of the team of designers who went on with organic stryle house, long, expansive and using cutting edge materials set into interesting sites.

Midland has more than 80 homes, and Michigan a total of over 130.

It was interesting to see his use of form.

George