Alden B Dow Home and Studio

Alden B. Dow, son of a successful business man, owner of Dow Chemical, he was born and raised in Midland, Michigan. (The same town my father grew up in, and where the majority of my father's side resides). Back to Dow, he began his love of architecture at a young age. He was fortunate to travel the world, and was heavily influenced my Japanese architecture.

He was an apprentice for Frank Lloyd Wright in the summer and fall of 1933.
For more fun facts, you can visit this website. Alden B. Dow History

I would like to talk about the tour of his home and studio. Some of the my favorite things that stood out and are most memorable.
-The building was entirely composed of a white rhombus "brick" manufactured in his fathers chemical plant. The exterior facade is so beautiful because each level of the rhombus brick alternated the point, so it allowed a straight grid while not detracting from the structural element of the house.
-The use of constriction and release by varying the height of the ceilings. when you first walk in, the ceiling is not more than 7 ft, but take a few steps down into the waiting room, and it expands into an open light filled space.
-The colors. Oh the bright colors. It is such a fun house with green carpet, and pink ceilings, and bright yellow walls.