Robert E. and Barbara Schwartz House

Last updated
Robert E. and Barbara Schwartz House
Robert Schwartz house.JPG
Location3201 W. Sugnet Rd., Midland, Michigan
Coordinates 43°38′04″N84°15′56″W / 43.63444°N 84.26556°W / 43.63444; -84.26556 (Robert E. and Barbara Schwartz House) Coordinates: 43°38′04″N84°15′56″W / 43.63444°N 84.26556°W / 43.63444; -84.26556 (Robert E. and Barbara Schwartz House)
Arealess than one acre
Built1964 (1964)
ArchitectRobert E. Schwartz
Architectural style Modern Movement
NRHP reference # 13000799 [1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 26, 2013

The Robert E. and Barbara Schwartz House is a single-family home located at 3201 West Sugnet Road in Midland, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. [1]

Midland, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of Central Michigan. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Combined Statistical Area. In 2010, Midland was named the no. 4 Best Small City to raise a family in by Forbes magazine.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Contents

History

Robert E. Schwartz was born in Midland in 1928. He attended the University of Michigan, where he received a degree in architectural design in 1954. In his senior year, Schwartz participated in a special project led by Buckminster Fuller to design a dome shelter of cardboard, a project which influenced his later design for this house. After graduation, Schwartz returned to Midland and apprenticed in the offices of Bob Goodall and Glen Beach, both proteges of Alden B. Dow. Schwartz received his license in 1958, and in the early 1960s opened his own firm with partner Charles Blacklock. [2]

University of Michigan Public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

The University of Michigan, often simply referred to as Michigan, is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The university is Michigan's oldest; it was founded in 1817 in Detroit, as the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania, 20 years before the territory became a state. The school was moved to Ann Arbor in 1837 onto 40 acres (16 ha) of what is now known as Central Campus. Since its establishment in Ann Arbor, the university campus has expanded to include more than 584 major buildings with a combined area of more than 34 million gross square feet spread out over a Central Campus and North Campus, two regional campuses in Flint and Dearborn, and a Center in Detroit. The university is a founding member of the Association of American Universities.

Buckminster Fuller American architect, systems theorist, author, designer, inventor and futurist

Richard Buckminster Fuller was an American architect, systems theorist, author, designer, inventor and futurist.

Alden B. Dow was an American architect based in Midland, Michigan, and known for his contributions to the style of Michigan Modern. During a career that spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, he designed more than 70 residences and dozens of churches, schools, civic and art centers, and commercial buildings. His personal residence, the Midland Center for the Arts, and the 1950s Grace A. Dow Memorial Library are among numerous examples of his work located in his hometown of Midland, Michigan. The son of Herbert Henry Dow and philanthropist Grace A. Dow, Dow is known for his prolific architectural designs.

In 1964, Schwartz began working on a domed design for his own home. He was contacted by the Dow Chemical Company, which was developing building materials of Styrofoam, and offered to furnish Schwartz with building materials and equipment in exchange for access to the house to inspect the design and lead tour groups through. Schwartz accepted, and the exterior dome was constructed in 1964. The interior took considerably longer, and the Schwartz family moved into the house in 1966. He added an exterior storage shed in 1979 and a carport in 1992. Robert Schwartz lived in the house until his death in 2010. [2]

Dow Chemical Company American chemical company

The Dow Chemical Company, commonly referred to as Dow, is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States, and the predecessor of the merged company DowDuPont. In 2017, prior to the merger, it was the second-largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization. It ranked second in the world by chemical production in 2014.

Styrofoam trademark for expanded polystyrene

Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board" manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrier. This material is light blue in color and is owned and manufactured by The Dow Chemical Company.

Description

The Schwartz House is a three-story, thin-shell, white-painted hemispherical dome structure, constructed with a circular plan. The dome is constructed of layers of 2 inch by 4 inch by 10 foot extruded Styrofoam boards bonded together. The Styrofoam dome is covered with approximately 3 inches of spray-applied concrete over reinforcing steel. Three large arched openings holding windows are cut out of the dome. A tall concrete block wall on one side hides a two-car open carport from the street. At the top of the dome is a large skylight that provides ventilation to the interior and light to the third floor. [2]

On the interior, the house contains approximately 4,300 square feet of living space. The second and third floors are not supported by the dome, but instead float within the larger volume of the structure. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2013-11-02). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rob Yallop (June 2011), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Schwartz, Robert E. and Barbara (Vitkuske), House (PDF)
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