All of these homes have a story to tell, but with architecturally-significant home ownership comes great responsibility. The moment one of these properties hits the market, there's always a risk that it'll get stripped of original details or become a development opportunity. It takes the proper steward, someone with curiosity and passion, to preserve their narrative and architectural integrity. So tighten your purse strings, and let's make some new homeowner matches in the name of Modernism.

After months of discussions with our Finnish colleagues, the Alvar Aalto Foundation along with the Consulate General of Finland in New York, Finnish Cultural Institute in New York and managing firm Office of Tangible Space have released a press release regarding the future of the interior. While we are disappointed the interior could not have remained in situ, Docomomo US is grateful to our colleagues for mobilizing and protecting this very important piece of our legacy.

The Goldman House, a unique remnant of the Stelton Colony in Piscataway, New Jersey, is at risk. Notable for its artistic touches including bas reliefs, sculptural elements and interior details, it embodies the aspirations of a community that sought to challenge societal norms and experiment with new ways of living and thinking.

In 1970, then Herman Miller CEO Max De Pree began a poetic brief for a Herman Miller manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom by stating, “Our goal is to make a contribution to the landscape of aesthetic and human value.” The building that resulted from what became titled A Statement of Expectations was a pioneering High-Tech project by Nicholas Grimshaw that recently saw its own award-winning adaptive reuse into, very fittingly, an art and design school. We are happy to share a story originally published by Herman Miller’s WHY Magazine in 2014 that tells the story of The Bath Brief, and Herman Miller’s collaboration with Grimshaw.

It's been way too long since our last commercial real estate round up, and this year's annual theme, Corporate Campuses, provides the perfect opportunity for a revisit. We hope you enjoy perusing some of our finds, including: a Pomo headquarters that's instantly recognizable as a Michael Graves design; an elegant Yamasaki in Michigan; a former church looking for a new use designed by Elizabeth Wright Ingraham; and if you've ever dreamed of an office space in "The Pyramids," now is your chance.

The Texas Instruments Semiconductor Building and headquarters in Dallas, Texas, is an example of a much lesser explored, yet no less historically relevant, corporate research facility from the same era as the well-publicized industrial complexes by Eero Saarinen. In 1958, Texan architects O’Neil Ford with Richard Colley, Arch Swank and Sam Zisman conceived of the massive complex (Fig 1), which typified Ford's daring creativity and stands as what has been considered the most technologically innovative design of his career. The Semiconductor Building serves as a larger artifact of twentieth-century technology, showcasing both advancements in concrete structural design and pioneering breakthroughs in the field of digital electronics.

The Ford Motor Company corporate campus is located in Southeast Michigan, about 10 miles west of Detroit in the city of Dearborn. Ford first began purchasing property here along the Rouge River in 1915, but it was not until 1917, with the impetus of World War I, that they completed the first structure to produce eagle boats for the war effort. Countless additions later, the Rouge complex, now referred to as the Ford Rouge Center, is still operational and is itself a hallmark of adaptive reuse. The expansion of production at the Rouge anchored Ford in Dearborn, where the company would continue to expand its campus, especially after World War II.

Postwar corporate campuses were an important proving ground for architects to demonstrate the core principles of modernist design: that form should follow function, and that the honest expression of building materials should put their inherent qualities on display. Because corporate campuses in this era were also seen as rural oases, set apart from their urban high-rise counterparts on large plots of land, landscape design played an essential role in the expression of place. In many cases, the architectural expression of a modernist corporate campus required that it borrow some drama from its surrounding landscape. And, in some cases, this meant bringing the outside in.

This year’s Docomomo US theme “Corporate Campus” has sought to “explore and understand the influence of suburban corporate architecture and corporate campuses on the edge of more urban cores, their peaks, and now their valleys.” In a post-pandemic world, and in the past year in particular, the evolving role of the corporate campus, and the office in general, has proven to be on trend across culture.

Escape into our annual Summer Reads list, and take a modern architecture and design trip around the world. Like any good travel companion, these titles are up for anything (read them on the beach or a shady bench in the park), and they keep the drama contained (to their pages). 

Docomomo US Chapters Chicago, New York/Tri-State, and Northern California announce the recipients of their 2024 National Symposium scholoarships. 

Docomomo US is pleased to announce two scholarship recipients for the 2022 National Symposium taking place in Miami: Arièle Dionne-Krosnick and Angela Fernandes.

The seven-acre Modern corporate campus once home to Sunset magazine is under threat of demolition. The site captures the essence of “California Modernism” in both its physical design and cultural significance.

It's our first-ever spring shopping guide and we've rounded up a seasonally-inspired assortment of goodies that'll put a smile on your face and refresh your home from the inside out.  

The National Symposium in Miami is just weeks away. Docomomo US President Katie Horak reflects on Symposia past where visiting amazing Modern sites, gathering with friends, and holding challenging discussions all combine to create lasting memories.

Sometimes we all need a little extra push. We get it, so we’ve expanded upon our initial list of why you absolutely, positively cannot miss the 11th annual Docomomo US National Symposium, taking place May 29–June 1, in Miami and Coral Gables, Florida. Plus, there are some important updates about the Miami Marine Boat Tour and the Alfred Browning Parker Tours that we thought you’d want to know about it.

Amy Auscherman’s work spans conservation and collections management, archival product development, and communications – she’s authored a couple of books, digitized the collection of the Miller House & Garden, and currently runs the corporate archives of MillerKnoll brands (there are 15 of them, now, including Herman Miller, Knoll, and Design Within Reach). We’re super excited to have her join us as the guest editor of July’s Special Edition Newsletter and recently took the opportunity to chat with her about cubicles and corporate campuses.

In 1967, two young developers, Ray Graham III and Didier Raven, chose an equally young Antoine Predock to plan and design the residential community of La Luz (The Light) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Predock’s first independent commission received national acclaim for its skilled application of contemporary theories of urban planning and for its convincing synthesis of modern and regional forms of architecture.

The 11th annual Docomomo US National Symposium takes place May 29–June 1, in Miami and Coral Gables, Florida. It is THE primary event in the United States for professionals and enthusiasts to discuss and share efforts to preserve Modern architecture, but just in case you still need some additional persuasion, here are five great reasons why Miami is not to be missed!

The Docomomo US Study Grant program provides financial support for qualified individuals whose work or educational focus demonstrates a continued interest and commitment in the area or subject of exploration for which the particular study grants are being offered. The Study Grant program has been made possible with the generous support of an anonymous Docomomo US supporter.