June 9, 2016/Mid-Century Modern /by Mid-Century Mike

Help Save Breuer’s API Institute in Reston

Please sign this petition by June 13 to help try and save the American Press Institute (API) in Reston by modern master Marcel Breuer and Hamilton P. Smith. The API closed up shop and joined with the Newspaper Association of America, which is based in Arlington. The move left API’s 1972-1978 brutalist headquarters vacant, sitting on 4.6 park-like acres in the Northern Virginia suburbs. The 42,334 square foot office building is located at 11690 Sunrise Valley Dr. A developer wants to build townhouses on the spot amid the Metro expansion to Reston.

On June 16, the Fairfax County Planning Commission will make a final decision on a local developer’s application for rezoning the property from business to residential and a demolition permit. The Fairfax County Planning and Zoning staff has recommended to the Fairfax Planning Commission its approval of the rezoning application and demolition of the building.

The group, Fairfax Library Advocates, is urging that the building be repurposed as as a regional library.

Remember, please sign this petition by Monday, June 13.

June 2, 2015/Deck House /by Mid-Century Mike

Deck Houses in West Virginia, Reston

Here are a few Deck Houses to help you enjoy the summer weather. This 1978 version in the Canaan Valley in West Virginia. The owners are currently looking for interested buyers. The three bedroom/two bath home is located on nearly six acres in Old Timberline, a unique gated community of 456 single family properties encircling a wildlife and wetlands conservancy. It is a private residential area and designated wildlife sanctuary. Two canoeing lakes and four groomed trails are at the center of this 3,300 acre community of mostly two to five-plus acre home sites. The community is surrounded by preservation lands. For additional information, you can view the owners’ site here or contact them via e-mail at dr39cvwva@yahoo.com.

Soaring wood ceilings and large stone fireplace in the living room.

Here are two located in Reston that back up to the lakes in the area. This 1978 house that backs to Lake Thoreau is listed for $1.25 million while this one built in 1988 on Lake Newport is listed for $1.545 million.

Deck House, Inc. was founded in 1959 by William Berkes, a pioneer in post and beam building systems. The Deck House typically featured post and beam construction with exposed Douglas fir beams and tongue-and-groove vaulted ceilings.

July 25, 2014/Charles Goodman /by Mid-Century Mike

Modernist Townhomes by Goodman, Smith

Charles Goodman and Chloethiel Woodard Smith both contributed to the design of two differnt modernist experiments in the DC area back in the 1960s. One was the massive urban renewal effort of Southwest DC and the other was Robert Simon’s idea of an urban village on fomer farmland in Reston. Here are listings for two townhomes: One by Goodman in Southwest and one by Smith in Reston. This townhouse by Goodman in River Park is listed for $449K and open this Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm. This towhouse in the Coleson Cluster, a collection of 47 brick, flat-roof units designed by Smith and Reston founder Simon, is listed for $529K.

July 22, 2013/Mid-Century Modern /by Mid-Century Mike

Modern Snapshot: Breuer’s Vacant American Press Institute

In early 2012, the 66 year-old American Press Institute in Reston closed up shop and joined with the Newspaper Association of America, which is based in Arlington. The move left API’s 1972-1978 brutalist headquarters by Marcel Breuer and Hamilton P. Smith vacant, sitting on 4.6 park-like acres in the Northern Virginia suburbs. The 42,334 square foot office building is located at 11690 Sunrise Valley Dr. Cushman & Wakefiled is representing the property and pitching that it is located close to two of the new Metro stops coming to Reston. What will be the fate of this brutalist building by one of the great modern masters?

November 6, 2012/Charles Goodman /by Mid-Century Mike

New Goodman Hickory Cluster Website

While no homes are currently listed for sale in Charles Goodman’s Hickory Cluster in Reston (there is one rental), I wanted to make sure that everyone saw the new official community website created by the Hickory Cluster Association (HCA). It is a good resource for those thinking about buying one of the Goodman-designed townhomes. When Robert Simon started developing Reston as a modern planned community in the early 1960s, he asked Goodman to design the first set of homes–90 International-style townhomes nestled into the trees just across the street from Lake Anne.

An original brochure highlighted on the HCA’s site, describes the townhomes as the “The Goodman Houses” in cool mid-century script typeface. Here’s from the brochure:

“Charles M. Goodman Associates, A.I.A., is the prominent architect of the First Village hillside cluster. Groups of townhouses have been arranged around intricately paved terraces,which in turn are leveled into a wooded hilltop. The Goodman Houses overlook the Village Center and Lake Anne. Sharp changes in roofline, varying sizes, and contrasting textures accented by vivid colors contribute to a townhouse setting of great beauty. A variety of designs and facilities include 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms, rooftop terraces, balconies, playrooms, private studies, family rooms and recreation rooms. There is underground garage parking or carports for some models, large parking areas for others. Landscaped pedestrian paths, completely free of traffic, lead to shops in the Village Center, schools and recreation facilities. The Goodman Houses are an ideal application of contemporary townhouse design to a naturally wooded site.”

August 15, 2011/Charles Goodman /by Mid-Century Mike

Two Charles Goodman Hickory Cluster Townhomes

With people away at the beach, it has been a bit quiet regarding new mid-century modern listings coming on the market. We’ll see if we see the same surge after Labor Day that we saw in the spring. Here are two Charles Goodman-designed townhomes in Hickory Cluster in Reston that have come on in recent weeks. Here’s a 3 bed/1.5 bath end unit that was listed three days ago for $372K. This 3 bed/2.5 bath has been on the market for several weeks at a listing price of $439K. When Robert Simon started developing Reston as a modern planned community in the early 1960s, he asked Goodman to design the first set of homes–90 International-style townhomes nestled into the trees just across the street from Lake Anne.

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