Highlights from the 2017 AIA Tour
text and photos by Lynne Rostochil.
Last Saturday, the 16th annual AIA architecture tour took place, and if you missed it, you missed seeing some pretty incredible buildings that ranged from a 1930s Streamline Moderne home to an old automobile building to a brand new school in Edmond. Here are a few of the highlights:
BP Lower 48
Owner: BP Lower 48
Architect: Brian Fitzsimmons, Fitzsimmons Architects
Contractor: Flintco, Inc.
Interior Decorator: Laura Leffler
Located in Automobile Alley, the Pontiac Building remodel was certainly one of the big WOWs of the tour, I thought.
How fun would it be to slide down that ramp? As for the office space, the combination of wood and glass give it a warm and modern feeling all at the same time:
Just beautiful!
Mason House
Owner: Steve Mason
Architect: ADG
Contractor: Lingo Construction
One of the latest additions to the burgeoning SoSA is the stunning Mason House. The two story home was designed for comfortable, easy living with jaw-dropping views of downtown.
Bob Moore Auto Group
Owner: Bob Moore Auto Group
Architect: Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Contractor: Smith and Pickel Construction
For me, the best surprise of the tour was this remarkable remodel of the dealership’s collision center, which was a one-story brick building constructed in 1951. The architects added a second story to create an open and very modern office space. This is the first building to be completed in Bob Moore’s new campus.
Vahlberg-White House
Owner: William and Susie White
Architect: Robert Vahlberg
Contractor: White & Associates
The sentimental favorite of the tour was surely this lovely home in the heart of Edgemere Park. Architect Robert Vahlberg designed the home for his parents in 1937. Here are a few of the blueprints that were on display during the tour:
A few years ago, the previous owners opened the home to the Mod Squad for a tour, and I’m happy to say that the new owners have added things, like a master bathroom and a pool, that only enhance the beauty of the home, while leaving all of the original goodness alone.
Nepveux House
Owner: Janise Nepveax
Architect: Ken Fitzsimmons, TASK Design
Contractor: Bryan Beavers
It was really refreshing to see a space on the tour that was more modest in scale — from the chatter around me when I toured this one, people could see how they could mod up their own spaces a bit because this was one they could relate to. I like that. And how great is this kitchen?
Originally, walls, a closet, and an indoor hot tub broke up the kitchen area, making it dark and choppy. Now, it’s sheer perfection.
Unfortunately, I volunteered at the refreshment stop for the first part of the tour and missed getting to Edmond to see the last two stops, the Brewer House and Heartland Middle School, but I heard that they both both very popular destinations. Being at the refreshment stop at the AIA office, I did get a chance to view some of the beautiful images from the OKLAHOMANMADE photography competition, though:
Good stuff. And, finally, this particular Architecture Week was especially rewarding because the Okie Mod Squad was awarded the B.H. Prasad Honor Award for our work in bringing awareness to the community about mid-century modern architecture and preservation efforts. Way to go, Mod Squad!!!
