CalArchNet Spring Meeting
May 5-6 marked the sixth meeting of CalArchNet, held at the Environmental Design Archives (EDA), with representatives from eight institutions in attendance. Topics discussed included: ways for self-supporting institutions to generate revenue, digitization policies and fees, developing an institutional archive, born digital collections and how to preserve, and architectural theory reading lists/libguides.
The group traversed the winding hills behind the University to visit sites of architectural significance such as Havens House, Greenwood Commons, and Thorsen House.
The first stop was the Weston Havens House, designed in 1940 by architect Harwell Hamilton Harris for the philanthropist John Weston Havens Jr. The house is under the stewardship of the College of Environmental Design and is currently used for visiting CED professors.
Tours of Havens House are led by a graduate student of the CED
This map is painted on hidden doors that open and close to expose the kitchen behind them.
Taking in the view of the bay.
View of the entry bridge from outside.
Our next stop was a tour of the Greenwood Commons development which began in 1903 with the construction of a summerhouse by John Galen Howard for the prominent San Francisco attorney Warren Gregory and his wife Sadie. After World War II, the area became home to a growing number of professionals, particularly those associated with the University. For more information see our virtual collection.
1 Greenwood Common, 1955 for clients Ann & Robert Birge. Architect: Donald Olsen.
Former EDA curator, Waverly Lowell, was kind enough to speak to us about the history of the Commons.
4 Greenwood Common, 1954 for client Ruth Duhring. Architect: Harwell Hamilton Harris, Landscape Architect: Geraldine Knight Scott.
7 Greenwood Common, Architects: Rudolph Schindler, William Wurster, Henry Hill, Landscape Architect: Lawrence Halprin.
Outside of 10 Greenwood Common.
10 Greenwood Common, 1953 for clients Anna & Otto Maenchen. Architect: John Funk.
Final stop of the day was a tour of Thorsen House. The William Randolph Thorsen House was designed by the architects Henry Mather Greene and Charles Sumner Greene in style of the American Arts & Crafts in 1909. Since 1942, the Sigma Phi Society of California has owned the Thorsen House and has been entrusted with its care and preservation.
Exterior view of the Thorsen House.
Entrance for Thorsen House.
Gorgeous recessed ceiling lights.
Sigma Phi president, Zach, leading the tour.
If you’re an archivist, librarian, or curator working with architecture archives in California and would like to become involved with CalArchNet, you can join the Google group or email calarchnet@gmail.com for more information.