At the heart of American Modernism, there’s a powerful throughline—one that threads from classroom to gallery, from Bauhaus roots to bold American reinvention. Cranbrook Art Museum’s current exhibition, Eventually Everything Connects: Mid-Century Modern Design in the U.S., illuminates that lineage with grace, depth, and resonance. For those familiar with Optima®’s architectural ethos, the exhibition reads like a love letter to the movement that inspired it—an affirmation that Modernism is not just history, but a living, breathing influence on how we build and live today.

The exhibition takes its title from a famous Charles Eames quote—apt, given that Eames and his wife Ray are central figures in both the show and the broader Cranbrook legacy. As Optima® readers know from past explorations of design history, Charles Eames studied architecture at Cranbrook and later taught there, absorbing and transmitting the school’s experimental spirit. In fact, many of the visionaries featured in Eventually Everything Connects—Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia, and Eero Saarinen among them—passed through the doors of this Michigan-based institution before reshaping American design forever.

Curated with a reverent yet contemporary eye, the exhibition is more than a retrospective—it’s a sensory map of how ideas traveled, evolved, and ultimately converged to shape the Mid-Century Modern aesthetic. Furniture, textiles, ceramics, and graphic design pieces sit alongside architectural models and immersive digital storytelling. The result is a tapestry of influence—one that echoes in the clean lines and honest materials of Optima® communities, from the desert forms of Optima McDowell Mountain® to the lush, elevated designs of Optima Lakeview® in Chicago.

One of the show’s strengths lies in how it foregrounds the network of mentorship and collaboration that defined the era. Florence Knoll’s revolutionary approach to spatial planning, for example, is shown in conversation with Eliel and Eero Saarinen’s architectural philosophy—both deeply rooted in Cranbrook’s pedagogical DNA. Harry Bertoia’s sculptural experimentation, so present in his iconic chairs and sound sculptures, emerges as a counterpoint to the rigorous geometry of Herbert Matter’s photography and Ray Eames’ textile work.

This interdisciplinary cross-pollination is something Optima® has long championed. As we’ve explored in previous posts, the company’s founder, David Hovey Sr., FAIA, drew from these very ideas—bringing together structure, landscape, interiors, and lifestyle into a cohesive vision. At Optima®, the architect is not only the builder, but the planner, developer, and often, the designer of the furniture and finishes themselves. It’s a spirit lifted directly from Cranbrook’s holistic approach.

Eventually Everything Connects also serves as a timely reminder of Modernism’s social ambition. Many of the objects on display—like mass-produced modular furniture or Bauhaus-influenced graphics—emerged from a belief in accessible, democratic design. That ethos continues in Optima®’s own work today, particularly in the integration of nature, wellness, and community across properties. The idea that beautiful design should enhance everyday life isn’t just an aesthetic—it’s a mission.

For visitors, the exhibition isn’t simply a walk through time; it’s an invitation to reconsider the spaces we inhabit today. As we stand inside the clean volumes and sunlit courtyards of Optima Verdana® or admire the breezeways and outdoor corridors of Optima Signature® , we feel the resonance of these mid-century ideals made modern once again.

In short, Eventually Everything Connects is more than an exhibition—it’s a mirror held up to a movement that continues to shape how we live and dream. For those who call an Optima® community home—or for anyone inspired by the ongoing legacy of Modernist design—it’s a pilgrimage well worth making.

The exhibition runs through September 21, 2025. Information about visiting the Cranbrook Museum, curated tours, special events, and the 400-page exhibition book published with Phaidon can be found here.

At Optima®, we believe great design begins with inclusion. Our “Women in Architecture” series is part of a broader commitment to celebrating the vital contributions of women like Francine Houben, whose vision and leadership continue to shape the built environment in thoughtful, transformative ways. Highlighting these voices not only honors the past and present, but also inspires future generations of architects and designers.

In the often technical and visually driven world of architecture, Dutch architect Francine Houben stands out not just for her expressive buildings, but for her unwavering belief that architecture must serve humanity above all else. As the founding partner and creative director of Mecanoo Architecten, Houben has built a global career grounded in a singular ethos: designing for people.

Born in 1955 in Sittard, the Netherlands, Houben came of age during a pivotal time in architectural thinking—when Brutalism’s reign was giving way to more humanistic, socially conscious design. She studied architecture at the Delft University of Technology, where she would later return as a professor and mentor to a new generation of designers. Early on, Houben showed a proclivity for blending rational urban planning with poetic design, a balance that would come to define her portfolio.

Designing for All the Senses
Houben’s approach is holistic, one that treats architecture as a “symphony of all the senses.” She believes buildings should be welcoming, intuitive, and inclusive, responding to their environments and the diverse communities that inhabit them. As she has put it:

“Architecture is about combining all of the elements of life. It’s not just about functionality or aesthetics—it’s about emotion, atmosphere, and creating a sense of place.”

This philosophy is most vividly realized in her public buildings—libraries, theaters, universities—where people from all walks of life converge.

One of her most celebrated projects is the Delft University of Technology Library (1998), a bold yet graceful structure tucked beneath a sloping grass roof that blurs the boundary between landscape and building. The design is not just iconic; it’s democratic, offering students and faculty a place that’s both functional and inspiring.

Her international acclaim soared with the design of the Library of Birmingham in the UK (2013), a project that redefined what a civic space could be. With its intricate metallic façade and stacked geometric forms, the library is both a beacon of knowledge and a cultural hub. But beyond aesthetics, Houben made sure the building served its community—from offering learning resources to creating public gathering spaces that are free, open, and accessible.

Building Cultural Bridges
Francine Houben’s architecture often acts as a bridge—between past and present, art and function, city and citizen. At the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Boston (2015), she preserved elements of historic structures while inserting dynamic, light-filled forms to house public services and educational institutions. It’s a powerful expression of how design can support civic pride and equity.

More recently, she led the renovation and expansion of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., originally designed by Mies van der Rohe. With profound respect for the building’s modernist heritage, Houben introduced warmth, light, and public programming that brought new life to a civic monument.

As she reflects:
“You have to design not for the architect, not for the image, but for the people. That’s where beauty begins.”

Francine Houben’s career is not defined by a signature style, but by a consistent sensibility—an empathetic eye, a human-centered touch, and an insistence that beauty and utility can, and must, coexist. Her influence is not only etched into skylines, but into the evolving philosophy of what architecture can be: a social art, a cultural instrument, a shelter for the soul.

In a recent Architectural Digest feature, the dream of living in a Modernist masterpiece—even for a night—becomes a reality. From Richard Neutra’s crisp geometries to Albert Frey’s mountain-perched glass box, the article highlights a selection of iconic homes by some of the 20th century’s most influential architects, now available for rent. For fans of Modernism—and for residents and admirers of Optima® communities—it’s an irresistible invitation: a rare chance to inhabit the blueprints of a design revolution.

What makes this article particularly resonant for the Optima® brand is its celebration of the very values that inform every Optima development: connection to landscape, spatial efficiency, and the transformative power of architectural vision. Take Neutra’s Rice House in Los Angeles, for example. Tucked into a lush hillside and outfitted with dramatic horizontal planes and floor-to-ceiling glass, it is a study in indoor-outdoor living—a core principle in Optima’s own projects, from the vertical landscaping of Optima Verdana® to the desert-integrated design of Optima McDowell Mountain®.

The article doesn’t just catalogue homes; it offers a sensory passport to different regions of the country through the lens of Modernist aesthetics. A visitor to Frey House II in Palm Springs, with its compact footprint and boulder-punctuated interiors, will quickly understand how simplicity and restraint can elevate comfort. Similarly, homes like the Olsen House by Donald Wexler show how metal, glass, and light can harmonize to create a lived experience that feels simultaneously minimal and luxurious—a balance that Optima properties across Scottsdale and Chicago artfully pursue.

For Optima® residents, these rentals might feel more like cousins than aspirational getaways. The modular rhythm of exposed steel and glass, the prioritization of views and natural light, and the seamless blurring of inside and out are already part of everyday life. But there’s still something magnetic about standing in the very spaces that shaped the Modernist canon—homes that were once experiments and are now monuments.

The Architectural Digest roundup is more than a travel guide; it’s a reminder that architecture can be intimate. That great design isn’t just something to look at—it’s something to live in. And while Optima® creates that reality at scale, these short-term rentals offer a pilgrimage of sorts: a tactile, time-bound encounter with the pioneers who laid the foundation for the way we live beautifully today.

For those seeking inspiration or simply a design-forward escape, this curated list of Modernist rentals offers a rare chance to dwell inside history. Just don’t be surprised if, after a few nights immersed in Neutra or Frey, you come home to your own Optima® residence with a renewed appreciation for its vision—and its view.

Color has always been one of architecture’s most powerful tools—not just for visual delight, but for emotional and psychological impact. Whether vibrant and energetic or subtle and grounding, color shapes how we experience buildings long before we ever step inside. At Optima®, color isn’t just applied—it’s embedded into the DNA of each structure. Through thoughtful exterior palettes, we tell visual stories that connect people to place, shape perception, and elevate everyday experience.

The Psychology of Color in the Built Environment
Color has a profound influence on mood and cognition. Cool hues like blues and greens often evoke calm, balance, and introspection, while warmer tones like reds and oranges suggest energy, passion, and warmth. Neutral tones can communicate elegance, clarity, and modernism. Architects and designers have long drawn on color theory to create desired emotional effects—and these insights are more than intuitive.

The Munsell Color System, developed by artist and educator Albert Munsell in the early 20th century, organizes color based on three perceptual dimensions: hue (the type of color), value (lightness or darkness), and chroma (color intensity). This structured approach allows designers to select colors with precision and purpose—balancing brightness, saturation, and contrast to shape spatial experience.

At Optima®, these principles are woven into every exterior design. Our use of color is never arbitrary—it’s a calibrated response to location, light, material, and mood.

The Use of Color at Optima®
Across our communities, exterior palettes are carefully composed to create harmony between architecture and environment. In Scottsdale, Optima Kierland Apartments® and Optima Sonoran Village® use desert-inspired tones—ochres, sage greens, deep terracottas—that align with the surrounding Sonoran landscape. These palettes are designed with low chroma and medium value, creating an earthy richness that’s both calming and rooted in place.

In Chicago, Optima Signature® and Optima Lakeview® explore a different end of the spectrum. Here, we draw on higher-value, lower-chroma hues like charcoal gray, soft black, and glass blue to reflect the urban context and seasonal light shifts. The result is a sophisticated tonal balance that feels clean and contemporary but never sterile. Wood accents and textured materials in projects like Optima Lakeview® add warmth and tactile variation, offering contrast without overpowering the overall composition.

Creating Continuity Through Color
Color at Optima® is not confined to facades. Our vertical landscaping, interior finishes, and communal spaces often echo the building’s exterior palette, creating a holistic sensory experience. This reflects another principle from color theory: simultaneous contrast—how colors influence one another when placed side by side. By repeating tones across surfaces, we create visual continuity and emotional cohesion.

Our color choices also support our commitment to wellness and biophilic design. Natural hues—drawn from plants, minerals, and the changing sky—foster a subconscious connection to the outdoors, which has been shown to reduce stress and improve wellbeing.

A Palette That Evolves With Time
Just as natural light animates a building, it also transforms its color. That’s why we select palettes that shift gracefully throughout the day and year. A muted green might appear silver at sunrise and forest-rich by dusk. This responsiveness is essential to Optima’s approach. As the Munsell Color System reminds us, color is not fixed—it’s dynamic, relative, and deeply perceptual.

In every Optima® development, color is more than a surface treatment. It’s an architectural element, a mood-setter, and a storytelling device. It shapes how a building feels, how it fits into its context, and how residents connect to it over time.

Because in the end, color isn’t just what we see—it’s how we feel in a space. And at Optima®, we design for both.

At Optima®, the interplay of light and space is never an afterthought—it’s a foundation. From the shimmering desert of Scottsdale to the vibrant skyline of Chicago, natural light is one of the most powerful and versatile tools in our architectural language. Thoughtfully harnessed daylight not only transforms interiors; it enhances the way people feel, move, and live within a space.

More Than Illumination
Natural light is essential to how we perceive the built environment. It sculpts form and reveals texture, sets the mood of a room, and influences how we experience color. But beyond aesthetics, daylight plays a critical role in health and wellness. Numerous studies have linked exposure to natural light with improved mood, better sleep, and increased productivity. In residential environments, it encourages circadian rhythms and creates uplifting spaces that feel alive and dynamic throughout the day.

The Optima® Approach to Light
Every Optima® community is designed to maximize the benefits of daylight—both functionally and emotionally. Our signature vertical landscaping and open floor plans are intentionally paired with floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights, and atriums that usher in abundant natural light. Rather than relying on artificial lighting schemes to define ambiance, we let sunlight be the storyteller.

Architect Le Corbusier once observed, “The history of architecture is the history of the struggle for light.” At Optima®, we embrace that challenge with every building we design, and each project is an exploration of how to bring light more deeply—and more meaningfully—into daily life.

At Optima Lakeview® in Chicago, generous expanses of glass invite the shifting Midwest sun to animate interiors across seasons. Meanwhile, in Scottsdale, Optima Sonoran Village® balances the intensity of desert light with deeply recessed balconies, louvered shades, and carefully oriented windows that filter glare while preserving a sense of openness. The result? Spaces that glow rather than glare—comfortable year-round.

Designing for Light and Life
The use of natural light also connects architecture more deeply to the rhythms of nature. Sunlight moves. It changes hue. It surprises. Designing with daylight means inviting that sense of wonder indoors. It’s why Optima Signature® integrates multi-level atriums and sky gardens that diffuse light vertically through the building. Or why Optima Verdana® emphasizes daylight in shared amenities like its indoor pool and fitness center—because natural light elevates the ordinary into something revitalizing.

Sustainable design is another key driver of daylighting. By optimizing window placement and using high-performance glazing, we reduce the need for artificial lighting and climate control. Daylight becomes a passive resource—an environmental asset as much as a design one.

A Philosophy of Transparency
Ultimately, designing with daylight reflects a broader philosophy of transparency—both literal and metaphorical. Optima® homes invite the outside world in. They frame the horizon, celebrate greenery, and blur the boundaries between private and public space. Natural light is central to that openness. It fosters a sense of connection: to the seasons, to place, to one another.

In architecture, daylight is often called “the oldest material.” At Optima®, it remains one of the most modern. Not because it’s new, but because it continues to evolve with how we live. It’s not just a technical solution—it’s an emotional one. A tool that nurtures joy, clarity, and wellbeing in everyday life.

At Optima®, we draw continual inspiration from the architects whose pioneering visions redefined the built environment. Among them, few figures loom larger—or more quietly transformative—than Rudolph Schindler. An Austrian-born architect who made his greatest contributions in the United States, Schindler created work that blended philosophy, craft, and a deeply personal vision of how space could enrich daily life. Though once overshadowed by contemporaries like Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra, Schindler’s legacy endures as one of the most innovative voices in modernist architecture.

From Vienna to Los Angeles: A Transatlantic Shift in Thinking
Born in 1887 in Vienna, Schindler was educated at the Technische Hochschule (now TU Wien), steeped in the intellectual ferment of early 20th-century Europe. There, he absorbed the influence of the Vienna Secession and the evolving ideas of functionalism and spatial dynamism. In 1914, he immigrated to the U.S. to work with Frank Lloyd Wright, drawn by the promise of a new architectural language being forged in the American landscape.

While Wright would prove to be a pivotal figure in Schindler’s early career—particularly during their collaboration on the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo—Schindler soon began forging a philosophy all his own, one that broke decisively from both Beaux-Arts tradition and even Wright’s organic romanticism.

The Schindler House: A Radical Vision of Domestic Life
Schindler’s breakthrough came in 1922 with the completion of his own home in West Hollywood, known today as the Schindler House. Built of tilt-up concrete slabs and redwood panels, the house rejected the conventions of rooms and hallways in favor of open, flexible spaces that flowed into outdoor courtyards. It functioned not as a single-family home but as a live/work commune for two families—an experiment in shared living decades ahead of its time.

The Schindler House embodied what would become central to his work: a belief that architecture should be responsive, democratic, and rooted in its climate and landscape. It challenged the formality of domestic life and proposed instead a new kind of architecture that prioritized freedom, community, and the sensual experience of space.

Space Architecture: A Language of Light, Flow, and Terrain
Schindler famously rejected the label “International Style,” opting instead for what he called “space architecture.” This wasn’t about surfaces or ornamentation, but about crafting volumes and planes in a way that shaped light, movement, and human interaction. He pioneered techniques like split-level floor plans, built-in furniture, and the integration of natural materials to blur the line between inside and out.

Throughout Southern California, Schindler applied these ideas to a range of modestly scaled homes and small commercial buildings. Projects like the Lovell Beach House (1926), How House (1925), and the Sachs Apartments (1929) all reflect a deeply personal, site-sensitive approach—modernism that breathes, that shelters, that liberates.

Legacy and Relevance
Though he never enjoyed the commercial success or institutional acclaim of some peers, Schindler’s influence on modern architecture is profound. His work laid the groundwork for later developments in West Coast modernism and inspired generations of architects who sought to design with empathy and authenticity.

At Optima®, we share Schindler’s belief that design should respond to its environment and elevate the everyday. His legacy reminds us that architecture, at its best, is not a statement of power, but an expression of possibility—a carefully sculpted frame for life’s quiet rituals and bold moments alike.

In honoring Rudolph Schindler, we honor an architect who didn’t just build structures—he created spaces for living that still resonate with the values of modernism: clarity, integrity, and a deep respect for the human spirit.

At Optima®, our passion for modernist architecture is reflected in every line, material, and open space within our communities. This dedication draws inspiration from some of the greatest figures in architectural history—and among the most influential is Richard Neutra. A visionary of 20th-century modernism, Neutra’s work continues to resonate for its clean lines, integration with nature, and emphasis on well-being. Today, thanks to organizations like the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design, the life, philosophy, and legacy of Richard Neutra remain accessible to those eager to learn from one of modernism’s most enduring masters.

A Vision Forged in Two Worlds
Born in Vienna in 1892, Richard Neutra was shaped by a classical European education and the intellectual ferment of early 20th-century architecture. He studied under Adolf Loos and drew inspiration from the philosophies of Freud and Einstein. But it was his move to the United States in the 1920s—and especially his time working with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin—that catalyzed his unique approach: a fusion of European rationalism with the emerging spirit of American modernism.

Neutra’s career flourished in Southern California, where he designed homes and public buildings that embraced new materials, industrial efficiency, and an intimate relationship between people and their environment. His practice prioritized human needs—both psychological and physical—through light-filled spaces, natural ventilation, and connections to the outdoors. These principles continue to inform Optima®’s own architectural philosophy, in which design seeks to enhance not just aesthetic beauty, but the full experience of living.

The Neutra Institute: Preserving a Legacy
The Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design, founded by Neutra and now led by his son Dion Neutra, serves as a comprehensive resource for studying and safeguarding Richard Neutra’s work. From its base in the Neutra-designed VDL Studio and Residences in Los Angeles, the Institute is a hub of archival material, preservation initiatives, and educational outreach. The VDL House itself—originally built in 1932, destroyed by fire in 1963, and rebuilt in 1966—is a living case study of Neutra’s evolving architectural thinking. Visitors and scholars can explore the modularity, passive climate strategies, and fluid indoor-outdoor relationships that characterize his designs.

The Institute’s website  is a treasure trove for enthusiasts, offering rare photographs, original blueprints, writings, and comprehensive documentation of Neutra’s built work. It details both famous and lesser-known projects—from the iconic Lovell Health House and Kaufmann Desert House to international commissions in Europe and Latin America. The archive also addresses Neutra’s urban and ecological proposals, which anticipated many of today’s sustainability movements.

Human-Centered Modernism
What distinguishes Richard Neutra from many of his modernist contemporaries is his unwavering attention to the human condition. He coined the term “biorealism” to describe his approach: the belief that architecture should support and reflect the biological and emotional needs of its inhabitants. For Neutra, architecture wasn’t merely a matter of form—it was about survival, comfort, and psychological harmony.

His homes, often commissioned by middle-class professionals, were carefully crafted for real life—adaptable spaces with operable glass walls, deep eaves, and integrated landscaping. These environments encouraged rest, contemplation, and communion with nature, ideals that continue to inspire contemporary architects committed to well-being and sustainability.

A Lasting Influence
Richard Neutra’s influence can be seen not only in the lineage of modernist architecture, but also in today’s renewed focus on wellness, biophilic design, and environmental integration. His ideas prefigured many of the practices we now associate with sustainable development—such as passive solar design, efficient space planning, and the ethical use of materials.

At Optima®, we look to Neutra’s legacy as a guide and a reminder: that modernism, at its best, is not a style but a commitment—a way of thinking that sees architecture as a means of improving human life. As we design spaces that connect people with their surroundings and themselves, we continue the dialogue that Neutra began nearly a century ago.

To explore more of his work and philosophy, the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design offers a compelling starting point—a rich resource for those who believe, as Neutra did, that good design is essential to the future of living well.