culture Archives

Al Beadle: The Mid-Century Modern Master in Phoenix

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Hunter

When it comes to mid-century modern architecture in Arizona, the name Frank Lloyd Wright tends to come to mind first. It’s exciting to note, however, that there have been other luminary architects who made enormous contributions to modernist architectural traditions here in the desert. Today, we are happy to introduce one of these under-the-radar designers — a true pioneer in his time whose work continues to inspire practitioners and homeowners alike.

Born in 1927, Al Beadle grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. He served with the United States Navy Construction Battalion, the Seabees, in the South Pacific during World War II. His experiences included building piers, designing command bases, and constructing hospitals. After his time in the military, where he acquired much of his architectural prowess, Beadle eventually moved to Phoenix where he would make his mark on the city’s architectural scene. Starting his own architecture and build firm in 1967, Beadle believed in the principles of minimalism, efficiency, and the seamless integration of indoor and outdoor spaces.

Beadle’s unique design approach is evident in his many residential and commercial projects throughout the Phoenix area. His signature style often features clean lines, flat roofs, expansive glass walls, and a keen attention to detail. His buildings effortlessly blend with their desert surroundings, creating a harmonious balance between the built environment and the natural landscape.

Paradise Gardens

One of Beadle’s most iconic projects is the Paradise Gardens community. Developed between 1958 and 1964, this neighborhood showcases a collection of mid-century modern homes that embodies Beadle’s design philosophy. These homes are characterized by their post-and-beam construction, open floor plans, and large windows that blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Beadle House 11

Another noteworthy example of Beadle’s work is Beadle House 11, which he designed for himself and his family. Completed in 1963, this stunning residence exemplifies the architect’s minimalist approach, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, exposed steel beams, and sense of effortless elegance.

Beadle House 11 remodeled interior. Photo: ©2016 Modern Phoenix LLC

Today, Al Beadle’s architectural legacy lives on in the many buildings he designed throughout Phoenix and the surrounding areas. His work continues to be celebrated by architects, designers, and mid-century modern enthusiasts who appreciate the timeless quality of his designs. Preservation efforts are underway to ensure that Beadle’s architectural gems remain intact for future generations to enjoy.

In a city like Phoenix, where the natural beauty of the desert meets the sleek sophistication of modern design. Those who call this place home or are simply visiting, should consider checking out Al Beadle’s architectural masterpieces. From the effortlessly cool Paradise Gardens community located on 32nd Street to 36th Street and Mountain View, to the striking Beadle House 11 on 4323 E McDonald Dr, there’s no shortage of Beadle-designed gems to explore and appreciate.

Wilmette Landmarks: Robert and Suzanne Drucker House

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Hunter

As part of our Wilmette Landmark series, today we’ll cover a home steeped in an architect’s very own familial bonds. A home that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2013 — The Robert and Suzanne Drucker House. Designed by one of Chicago’s iconic Modernist architects, Harry Weese.

An Overlooked Modernist

His practice was inexhaustibly creative. Rooted in the Modernist and Brutalist architectural styles which laid the groundwork for efficient and functional living spaces. His most famous work, the Washington Metro system, not only showcases Weese’s unique design approach but also illustrates how he prioritized the user experience with his coffered concrete vaults and meticulous attention to detail. Weese never shied away from innovation, all the while quietly detaching himself from the architectural dominance of Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Drucker House

Quietly closed off from view, the front of the Drucker home is a wonderful expression of Weese’s personal brand of Modernism — a synthesis of International Style, Scandinavian, and Midwestern influences. The home’s geometry is obscured by slatted screens and maturing cedar trees. The house is L-shaped. Consisting of two wings running parallel to the street and the other angled in a way that allows for sunlight. This L-shaped arrangement also allows for an expansive view of the front yard.

The back of the home, on the other hand, embraces its deep rectangular lot and thoughtfully placed windows. Along with a screened porch resembling film reel that takes advantage of natural light to cast the home’s image. The indoor and outdoor living space almost seem to be brought together through this effect, all while maintaining complete privacy.

Side view of Robert and Suzanne Drucker House. Photo: Susan Benjamin

Weese built the Drucker house for his sister Suzanne and her family. It largely reflects Weese’s experimental approach to Modern design, and is informed by geometry rather than ornamentation. Furthermore, the house exhibits a remarkable focus on flexibility instead of adhering to a traditional layout that — when combined with how the Drucker family lived — created a universally functional residence that could accommodate the family’s lifestyle.

In its interior, the home is compartmentalized into zones delineated by screens and bookspaces. Each room flows effortlessly from one to another, the kitchen in particular being planned with convenience and ample storage in mind. In 1963, as the Drucker family began to grow, a second floor was added to provide more space.

As Optima® continues to embrace all that Wilmette has to offer, taking the time to highlight unconventional pioneers who blurred the boundaries of style and functionality is always a pleasure. We encourage you to take a slow drive to see this magnificent home and all that it has to offer on 2801 Iroquois Rd in Wilmette, IL.

How Space Affects Mood

Posted on March 22, 2023March 23, 2023 by Hunter

Today, virtually every aspect of daily life seems to bring a measure of stress. And when thinking about how to cope, it’s reassuring to turn to science, where research studies continue to point to the fact that human health and the spaces in which we live, work, and play directly correlate with stress levels and mood. Since our earliest years and projects, Optima® has championed the primacy of interior space, and we continue to celebrate its importance for each and every one of our residents — including giving a few tips on how to make the most out of one’s own space!

The Importance of Natural Light

Previously, we’ve spoken about the positive effects of an abundance of natural light and expansive windows and the critical role they play in adhering to our principles of Modernist design. Sunlight alone holds many benefits that go beyond the physical. It helps increase serotonin and endorphin levels, two hormones that significantly boost our mood.

What simple steps can you take to maximize natural light in your space? Start by arranging mirrors to reflect light, making sure you’re not blocking light with furniture, and rethink the use of dark drapes or shades.

Natural light at Optima Lakeview®, Chicago, IL

Perception

The impression a space makes affects your mood, as well, and happens on an immediate and intuitive level as your mind and body engage with the physical environment. Picture an expansive living/dining area with floor-to-ceiling windows where you are drawn to gather with family and friends (or curl up with your pooch). Juxtapose that impression with what you would feel when entering a cluttered, dim room with little space to move around.

Take advantage of the layout of your space to maintain a sense of effortless flow in and around furniture and built-in elements, and keep piles and stacks to a minimum!

Introducing Color

Color isn’t merely visual eye candy, it provides a psychological experience, as well. Beyond the sense of tranquility that the Modernist palette of monochromatic tones of gray, white, and black offer, expanding your space’s palette can make a world of difference in boosting your mood.

Extending a hand to vibrant colors like red, yellow, or orange can give you feelings of passion and comfort. Cooler colors on the other side of the spectrum, like blue, green, and purple, can be peaceful, calming, or comforting. Sprinkling bits of color throughout your space is a surefire way to add a new emotional dimension to the environment and enhance your mood.

Terrace gardening at Optima Sonoran Village® — Vertical landscaping at Optima Sonoran Village®

Budding Companions Can Increase Mood

We’ve written in the past about the mental health value of introducing budding companions such as house plants or flowers into your space, based on the results of comprehensive studies that show how the presence of plants improves concentration and memory retention while also reducing stress.

Make a regular habit of keeping plants and flowers around your home, and enjoy their affect of reducing the likelihood of depression and increasing positive feelings — in addition to the aesthetic beauty they provide.

From the feedback we continue to receive from Optima® residents, living in one of our communities sets the stage for high spirits and upbeat moods. With “great bones” in the design of our residences, optimized for openness, materiality and light, the opportunity to transform living space into home becomes a joy.

The Oak Circle Historic District

Posted on March 6, 2023March 6, 2023 by Hunter

How A 156 Year-Old Chicago Suburb Withstood The Test of Time

Nestled in a corner of Wilmette, IL the 156-year old suburb north of Chicago and located on the Lake Michigan shore, stands the Oak Circle Historic District. It is a small grouping of 15 early twentieth-century houses. Each built primarily in the Craftsmen style with magnificent detailing from the Prairie School of Architecture, both which were born from the Arts and Crafts movement.

Amazingly, the original integrity of 14 of the houses have survived the onslaught of time, enabling them to join the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Walking through the peace and tranquility of the Oak Circle Historic District leaves one bewildered of how graceful the path is. The curvature of the street adds considerable charm and status to Wilmette’s signature brick-paved streets. Venturing deeper, the houses reveal themselves — similar in style while each remains wonderfully and amazingly varied. The Prairie style motifs unabashedly present themselves from one home to the next — horizontal planes, leaded glass windows, the use of brick and wood — all coexisting in aesthetic harmony.

Red vitrified brick. Photo: Historic Pavements

Twelve of the houses on Oak Circle are bungalows, the house type most closely associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement in America. The bungalows, along with the other homes on the block, showcase a variety of features found in Craftsman architecture, as well as the distinctive bands of windows with geometric patterns of small-pane glazing associated with the Prairie style.

The 12 bungalows also exhibit a variety of floor plans. Some are one-story, some one-and-a-half, but no two are exactly alike. True to the Arts and Crafts ideal of being close to nature, the bungalows share a distinctive horizontal emphasis in tandem with the midwestern landscape.

Oak Circle is a treasure trove of sights waiting to be explored. Just only blocks away from the Wilmette public library and a 7-minute walk from Optima Verdana®, it’s a delightful architectural and historical landmark with boundless charm that reminds both residents and visitors why Wilmette remains a vibrant, delightful community!

Arizona Mid-Century Modern Architecture

Posted on March 3, 2023March 6, 2023 by Hunter

For those who are always on the hunt for vestiges of mid-century modernism, you’ll have some happy surprises right in Optima®’s own backyard — in Scottsdale. Here you’ll discover a history that is rich in architectural heft, including wholly-intact examples from the city’s 1950s community, where some of the finest mid-century modern structures remain.

Striking examples of mid-century modernity can be seen in Scottsdale’s commercial buildings scattered across the city, alongside several repurposed pubs and restaurants. Architectural gems can also be found in older neighborhoods. Especially those that were built by Ralph Haver. A local architect who utilized walls of glass, low-pitched roofs, and angled porch posts all packaged within a modestly-sized home.

Ralph Haver home. Photo: Leland Gebhardt

And don’t miss another example of impeccably-renovated mid-century vernacular in the sleek Hotel Valley Ho. The hotel boasts façades of glass and concrete panels that express arrowhead motifs. Opened in 1956, it was largely a getaway for a number of Hollywood stars. Zsa Zsa Gabor rode horses there. Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner had their wedding reception in the hotel ballroom. And Jimmy Durante used to play piano late at night in the lobby.

The Arizona Biltmore, a 39-acre resort not far down the road, is another example of the city’s architectural history. The Biltmore is often identified as a Frank Lloyd Wright building, but it was actually designed in collaboration with Albert Chase McArthur, a protege of the great master.

The nearly century-old hotel: Arizona Biltmore. Photo: Werner Segarra

The Biltmore has the dramatic presence of a large-scale Wright building, and is one of only 13 structures that Wright designed and in the area. His students, on the other hand, were involved with many others. For Wright acolytes, any visit to the Phoenix area begins with his winter residence and headquarters, Taliesin West. Now home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, and located on the edge of the McDowell Mountains outside of Scottsdale. Which also happens to be where our most recent architectural development will be situated — Optima McDowell Mountain Village — Wright passed on his genius to an entire generation of eager architects such as Blaine Drake, Vern Swaback, and Heloise Crista.

No survey of mid-century modernist architecture is complete without the David and Gladys Wright House. David was one of Wright’s eight children, and the house the elder Wright designed for him was based on a rising spiral (also the design for New York’s Guggenheim Museum) while remaining imaginative and human in scale. The spiral lifts the living quarters above the treetops so that anyone in the house has access to carefully framed panoramic views of the mountains in the distance, and spaces that flow organically and wonderfully into one another.

It’s always a pleasure to connect our “Forever Modern” mantra at Optima® with the broad, deep mid-century modern legacy that lives on in the communities where we work and build!

The Cranbrook Connection: Right Place, Right Time

Posted on March 2, 2023March 2, 2023 by Hunter

Connections often happen in the places where we least expect to find them. At Optima®, a connection sprang from a love of modernization, to an idea, backed by an ever-lasting willingness to adapt through experimentation in the right place, at the right time. Imagine our surprise when a number of world renown architects and designers such as Florence Knoll, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Harry Bertoia met at Cranbrook Academy of Art at the right place, at the right time, becoming colleagues, collaborators, and lifelong friends.

The Cranbrook Campus was designed by Eliel Saarinen in the years 1925-1942. He also had help from his wife and artist, Loja, and his kids, Eero and Pipsan at the request of founders — George and Ellen Booth. Everything on campus was highly considered — from the masonry, to the walls, the chairs, textiles, and colors through the use of what they called — total design. When Eero Saarinen, Florence Knoll, Charles and Ray Eames, and Harry Bertoia were on campus, Cranbrook was essentially a crucible for the beginnings of modernism in which many of these luminary architects and designers practiced and perfected their craft.

In late 2022, the design studio at Herman Miller released a short film entitled, The Cranbrook Connection. The film traces the history of Cranbrook as one of America’s greatest examples of modernist architecture and design, weaving in a thoughtful examination of furniture designed and produced by mid-century visionaries for Herman Miller and Knoll. This sweeping survey brings into sharp focus the staying power of total design, while inspiring us with the power of bringing structure and interior space into harmonic alignment.

During these seminal years, Cranbrook encouraged its students to practice experimentation in design, alongside the use of new materials. Eero and Charles had an interesting obsession with plywood. How it bent, how it felt, and sat in space. They later entered into a number of competitions with and sometimes against one another using this material. At one point, they entered the Organic Design for Home Furnishings competition with a suite of modular furniture using molded plywood chairs, and tables that would come to be the seeds of some of the most successful lines of furniture such as the Eames chair, and Womb chair.

Cranbrook Academy of Art (1940) Eliel Saarienen, Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, Flickr

Today, the Cranbrook Academy of Art remains one of the country’s top-ranked, graduate-only programs in architecture, design, and fine art. Just 75 students are invited to study and live on the Saarinen-designed campus, which features a suite of private studios, state-of-the-art workshops, a renowned Art Museum, and 300 acres of forests, lakes, and streams, all a short drive from Detroit. The focus at Cranbrook is on studio practice in one of 11 disciplines: Architecture, 2D, 3D, and 4D Design, Ceramics, Fiber, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media, and Sculpture.

An Eero, A Deere, and Clouds: How John Deere and Eero Saarinen Inspired Georgia O’Keeffe’s Largest Painting

Posted on February 13, 2023February 13, 2023 by Hunter

Sometime in 1965, on a hot summer day at her Ghost Ranch house in New Mexico, Georgia O’Keeffe would find the motivation to complete her most grandiose painting yet, Sky Above the Clouds IV. Little did we at Optima® know, however, that the luminary architect and industrial designer, Eero Saarinen, alongside legendary agricultural corporation, John Deere, would play a pivotal role in the creation of this monumental painting.

Tracing back to June 4th, 1964 is when the story behind Clouds IV gets interesting. O’Keeffe attended the opening of the new headquarters of Deere in Moline, Illinois. Designed by the office of Eero Saarinen, the structure’s pre-rusted Cor-Ten steel exterior tested the limits of 1960s corporate architecture, veering towards an industrial aesthetic quite unique from Saarinen’s usual swooping curves, as seen with the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

Picture the opening ceremony — a lavish and extravagant affair, showcasing top-of-the-line farm machinery, along with an evening river cruise — with politicians, corporate czars and design stars in attendance. So why was Georgia O’Keeffe, “The Mother of American Modernism” there to begin with? Well, archival photos show that she was mingling with this elite crowd against a backdrop of John Deere tractors. In just about every photo she is seen with her close friend and fellow New Mexican, designer Girard Alexander. Girard had invited O’Keeffe for two reasons. He wanted to showcase his 180-foot-long collage installation documenting the culture and development of John Deere. More importantly, however, was his belief that an O’Keeffe painting would further transform the interior of their cutting edge new headquarters.

Upon her return to New Mexico. O’Keeffe executed a detailed sketch depicting the uniform cumulus clouds that she thought of whenever flying from one destination to another — hence, Sky Above the Clouds I-IV. Where would an O’Keeffe painting go in a building whose every element had been designed and polished to near perfection?

Deere & Company World Headquarters, interior of executive dining room. Photo: Ezra Stoller

From its pre-rusted steel exterior, down to the last coat rack and door handle. Girard knew of such a place: the executive dining room. This room was equipped with tantalizing Siamese silk ceiling panels that hung perpendicular to its sublime Portuguese white marble walls. The architectural effect was, by all intents and purposes, cloud-like. Sky Above the Clouds IV would have only elevated this effect, Girard thought, but the Deere team didn’t see it that way, unfortunately, and the commission was axed.

Georgia O’Keeffe in Garage — Georgia O’Keeffe in Ghost Ranch Garage with “Sky above Clouds IV” (1966), Photo: Ralph Looney

She was in the midst of a busy year. Full of other work, international travel, and even a harrowing knee injury that she was recovering from. Fortunately for us, O’Keeffe persisted in her desire to see Clouds IV to the end. She completed the work, at the age of 77, in the summer of 1965.

In 1970, Sky above Clouds IV was scheduled to be included in a retrospective of O’Keeffe’s work at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, the Art Institute of Chicago and the San Francisco Museum of Art. After being shown in New York and Chicago, the painting remained on loan to the Art Institute because it was too large to pass through the doors at the museum in San Francisco. Ten years later, due to the diligence of O’Keeffe and local patrons, the painting joined the museum’s permanent collection. Today, this 8-foot by 24-foot masterpiece hangs above one of the Art Institute’s grand staircases for all to see.

Super Bowl LVII Live in Phoenix

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Hunter

Picture this, it’s the end of the week, the Sunday before you go back to business-as-usual. “We Will Rock You” by Queen plays as the stadium fills with a triumphant Boom-boom-clap! Boom-boom-clap! And the person next to you sports a Philadelphia Eagles hat almost resembling the mascot. Down on the field, massed bands perform the anthem alongside country music star, Chris Stapleton, and you know (especially the person next to you) that it’s Game-time.

Super Bowl XLVII is fast approaching, and the excitement is rapidly growing across the nation among teams and fans. This will be the fourth time the Super Bowl has been hosted in Phoenix (1996, 2007 and 2015 were the previous years), and the city is abuzz with anticipation. The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will face off at the award-winning State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The Cincinnati Bengals had the chance to make their second consecutive Super Bowl, but in an unfortunate tragic twist of events they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-20.

State Farm Stadium

State Farm Stadium is home to the Arizona Cardinals Football Club (NFL), the annual Fiesta Bowl, international soccer matches, motorsports, as well numerous other sporting, trade and consumer events and activities. The stadium was designed by renowned New York architect Peter Eisenman at an estimated cost of about $455 million. Completed in August 2006, it has both a retractable playing field and a retractable roof, the first of its kind in North America, to accommodate capacities of 63,000 people, with the flexibility to be expanded for “mega-events” to fit as many as 73,000.

At Optima we strive to enhance the quality of community and experiences through exceptional design, and the State Farm Stadium serves as a breathtaking reminder of the sophisticated engineering, technology, and design we implement into our own process.

When and Where to Watch Super LVII

Super Bowl 57 will take place in Glendale, AZ, Feb. 12, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Even if you’re not in-person to cheer on your favorite team. You can enjoy the game from home with your family. A few streaming services to check out include; Fox Sports website, the Fox Sports app, and the NFL app. You can also stream Super Bowl LVII live on Hulu, fuboTV, Roku TV and Sling TV.

Optima + Sustainability Series: EV Parking

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Hunter

The evidence that electric and hybrid vehicles are gaining traction is on the roads everywhere. From personal vehicles to rideshares and public transport, we are, as a nation, beginning to embrace the importance of reducing carbon emissions by replacing the fossil fuels that traditional gasoline-powered engines use with forms of clean energy.

Encouraged by the funding made available to help states fund public charging infrastructure, and Illinois’ ambitious goal to get one million electric vehicles (EVs) on the road by 2023, EVs are becoming increasingly desirable. And those who own and manage residential buildings are faced with the challenge to provide ample access to EV battery charging stations that residents need.

At Optima, we have always been sustainability-focused across our entire integrated business model — from design to building materials to landscaping – and EV parking. We began providing EV parking spaces in 2016 and 2017 at 7160 Optima Kierland and Optima Signature with 8 EV parking spaces, which represented only a small portion of the overall spaces in the garage.

Now in April 2023, Optima Verdana in Wilmette will open with 24% of the total spaces dedicated to EVs. In all of our communities — in both Illinois and Arizona — we have continued to increase EV capacity every year based upon resident demand, with the capacity to reach a full 100% at many projects. In recognition for our commitment to EV parking, Optima Sonoran Village won the Salt River Project Champions of Sustainability Award in the Building Communities for Electric Vehicles category.

In a recent Bisnow article that explores how future-facing multifamily developers are preparing for the future of electric vehicles, David Hovey Jr., AIA, Optima president and chief operating officer, observes, “Just from a sustainability perspective, obviously, demand is getting higher from both people wanting to be more sustainable … and cities wanting to be more sustainable, as well as just overall demand.”

Sustainability remains one of our most precious values at Optima. And we’re proud to be part of a growing community of property owners and managers that seeks to support sustainable practices on behalf of our residents.

2023 Design Trends: Designing The World of Tomorrow

Posted on January 25, 2023January 26, 2023 by Hunter

The ways in which we live, move, and work are changing fast, and we, at Optima®, believe that up-and-coming architectural trends continue to address many of the challenges faced in modern life. Some solutions focus on more space, more storage, less clutter, and more flexibility. Others address affordable rent, resistance to climate change, and sustainability. These trends, along with a myriad of others, inspire us and those who are at the forefront of designing the world of tomorrow. Here are some of the trends on the horizon in 2023.

Biophilic Urbanism

“Biophilia,” a term coined by Erich Fromm in 1964, is the human interaction and appreciation for nature. In 2023, this trend is continually on the rise as we seek to develop buildings that are ecologically friendly in their use of resources. Biophilic design can revolutionize the way we manage stress, increase productivity within offices and educational spaces, and improve mental health, through the use of nature inside and outside of buildings.

While biophilic design is very much at the forefront of architectural trends, it has been central to our work at Optima for decades. Our passionate connection between the built environment and nature continues to be as fluid as it is concrete, reflected in our signature innovation of vertical landscaping. The widespread adoption of this essential design principle, we are excited to welcome others into the process of bringing people and nature closer together.

Optima Sonoran Village®, Vertical Landscaping

Modular Construction

Modular construction has been at the forefront of Optima’s DCHGLOBAL Building System since its conception in 2009 . We began our experimentation with modular construction with Relic Rock, reflecting our commitment to building homes flexibly — in horizontal and vertical directions — sustainably and efficiently anywhere, anytime.

As part of the broader architectural community seeking modular solutions around the globe, we’re excited by the opportunity to celebrate sustainability and versatility as core values at Optima, while ensuring enduring aesthetics and affordability.

Smart Materials

Through the integration of smart devices in our homes, cars, phones, and wrists comes Smart Materials. Recent developments provide that these materials could eventually respond to changes in pressure, temperature, moisture, and UV radiation, giving architects unfathomable flexibility. Along with an expanded toolkit for designing and building.

Our respect for materiality and space is important for the 360-degree approach to sustainability, and the inclusion of these new and unexplored materials gets us excited about their potential for the environment at large. Part of our role at Optima has been ensuring the environment remains protected with the inclusion of smart materials such as bird glass or green concrete within many of our buildings.

Community-Centered Design

It is a universal truth that the built environment functions better if those who use it are involved in the process of creation. Designing buildings with community in mind makes for rich and diverse environments where people can be themselves, while also giving them a sense of ownership in the places where they live, play, and work. As we enter 2023, we are seeing greater collaboration between architects, developers and their communities across the globe — much the way Optima has partnered with the cities, villages and neighborhoods where we have put down roots for more than 40 years.

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Tag: culture