For the second time, I had the opportunity to photograph an Ogden mid-century modern gem that has only improved with age.
Photos by Scot Zimmerman
Mid-Century Flowing Planes and Connections
Some homes seem so perfectly positioned in the landscaping, that it is difficult to imagine that another home could ever have taken its place. So it is with a home I had a chance to photograph in Ogden. Since I had photographed it for Utah Style and Design more than ten years ago, it was like running into an old friend.
The location is an established neighborhood where the lots have rolling slopes. The exterior street-facing forms are two window-less concrete block walls flanking a long partially covered entry with the kitchen’s window wall to the right. Both the entry and the kitchen windows provide a clear view through the home and out the rear patio and yard while the solid walls offer privacy. To the left behind the block wall is the living area, and to the right is the garage.
The predominantly native landscaping of Gambel Oak has grown in tall and lush and now covers the hillside.
From the rear, you can appreciate how the architect managed continuing planes of roof, glass, and concrete block in balanced massing for aesthetics while providing livable spaces that flow together.
I was unable to identify the architect, but it had to be one of the masters of the modernist and International Style who practiced in Utah. The use of forms, change in grades, and visual connections suggested to me that it may have been designed by Eduard Dreier, a Swiss-born architect trained in the International Style who lived and practiced in Utah. I would be interested if anyone has any more information on the architect and the home’s design and could share it.
The entry is comprised of a long, covered exterior walkway leading to a front door flanked by glass. To the left with large windows is the living room, and to the right is the kitchen’s concrete block wall. The effect of the long entry corridor is that when you enter, you are in the center of the home.
The entry is the central hub of the home. Ahead is the glass wall and doors connecting the outdoors. The railing to the right frames the stairway down. Behind the wall is a short stairway up to the bedroom.
Turning the camera from the position above, you can see the wooden front door, the glass to the side, beyond, the entrance to the living room, and the stairs leading down with a glimpse of the family room. In this home, you never feel cut off from other areas of the home, as the design of the public areas maintain visual connection.
Stepping into the living room, the concrete block wall provides privacy from the street and a perfect art wall, while the two ends of the room are glass for natural light and positioned for privacy. The fireplace hearth projects out in a cantilevered edge to form a clean plane. Cody Beal designed the room’s furnishings.
Interior designer Cody Beal redesigned the kitchen with ample storage and counter workspace in a sleek design. To maintain clean smooth lines and planes, he eliminated cabinet hardware. Natural light enters from the glassed front and rear of the kitchen and through two sky lights.
The kitchen’s dining area looks out to the front garden. To the right is the concrete block wall that we saw in photos of the entry. On the opposite wall, designer Beal finished the wall above the home office desk with lustrous tile.
One more view of the kitchen, this time from behind the table, shows the entry and the glass doors to the back patio and yard.
From the rear of the kitchen, you can see short flight of stairs up to the primary bedroom and the bureau in the room’s entry.
In his remodel of the primary bedroom, Cody Beal combined the space of two bedrooms into one large suite and bathroom.
The resulting bathroom has a soaking tub, a large vanity, ample storage, and shower.
Taking the stairs down from the entry is a family room with a fireplace with a long jutting hearth that provides built-in seating.
The view to the laundry room supports my earlier claims about the home’s transparency and connections. You can see through the floating stairway to the kitchen. The stairway down from the entry is also treads without risers, or a floating stairway. To the left is a bath and second bedroom.
I really appreciate the homeowners’ invitation to return and rephotograph this home. Like with all well-considered architecture, I saw more interesting details and design approaches the second time through with a camera. I really hope that a reader with background on the architect and design will reach out and let me know who to credit for this wonderful design.
