Quote:
Originally Posted by daepp
Thorsen House by architect brothers Greene and Greene, Berkeley, CA.
I'd heard a story that it's owned by a Cal fraternity and that you could just knock on the door and ask for a tour. So the next time I was in the area I did just that. They've always got some pledge who's been instructed in the history and the architecture of the place, and a couple of them were more than happy to show me around.
(A much friendlier atmosphere than the USC docent-led tours of the Gamble House in Pasadena!!!)
Ps. Thorsen House is in the Berkeley neighborhood designed by Olmstead!!
It was of paramount importance to the Greene's that you be able to see and understand how the house fit together, and so exposed joinery abounds.
The "prow" of the "ship"
Thorsen had some kind of sailing/shipping background.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greene_and_Greene |
That great to know, next time I am up there, I sure will knock on the door and ask. I know about some of those very dry docents when we toured the Gamble House many time. Funny how I felt the same way but never spoke to anyone about it.
I had my welder / fab guy make those two of those, very similar, metal strapping. It was a pain in the ass. Then I had to make it rust to match others.
I know you are pretty detailed. Noticed the routed edges of the big timber joints? Back in 1900, routers weren't available to produce perfectly rounded edges, so the dummy that I was, I hand rounded some of the ones we install to match the hand cut originals. I am not sure what they used back then, but I bought my new trusty file and went to work rounding my lumber details. I purposely make some area imperfect. It was fun.