Fire Island Modernism | Horace Gifford and the Architecture of Seduction

One of the best things about growing up on Long Island was spending summers working on Fire Island where the commute typically involved coffee (“light and sweet”), my best friend and a ferry ride across the Great South Bay to Ocean Beach, NY. I worked for a flower shop and landscape company, with the best days spent as the extra set of hands for the landscape crews. I would deliver and/or plant flowers at the second homes of Manhattan’s prominent and intriguing inhabitants (looking at you Zabars and Lobel’s). The houses ranged from the expected - quaint beach cottages with clever names and a salt air patina - to the unexpected and, for me, immensely magnetic - the bold, modern, sculptural objects that I needed to know more about. Enter, author Christopher Bascom Rawlins, some 30 years later, with his epic ode, Fire Island Modernist, detailing the modern architecture and culture on Fire Island through the eyes of architect an architect I wish I knew about sooner.

IMG_0524.JPG

Rawlins crafts this comprehensive look at the often overlooked architect Horace Gifford (1932 - 1992), his approach to design, portfolio of seaside pavilions and houses with in the broader context of personal challenges, social and cultural movements.

“As the 1960s became The Sixties, architect Horace Gifford executed a remarkable series of beach houses that transformed the terrain and culture of New York's Fire Island. Growing up on the beaches of Florida, Gifford forged a deep connection with coastal landscapes. Pairing this sensitivity with jazzy improvisations on modernist themes, he perfected a sustainable modernism in cedar and glass that was as attuned to natural landscapes as to our animal natures. Gifford's serene 1960s pavilions provided refuge from a hostile world, while his exuberant post-Stonewall, pre-AIDS masterpieces orchestrated bacchanals of liberation.” Christopher Rawlins.

Travis-Wall House, Fire Island Pines, 1972-1975

Travis-Wall House, Fire Island Pines, 1972-1975

Burge Pavilion, Fire Island Pines, 1965 A majestic presence on the beach which harkins to the massing of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Company Administration Building.

Burge Pavilion, Fire Island Pines, 1965

A majestic presence on the beach which harkins to the massing of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Company Administration Building.

Fishman House, Fire Island Pines, 1965“Twelve robust columns, containing closets above and below, lifted the Fishman residence into the air. Early Fire Island cottages squatted akimbo upon skinny pilings, evoking the architectural equivalent of “mar…

Fishman House, Fire Island Pines, 1965

“Twelve robust columns, containing closets above and below, lifted the Fishman residence into the air. Early Fire Island cottages squatted akimbo upon skinny pilings, evoking the architectural equivalent of “martini legs.” Gifford composed and selectively clad his own version of these posts, realizing a muscular base still in harmony with the surrounding architecture.” (excerpt from Fire Island Modernist)

Fishman House Floor Plans

Fishman House Floor Plans

Please read this book for an exact insight (both colorful and heartbreaking) into Horace Gifford’s world, American architectural history and the mid-century modernist movement. "The injustice of Horace Gifford's early death was compounded by the fact that his important contribution to American domestic architecture of the 1960s and 70s has been overlooked by history.” Paul Goldberg

Charleston Modern Infill - UPDATE

This speculative infill development included three single family residences located in the Cannonborough neighborhood in downtown Charleston. The client’s desire for a modern aesthetic with durable, low maintenance materials was executed with cementitious V-groove and lap siding on a stucco base. Now two of the three residences have been completed by Zourzoukis Homes and are for sale.

Click HERE for a link to the listing and additional photos by our friends at Birchin Lane Realty.

Render - 06.30.17 crop.jpg

Paul R. Williams Student Scholarship

[07.01.22 UPDATE: We have just been notified that this scholarship is no long an active program. Please consider supporting or participating in the National Organization of Minority Architects’ HBCU Professional Development Program instead.]

We are life-long learners. As architects, we are always seeking a greater understanding of design precedents, building science, context and history to inform our work. We bring an open mind to each client, project and opportunity. As entrepreneurs and small business owners, we understand the highs and lows of the journey, the grind and hustle involved. We also understand that the opportunities we have been given, as a white woman and a white man, are not universally given. And while we look at the world with empathy and optimism, we now understand that all of this is not enough.

It is not enough when our industry does not reflect the diversity of our country’s population. It is not enough when only 2% of licensed architects in the AIA (American Institute of Architects) are African American. It is not enough when only 0.3% of licensed architects are women of color.

From Alice Liao’s “Diversity in Architecture” piece for Architect Magazine (May 2019) “According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. population is 61 percent white, 13 percent African American, 18 percent Hispanic or Latinx, 6 percent Asian, and 1 percent Native American. Meanwhile, the makeup of AIA members is 67 percent white, 2 percent African American, 5 percent Hispanic or Latinx, 6 percent Asian, and less than 1 percent Native American, with 18 percent not reporting.” This first article in her three part series pinpoints barriers to entry including cognizance of the architecture profession, money and biases (both latent and expressed).

It is a fact that the more diverse the room is, the better the outcome. It is important for any workforce to reflect the population they are serving. Specific to the architectural industry, having designers who represent the building users and people who work, love and play in that community is the only way to truly create an inspired and relevant built environment for every person.

We started thinking about how to increase the diversity and equity in the architectural profession and looked toward scholarship opportunities for persons of color. That led us to DesignClass’ Paul R. Williams Student Scholarship. In their words, “Paul Williams kicked off a prolific career by becoming the first licensed African-American member of the AIA in 1923. Throughout his life he designed over 2,000 buildings in California and helped shape Los Angeles into the metropolitan city it is today. In 1957, Williams became the first African-American elected as a Fellow of the AIA. DesignClass honors the legacy of Paul R. Williams with a scholarship for African-American architecture students seeking to foster curious and creative confidence in their communities.” The scholarship provides financial assistance to African American students studying at a NAAB accredited architecture program. [More to come on Mr. Williams’ work in a future blog.]

Please help spread the word, consider contributing to this scholarship fund and sharing other ways that the veterans of our profession can help the industry to achieve true racial equity. As always, we are works in progress and welcome any and all lessons we have yet to learn.

“Talent is universal but opportunity is not.”

Kennedy Odede