Preface 1971

Birthday Party 2016

Maintenance Issues 2018

Inspirations 2021

First thoughts 2021

Critique 2021

Completion 2022

End of Part 1

Beginning of Part 2

HLC, Master Association

Afterthoughts

Richard was raised on award winning FHA housing projects during the early 70s. Sadly, they were changed from their original white to various forms of trendy colors, once the 40 year mark had been reached and the projects sold to new owners.

The Harrison Trio is another example of trios of towers creating urban spaces, in other parts of the country, during the 60s.

There had been a 50th birthday party, in 2016, that showed there was a great interest in the SOM architecture, within the HW community, after all.

The three towers were expressive of their structural logic, which unified the composition into a whole, and which was reinforced further by a paving pattern extending to all three towers. Halprin responded to the intent in the proposed tree layouts.

(The paving pattern is still visible and ideally ought to be restored.)

Maintenance (or rather the lack thereof) became increasingly obvious as the buildings became grimy and the grounds at HW were simply neglected.

The contrast to newer buildings, became poignant, allowing for various contrived analogies.

A white version of the townhouses, as they might have looked in 1966, created a positive interest in brightening up the entire complex. (Although not going back to all white.)

When Richard and Patrick decided to propose a new color scheme, they felt that the previous designers had applied uniform colors over large areas, without regard of the three-dimensionality of the building behind.

Townhouses were dark and gloomy and the tower just looked dingy and dirty.

Some classic architecture leapt to mind as they were developing various options.

But also the reminder that the neighborhood still maintained its off-white coloration, that best complements the ivy and the trees of the historic district.

Hundreds of mockups were made to best understand and explain the transition all working (mostly) with the original color palette.

Three colors were changed for the courtyard fin walls (less gloomy equivalents) and one lighter off-white (Alabaster) was added.

The tower has developed a more-architectural quality, achieved by the periodic horizontal bands.

The townhouses have a new lightness at both the park and the courtyard.

Mrs West is proud to feel contemporary again and hopes Mrs East will join her.