Us Modernist Radio - Architecture You Love

Imagine buying a lot, designing a house, getting all the neighborhood and city approvals, starting construction, then - boom - your neighbor sues to stop construction.  Here's the background.  You'll hear one couple's incredible story - and how it attracted worldwide coverage. Louis Cherry has been an architect since 1983 and is principal of a design/build practice focusing on modern residential, commercial and institutional design.  He is the husband of Marsha Gordon, associate professor of film studies at North Carolina State University. Their contested house, aka Oakwood House, is at 516 Euclid, Raleigh.  The house also has its own Twitter feed, independent of the owners. They honestly don't know who's behind the often-hilarious comments: @ModernOakwood. Paul Goldberger is an architecture critic and winner of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.  He is the author of several books, including Why Architecture Matters, and wrote about the Cherry Gordon house for Vanity Fair. Contact the

John Morris is a Usability Engineer by day but by night he's the Batman of downtown architecture documenting buildings in Chicago and Raleigh. He's also a superfan of Modernist architect Milton Small Jr., student of Mies Van der Rohe.   Although Small died in 1992, his firm lived on through Small’s son Milton Small III of Small Kane Architects.  We'll talk with John and Milton about the man they both admire. Frank relives his Modernist childhood!  Water heaters over the sink!  Mt. Olive University!  The masterpiece at 3515 Glenwood Avenue!  John tries to speak Russian!  

Author J. Michael Welton writes about architecture, art, and design for national and regional publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Dwell, and Architectural Record. His new book is "Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand." One of the architects featured in the book is Jim Cutler, Seattle-area architect well-known for his work in sustainability.  He also designed a little $66M house for Microsoft's Bill and Melinda Gates in the 1990's (with Peter Bohlin). Cutler is a passionate advocate for the return of freehand training in university architecture programs. His theory on how drawing affects thinking has huge implications for creativity in architecture. The Ferrari of drawing pencils! Does Bill Gates' house use Windows Update? Does CAD make architects dumber? What area of the brain lights up when you draw? Anyone want to start up a Kickstarter campaign for the externalization of cognition? The first iPad-like product by Microsoft!

Christine Madrid French is one of America's foremost experts on Modernist preservation. She is co-founder of the Recent Past Preservation Network (the first Modernist preservation organization) and served as President for nine years. She pretty much knows everything modern from Bauhaus to Bob's Big Boy. We'll hear her brave, decade-long attempt to save the Modernist icon of Richard Neutra's Cyclorama at Gettysburg. Learn about Mission 66! Was John Wayne a Modernist? What is brutalism and do you need handcuffs? And how about moving some Frank Gehry (again)!

Although actress Kelly Lynch appeared in Drugstore Cowboy, Roadhouse, Charlie's Angels, and the swanky Miami TV series Magic City, we love her movies about Modernist preservation.  She's also got two killer Modernist houses in Los Angeles. Myrick Howard has been President since 1978 of Preservation North Carolina, the state's premier preservation organization, and knows how to keep these works of art alive. On this episode, learn how to win a best-dressed award for just $15! Choose the right chair for a Basic Instinct re-make!  Protect your favorite Modernist house from the bulldozer!