Bernard Maybeck

by Wilson, Mark Anthony; Puliatti, Joel

• ISBN13: 9781423611806
• ISBN10: 1423611802
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-09-01
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Summary

The work of Bernard Maybec k has influenced generations of architects. His landmark buildings include the Palace of Fine Arts and First Church of Christ, Scientist. His emphasis on an open use of natural materials marks him as a pioneer in sustainable architecture, or "green design." This book encompasses not only his most memorable works but also includes letters and drawings from the family archives never before seen by the general public.

Excerpts

He was the soft-spoken son of a woodcarver from Germany and a mother who died when he was three. He grew up in Greenwich Village, attended the world's most prestigious school of design in Paris, and moved to Californiato pursue one of the most distinguished careers in the history of American architecture. He was a modest and unassuming man who shunned the limelight, and yet his innovative, environmentally sensitive design philosophy changed the face of West Coast architecture forever. His most famous building was the Beaux-Arts Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, but his finest creations were the simple redwood homes, churches, and clubhouses that grace the hills of the Bay Area and Southern California. His name was Bernard Ralph Maybeck, and his influence is still being felt, more than a century after he began his career.