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The Open Air Atrium
Modern architecture held, that the inherent structure
of a house should be seen, and walls should provide minimal
visual obstruction, so the outside could be brought in.
In the Eichler home, large posts sunk into concrete footings
hold up a roof constructed with widely spaced beams carrying
a roof decking. This post and beam construction allowed
glass panels and doors to fill in the spaces between beams.
It would have been cheaper to have smaller posts and beams
closer together, decking could have been thinner, traditional
headers could have been placed over the doors and windows
leaving less exposed plate glass.
Though many people think all Eichlers have an atrium,
they didn't come about until 1957. Sales were declining,
so architect Robert Anshen drew a hundred schemes trying
to find sales appeal or reduce expenses. His atrium designs
made no sense however - they were too boxy, didn't serve
a real purpose, and were expensive to produce. In desperation
one was built with little impact. Later A. Quincy Jones
found a way to rearrange the plan eliminating the boxy
look and his version was an instant success. Many construction
problems still had to be solved: drainage, complicated
foundation structures, front privacy screens, roof connections.
The atrium still had little practical use, but inadvertently
a major Eichler criticism of a boring entry, had been
solved. Now after approaching an unassuming austere home
and opening the door, one is met with a surprise! You
would never know it was so open and airy from the private
street facade.
As you step into any model, you'll quickly see the charm
of the atrium. Virtually, the whole house and backyard
can be seen from here. In the A. Quincy Jones and Frederick
Emmons designed model, the atrium is separated from the
front yard by screens of opaque glass. Many have beams
overhead which were an option for those who wanted to
add more shade to their atriums.
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