Wright Chat

Education Professor · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 518

I recently came across a few photos of the Paul residence in Stanford, CA, on the Aaron Green Associates website:

http://www.agaarchitects.com/pages/residential/single_family/res_paul.html

I've been searching with little luck for more information about this wonderful design. Besides the photos on the website, all that I know about the house is that it was built in 1953 with a guest house addition in 1960. To anyone's knowledge, has the house been featured in any magazines or books over the years?

Thanks!

EP

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 8035 Location: San Francisco

Thanks, EP. Four photos are presented, accessible via the arrows.

SDR

KevinW · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 1033

The Paul house was featured in House Beautiful magazine. Mr Paul died a few years ago in his 90's. I believe Mrs. Paul still occupies the house, but a few years back had a stroke and is quite frail. I have been in the house and the guesthouse that was built for Mr Paula mother several times. The Pauls would call Aaron before even changing a lightbulb, so it is in pristine original condition. Taliesin Fellow Earl Nisbet helped build the house. The house is about as perfect as any house could be. Since it is on Stanford property, only Stanford employees can purchase the house. It is just down the street from the Hanna house.
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KevinW

Education Professor · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 518

Kevin, thank you for the interesting insights about the Paul family and their home.

Do you have any recollections about the overall floor plan of the residence and/or guest house? Information about this design is proving to be rather elusive.

EP

By the way, thanks for sharing the photos of your wonderful home in Los Banos. Your efforts to honor Mr. Beharka's legacy are to be commended.

KevinW · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 1033

EP

Thank you.

I will scan the House Beautiful photos tonight...I will try to draw a floor plan from memory. The little guest house for Mr. Pauls mother is lovely, pretty much a one room studio with kitchenette, central fireplace and sofa that becomes the bed. Built on a slope, the street facing elevation has a wooden deck. There is storage below.

Wright once visited the house, and told Mr and Mrs Paul that "Aaron certainly has done our reputation no harm" or something to that effect. Mr. Paul was an Japanese studies professor at Stanford, and Mrs. Paul worked at Stanford at the Hoover Institute for War, Revolution and Peace. The asian influences of the house reflect the Pauls interests.

I lost touch with them because for them to answer the phone, they had to walk up a few steps to where the phone was, and being in their 90's, frail, and very very private people, I just didnt want to bother them, even though they were always gracious and seemed happy to see us.
I have some recent exterior photos I will find, but being in a heavily wooded area, the house is pretty well hidden.
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KevinW

Education Professor · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 518

Kevin, many thanks for your efforts to provide us with some floor plan information, scans, and photos of this very interesting yet largely unknown residence and guest house addition. I sincerely appreciate your generosity and expertise.

Your description of Mr. and Mrs. Paul reminds me of the descriptions that I've read over the years about Mr. and Mrs. William Palmer, especially with regard to their interest in asian studies.

Your story about Mr. Wright's visit with Mr. and Mrs. Paul is priceless!

Thanks,

Matthew (EP)

KevinW · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 1033

Matthew
Attached is a Flickr set with a few more pics of the Paul house from the HB magazine, plus some bad pictures I took several years ago of the site and what you can see of the studio.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75562383@N03/sets/72157629857991124/

I will draw up what I remember the floor plan to be tomorrow.

I worry about this house. It is a small house, surrounded by very large older homes, and newer mcmansions. The only thing that might save it is that it is on a small sloped irregular shaped lot. Like I said since it is on Stanford property only Stanford staff, faculty and upper administrators can purchase these homes and lease the land.
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KevinW

Education Professor · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 518

Thank you, Kevin. I look forward to studying the photos in detail. Hopefully the site will indeed help to protect the home from succumbing to the McMansion trend.

Are all of the House Beautiful photos from the October 1959 issue? My university's library may have a copy of this issue in their archival section.

Thanks again,

Matthew

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 8035 Location: San Francisco

It's good to see
Maynard Parker credited for photographs in the magazine article.

http://www.historicechopark.org/id116.html

SDR

josquin · Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 55 Location: Los Angeles

Thanks, SDR. I missed that reference.
Here is the link to the photos in the Maynard Parker Archive at the Huntington Library. Do a search in the database with keyword "paul" and city of Stanford. There are 22 photos in the collection of the Paul house.

http://www.huntington.org/huntingtonlibrary.aspx?id=3970

KevinW · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 1033

wow...thanks for sharing this. When Aaron moved out of his wife's family home in Los Altos Hills, it was eventually demolished, Aaron transferred many of the plants from the Los Altos home's landscape to the Paul residence. It looks like a young Aaron green in the photo, I wonder if these are any of the plants. The Pauls adored Aaron, and on several occasions expressed to my wife and I how they couldn't imagine their lifes without ever meeting their Architect.
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KevinW

josquin · Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 55 Location: Los Angeles

That's a great story and a real tribute to Aaron Green. Ideally, this is the effect an architect or designer's work and relationship should be with the client.