Interest in Memorial Bend's page has increased thanks to renewed interest in mid-century architecture and the preservation
of some of our nation's modern treasures. Listed below are links to similar neighborhoods and other organizations dedicated
to the styles of architecture that we see every day:
Modern Architecture Resources and Online Communities
- The Eames Office - The Eames Office is a family business dedicated to communicating,
preserving and extending the work of Charles and Ray Eames. We feel that all three of those dimensions are important to keeping
the office useful and vital.
- JetSet Modern - Dedicated to mid-century architecture and design, JetSet
Modern provides visitors with numerous informative articles as well as the opportunity to purchase some great mid-century
furniture and accessories.
- Lotta Living - Lotta Living links you to a golden era where Hollywood fulfills our
dreams on the silver screen, where you can order an "Old Fashioned" at a swank red booth restaurant and where home still is a
palace of Modern luxury and conveniences. Lotta Living will explore design, architecture and related fields which reflect Modernism
along with 20th Century kitsch popular culture that have been ingrained in our cultural memory and make them relevant for
today and tomorrow.
Neighborhoods/Architecture Across the U.S.A.
- Arapahoe Acres - Arapahoe Acres is the first post-World War II residential
subdivision listed as a historic district in the National Register Historic Places. Constructed between 1949 and 1957,
it is a remarkable community of one hundred and twenty-four individually unique, modern homes.
- Balboa Highlands - This neighborhood of roughly 100 homes
was built by renowned developer, Joseph Eichler between 1963 and 1964 and is located at the northern edge of the San
Fernando Valley. It is the only Eichler tract in Los Angeles County.
- Desert Modernism - A WebSite Bibliography on Architecture
and Modernism in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.
- Eichler Homes of Southern California - While we here in Southern California
are a part of the larger Eichler family, we have our own uniqueness and issues that are particular to this region, hence a web
site devoted specifically to our Eichler homes.
- The Eichler Network - Since 1993, the Eichler Network has been dedicated to
supporting the lifestyle of the nearly 11,000 folks in Northern California who own an "Eichler" home. Eichlers are the innovative,
Modernist-designed homes that were created by merchant builder Joseph Eichler between 1949 and the early 1970s. These homes, in some
ways similar to those found in the bend, were designed by noted architects such as Anshen & Allen.
- Glenbrook Valley - a
south Houston neighborhood that was the site of the 1954 and 1956 Parade of
Homes. This web site showcases a nice collection of houses from several
Houston architects.
- Holmes Run Acres - A ealry
1950s era neighborhood in Northern Virginia
- Motel Americana - Exploring classic roadside architecture since 1995
- The Palm Springs Modern Committee - In the middle years of the 20th century the mountains
and desert sands of California's Coachella Valley inspired an aesthetic that would become known as Desert, or Palm Springs,
Modernism. Notable for its use of glass, clean lines, indoor/outdoor spaces, integrated landscaping, and sculptural form,
Palm Springs Modernism defined a lifestyle of elegant informality. This design atmosphere inspired talented local and visiting
architects to create Modern structures of every size and function: residential, commercial, civic, and institutional.
Remarkably, much of this historic legacy exists today to be appreciated by new generations of Modernists.
- Space Age City - a Look at Googie and Tiki/Polynesian architecture of the 1950s and 1960s.
- Space City Modern
- a growing page operated by me that will gradually function as a repository of
other modern houses that can be found around Houston.
Preservation
- The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance - Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
(GHPA) promotes the preservation and appreciation of Houston's architectural and cultural historic resources through
education, advocacy and committed action, thereby creating economic value and developing a stronger sense of community.
- Historic Houston - Historic Houston was founded in 1998 by amateur and professional
historians and preservationists who were concerned that Houston's rich historical and architectural heritage was rapidly disappearing.
Our goal is to increase historical awareness, encourage factual and scholarly research and to actively support efforts to preserve our important local architecture.
- Los Angeles Conservancy - The Los Angeles Conservancy, the largest membership-based
local historic preservation organization in the country, is dedicated to the recognition, preservation, and revitalization of
the architectural and cultural heritage of greater Los Angeles.
- The National Trust - For more than 50 years, the National Trust has been helping
people protect the irreplaceable. A private nonprofit organization with more than a quarter million members, the National Trust
is the leader of the vigorous preservation movement that is saving the best of our past for the future.
- The Recent Past Preservation Network - Our mission is to promote the preservation
of buildings from the recent past and help others who are trying to do the same. Too often we lose important buildings that
are less than fifty-years old, buildings that are considered "out of style," or buildings that are declared "non-contributing"
to history at the civic, state, or national level. It is our goal to educate and inform the public and politicians about the
value of structures from the midcentury and beyond.
- The Rice Design Alliance - The Rice Design Alliance (RDA),
established in 1973, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of architecture, urban design, and the built
environment in the Houston region through educational programs, the publication of Cite, and active programs to initiate
physical improvements. By sponsoring lectures, seminars, symposia, exhibits, and tours, RDA seeks to involve the general
public in issues related to the design of public spaces, parks, offices, retail centers, residential areas, and private
homes. The organization attempts to create a public forum to stimulate discussion, involvement, and cooperation among the
many groups of citizens who are able to improve the quality of life within Houston and its environs.
- Roadside Peek - Roadside Peek will take you on a roadside journey in time. As you travel, visit old motels,
bowling alleys, drive-in theatres, neon signs, petrol pumps, googie sites, tiki villages, and much more.
Shopping
- Blu Dot - Blu Dot's cool modern designs
go well with the houses found in Memorial Bend. All designs are original
with some echoing classics from the 50s.
- Circa 50 - Featuring furniture and accessories from manufacturers such as Herman Miller, Knoll, Modernica and Vitra. "It's not your Grandmother's Modern".
- Hip Haven - Remember those cool
bullet planters your neighbors had in the 50s? Hip Haven, a Austin-based
company, has been reissuing them. Order one for your house in a mix of hip
colors.
- Lackey Prince Modern - eBay listings from Lackey Prince Modern, dealing in mid 20th century modern furniture,
pottery, art, and glass. Lackey Prince Modern's Houston store is located at Antiques and Interiors at 3845 Dunlavy.
- MetroRetro Furniture - Find out
why other residents have driven to Pasadena to visit Metro Retro's massive
warehouse. A huge selection of mid-century lighting,
furniture and accessories, as well as newly manufactured pieces styled after the
classics of the 1930s through 1950s
-
Pure Design - Pure Design is a
Canadian company that features great new designs that go well with modern
architecture. Prices are reasonable and some designers include Karim
Rashid, Johnny Lim and Mark Naden.
- Retromodern.com - A great resource for modern furniture and accessories by Alessi, Kartell, ICF, Herman Miller, Knoll and more.
- Sunset Settings - Sunset Settings is a retail store dedicated to featuring the best authentic contemporary modern furniture and accessories for the home.
- Velocity Art and Design - Velocity provides a home for local and international
collectors, designers, corporate clients, artists, and fans of affordable and exciting contemporary art and modern design.
For those interested in historic preservation, the following article from the National Trust might be
of interest.
Teardown: Historic Neighborhoods, Nationwide