December 2017 Mod of the Month

December 17, 2017
3611 North Braeswood Boulevard, Braes Heights, Houston, TX 77025

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Please help us find new preservation-minded owners for two vintage modern houses located in the Braeswood area, about  6 miles southwest of downtown Houston. Both houses were designed by the highly regarded architect Joseph Krakower with assistance from Herb Greene, who later achieved international acclaim with his own practice. The houses are listed in the AIA Houston Architecture Guide. Unfortunately, both houses were damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Event parking is available on Glen Arbor as well as on Edloe and Tartan Streets. Thanks to Houston MODern Market for sponsoring this FREE event.

A triangular theme pervades this dynamically designed house. Indoor and outdoor seamlessly meld, and portions of the flat roof seem to float above the artistically designed fireplace. Outstanding details include the continuous ribbon windows, canted sliding cabinet doors, angled roof supports, upturned roof corners, and triangular-shaped wood siding elements. The spacious layout includes four bedrooms and three bathrooms plus a tropically landscaped swimming pool.  This is a stunningly attractive creation.

3615 North Braeswood Boulevard, Braes Heights, Houston, Texas 77025

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Krakower & Greene designed this house in 1957 for the Salzman family who owned it until 2014. It was designed for the Dr. David Mendell family in 1958.The design features pyramidal volumes over the front facing dining and bed rooms which also feature corner-placed plate glass windows. The house was recently renovated. The owners are considering selling or raising the house.

Joseph David Krakower was born in Houston and graduated from Rice Institute in 1943 with a BS in architecture. He then attended USC where he earned a Masters in Architecture degree in 1947. He worked for Robert Kerrah and Lenard Gabert before starting his own firm in 1949. Krakower also designed the Barvin house located at 3506 Glen Arbor.

Herb Greene was Krakower’s designer from 1954 to 1958. He was born in New York and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1952. He studied under and worked for Bruce Goff in Oklahoma and also worked for John Lautner before coming to Houston.