Alfred Tobocman designed home – who is this guy?

[AGinthe313]

OK – since I have zero knowledge about significant architecture, I need some help from the architectural types on this board. I’ve been looking at houses online and I stumbled upon a house designed by someone named Alfred Tobocman. Does anyone know of other homes designed by Tobocman? The listing implies that he is well known -- I’ve never even heard of the guy, but I dig this house in Farmington Hills. This home reminds me of the Mies van der Rohe style condos/coops in Lafayette Park. I couldn’t find anything on the web about the designer, so any insight would be much appreciated. By the way, the greenish carpet in the family room needs to go – lay some hardwood and be done with it.



From the listing:

“Don't miss out on a rare opportunity to own an early Alfred Tobocman designed home nestled in this wooded setting. Enjoy the clean simple lines & understated beauty of this 20th century architect. Everything about this home speaks to the flora and fauna that surrounds it. From the wide & welcoming front porch to the walk out lower level & multi-tiered decks you'll feel like you are "up north" while right here at home.”

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...4_M41842-25632

[p69rrh51]

Looks like Tobocman was located in Farmington Hills and might have been partnered with his brother Irving. A UofM Grad. A link to his 1970 AIA questionaire.

http://communities.aia.org/sites/hdo...ker_1970_T.pdf

[southen]

i live in lafayette park and if you really like mies you can get a townhouse for half of that property. it looks like a pretty cool place. i know if i were purchasing, given that i really enjoy mid century architecture, id probably paint the exterior a dark color, likely a very dark grey. i think that would place the house in its surroundings a bit better. id also probably put up new railings that are more in line with the lines of the home. for the interior id probably change the doors on the kitchen cabinets to something more simply with simple hardware. just my take, but im not too much into mixing and matching when it comes to modern homes.

as for alfred i have never heard of him but there are many more knowledgable people on here when it comes to local architects. cheers.

[AGinthe313]

Looks like Tobocman was located in Farmington Hills and might have been partnered with his brother Irving. A UofM Grad. A link to his 1970 AIA questionaire.

http://communities.aia.org/sites/hdo...ker_1970_T.pdf

Thanks. I did a google search on the Summerwood address [[next to his name) and this came up. It's a bummer that I can't get a better view of this home.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/29...24566509_zpid/

[AGinthe313]

i live in lafayette park and if you really like mies you can get a townhouse for half of that property. it looks like a pretty cool place. i know if i were purchasing, given that i really enjoy mid century architecture, id probably paint the exterior a dark color, likely a very dark grey. i think that would place the house in its surroundings a bit better. id also probably put up new railings that are more in line with the lines of the home. for the interior id probably change the doors on the kitchen cabinets to something more simply with simple hardware. just my take, but im not too much into mixing and matching when it comes to modern homes.

as for alfred i have never heard of him but there are many more knowledgable people on here when it comes to local architects. cheers.

Agree, I would make similar changes to the ones that you suggested. That said, Lafayette Park is still tops on my list. I’m about four months away buying -- if a Mies comes to market at that time I’m going to jump on it.

[p69rrh51]

Thanks. I did a google search on the Summerwood address [[next to his name) and this came up. It's a bummer that I can't get a better view of this home.

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/29...24566509_zpid/

Try Bing 3-D Maps you cannot get as close as Google Maps but at least you can see some of the detail of the home.

[southen]

Agree, I would make similar changes to the ones that you suggested. That said, Lafayette Park is still tops on my list. I’m about four months away buying -- if a Mies comes to market at that time I’m going to jump on it.

you may want to jump on it before then if at all possible. they have been selling like hotcakes and the approval process can take a month or two. at least that is what i encountered.

[AGinthe313]

you may want to jump on it before then if at all possible. they have been selling like hotcakes and the approval process can take a month or two. at least that is what i encountered.

That’s what I’ve heard! I’m actually moving from Downtown to Dearborn next week, on a month-to-month lease, so that I can move quickly when a place becomes available. I would have stayed month-to-month at my current place, but my rent will be going up big time if I stay.

[Honky Tonk]

I’m actually moving from Downtown to Dearborn next week, on a month-to-month lease, so that I can move quickly when a place becomes available.

I constantly hear gunshots in Dearborn.

[AGinthe313]

I constantly hear gunshots in Dearborn.

LOL too funny – good memory! Interestingly enough, at the end of last year I heard my first gunshot after living downtown for two years. It was @ Gratiot and Broadway - only one news station, that I’m aware of, picked-up the story. Yeah – I’ll need to watch my back in W. Dearborn.

[Honky Tonk]

LOL too funny – good memory! Interestingly enough, at the end of last year I heard my first gunshot after living downtown for two years. It was @ Gratiot and Broadway - only one news station, that I’m aware of, picked-up the story. Yeah – I’ll need to watch my back in W. Dearborn.

"Clean And Safe". I work in Dearborn. Sorry to hear you're "abandoning" Detroit. [[good sense of humous, though).

[AGinthe313]

"Clean And Safe". I work in Dearborn. Sorry to hear you're "abandoning" Detroit. [[good sense of humous, though).

It’s just a temporary thing for a few months, then I’ll be ready to buy in the city. I work in Dearborn too, so my commute will be all of two minutes as opposed to 15. Plus, I won’t have to change my DetroitYes loser [[user) name.

[Honky Tonk]

You're in IT?

[AGinthe313]

You're in IT?

Nope, I’m on the business side – but I do have a quasi-IT degree [[Master of Science in Information Technology). It’s the fake IT degree for MBA folk who can’t handle writing code.

[Honky Tonk]

Nope, I’m on the business side – but I do have a quasi-IT degree [[Master of Science in Information Technology). It’s the fake IT degree for MBA folk who can’t handle writing code.

Impressive. We might run around in the same circle. But I'm sure by now the other posters are eyeing this thread.

[AGinthe313]

I'll take it offline.

[Huggybear]

To bring this back on-topic, Al Tobocman is still alive but is semi-retired. In his heyday, he was a very progressive residential architect. The example you showed would need some work to take it back to its original glory: his designs typically had very simple interior forms but very nice finishes [[flush wood paneling, marble or terrazzo floors). The exteriors had variable forms, but primarily, they were in wooded areas. The affect is much more Gropius than Mies. Look him up on the Michigan Modernism site.

If you want to compare Tobocman to Mies [[the 2-story townhouses - the pricing of the ones is astronomical by comparison) in your househunting, there is no question that Mies is more famous and that LP is closer to downtown. But Tobocman was doing commissions for rich people with modern taste, and Mies was building to a price point for a mixed-income redevelopment. That results in tremendous difference in house size and interior finishes. Here is one that might be instructive:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/31...24557296_zpid/

But in any event, take your time to understand space utilization, maintenance costs, restoration effort, and even the variance betwen the architecture-book view and real life. On this last point, the LP area pretty much maxes at 1,200-1,400 square feet per unit, and how space is divided can have a huge effect on how functional it is.

The ground floor of a Mies townhouse, for example, is 700 square feet bisected in two [[living room and dining room) by a kitchen and bathroom, with a cutout for the stairs up and down. An 1,100 square foot two-bedroom in the Pavilion, for example, gives you almost 700 square feet for the living room/dining room, all in one run [[and usually on a corner). If you like the Mies courtyard houses, you might also like Chateaufort, which is at the northeast end. Similar floorplans and overall design; a little more brick, a lot less money.

Also, look at units that are furnished. Lots of things looks spacious when completely empty - see what it looks like junked up before pulling the trigger on anything. Modern is kind of tricky like that.

HB

[canuck]

Man, that house in Farmington Hills is cheap. You dont get much for half a mil in Canada.

[canuck]

"Clean And Safe". I work in Dearborn. Sorry to hear you're "abandoning" Detroit. [[good sense of humous, though).

I hear the middle eastern folks in Dearborn have a wonderful sense of humous too...

[AGinthe313]

To bring this back on-topic, Al Tobocman is still alive but is semi-retired. In his heyday, he was a very progressive residential architect. The example you showed would need some work to take it back to its original glory: his designs typically had very simple interior forms but very nice finishes [[flush wood paneling, marble or terrazzo floors). The exteriors had variable forms, but primarily, they were in wooded areas. The affect is much more Gropius than Mies. Look him up on the Michigan Modernism site.

If you want to compare Tobocman to Mies [[the 2-story townhouses - the pricing of the ones is astronomical by comparison) in your househunting, there is no question that Mies is more famous and that LP is closer to downtown. But Tobocman was doing commissions for rich people with modern taste, and Mies was building to a price point for a mixed-income redevelopment. That results in tremendous difference in house size and interior finishes. Here is one that might be instructive:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/31...24557296_zpid/

But in any event, take your time to understand space utilization, maintenance costs, restoration effort, and even the variance betwen the architecture-book view and real life. On this last point, the LP area pretty much maxes at 1,200-1,400 square feet per unit, and how space is divided can have a huge effect on how functional it is.

The ground floor of a Mies townhouse, for example, is 700 square feet bisected in two [[living room and dining room) by a kitchen and bathroom, with a cutout for the stairs up and down. An 1,100 square foot two-bedroom in the Pavilion, for example, gives you almost 700 square feet for the living room/dining room, all in one run [[and usually on a corner). If you like the Mies courtyard houses, you might also like Chateaufort, which is at the northeast end. Similar floorplans and overall design; a little more brick, a lot less money.

Also, look at units that are furnished. Lots of things looks spacious when completely empty - see what it looks like junked up before pulling the trigger on anything. Modern is kind of tricky like that.

HB

HB -- thanks for the information, good stuff and good advice! Also, thanks for providing another example of his work – btw, nice place! I’m familiar with Chateaufort and I’d consider those as well. From a price point, Lafayette Park [[Mies or Chateaufort) are more in line with what I want to spend. Not to mention, I could never live in F’Hills -- too close to my ex-wife, I feel safer in Detroit LOL!

[p69rrh51]

You can find mid century all over the metro area. Here are a few eastside examples. Three Alden B. Dow homes in Grosse Pointe.

[p69rrh51]

One A.B. Dow home on Lake St. Clair in St. Clair Shores.

[p69rrh51]

A pair of Yamasaki designs Palmer Woods.

[p69rrh51]

A Yamasaki design in Huntington Woods.

[p69rrh51]

Saarinen in Grosse Pointe.