In the late summer of 1934, Alden Dow designed and work began on his second Unit Block residence, the Alden W. and Helen Hanson House. Hanson was Dow’s brother-in-law, and a physicist with the Dow Chemical Company, based in Midland, Michigan.
Completed at a cost of $7,869, the major wall of the Hanson House faces the street, and boasts an exciting composition of large rectangular units of block and glass. From the street, the house appears to be much smaller than it actually is. The façade, with its strong sculptural components, makes a powerful visual statement.
Color, textures, materials, and spatial relationships dominate the living room. At the same time, the large windows provide a tremendous amount of natural light.
The Alden W. Hanson House is not only an outstanding example of the International Style, but it is also an excellent example of Dow’s ability to design a highly sculptural and compositional work. Like many of Dow’s other residential designs, the Hanson House was designed so that it would be able to grow with the needs of the family and still retain its original integrity.
In the Hanson House, Dow designed a home that possesses a rich and pleasing mixture of geometric forms, materials, textures, and planes. His ability to manipulate space, his intense concern with harmony of the interior and exterior elements of a house, and his careful placement of the structure on the property lot are apparent in the Hanson House. It is a successful and livable home.
Dow, Alden. 1970. Reflections. Midland: Northwood Institute.
Dow, Alden. 1973. Way of Life. Midland: Northwood Institute.
Maddex, Diane. 2007. Alden B. Dow: Midwestern Modern. New York: Distributed by W.W. Norton.
Robinson, Sidney K. 1983. The Architecture of Alden B. Dow. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
It is a bit of a stretch to claim the Hanson house is an outstanding example of International Architecture. Particularly for the date of 1934 when the Internationalists were building plain white boxes with regularly disposed windows and hidden roofs. There are no overhangs on the Villa Savoy. In fact I think the Hanson house stands as an example of the American answer to the International style.
I have many fond memories of this home as Alden and Helen were my maternal grandparents. My mother, was 2 years old when the family moved into this home. The family lived there for 46 years and sold the home in 1980, the year of their 50th wedding anniversary.
I grew up in this home and you cannot believe how many fantastic hiding places there are. It was very fun place in which to be a kid! I am the youngest of four siblings and have many fond memories of life in this very modern home for its time.
Now I see where Chris got his inspiration to study and be an architect. This home is certainly spectacular as a statement for its period. It needs some HunterFouhlas window treatments. One of our finest and most creative geniuses at HunterDouglas is Wendell Colson, also an architect by trade. I suppose that says something about the creative “juices” of architects.
Terry Drew