Julie, through this bewitching and meticulous tribute to the house, I can imagine living my life there. Unlike Fallingwater, where I can't imagine living or even spending an evening, this work of art seems meant to nurture the occupants' best impulses, not to impose itself upon them. Thank you for the virtual tour.
Absolutely! It feels just like that. Fallingwater is glorious but more forcefully the personality of the architect. And the living spaces feel low (intentionally). Can’t beat the site, though. 😮
Wow. Appreciated the guided tour to a magnificent home in the woods of Finland. I learned a lot about how to look at such a work of historical architecture. Brava.
Another article I’m just getting to. What a wonderful house and experience. I loved the video and explanation - it made the house come alive and feel like the forest was inside. It was absolutely fascinating. I was in Helsinki quite a few years ago, but never to the rest of Finland. Thank you for sharing!
Wow! I don't know a thing about architecture, but reading your essay, I feel like a whole world has been opened for me. Architecture as art! Architecture as a relationship between nature and the building! Architecture as a statement. I'm in awe. Thank you so much for writing this!
Wonderful tour, Julie - stunning building, your tour of the concepts no less fascinating. Glad you pointed out the Japanese inspirations moving from the main house to the sauna - and that stone wall!!! Beautiful - thank you!
Thanks for reading and sharing your thought, Troy. We were stunned to learn that, although he had books about Japanese architecture, Aalto never went to Japan. His inspiration seems to have been sourced from the same deep connection to and reverence for places.
Wow…great story…wonderful video…and I’m impressed you could put your hand on projects from architecture school!? Quick check shows the 1985 GA 67 monograph on Villa Mairea is now way out of my budget. And piqued my interest, looking forward to doing a more thorough dive into Aino Alto. Thanks Julie!
Thanks for reading, Jim. Such was my love for this building that I saved the original sketches I did. Very little else survives from those days. I also kept the booklet our studio put together from all the other things we analyzed in that particular studio b/c it's a great resource for teaching assignments, even now.
Interesting about that monograph. I don't have it, but I do have a bunch of other books that I'm potentially looking to send off to their next owner(s). It's a good thought to check online, see if they're worth anything.
Let me know what else you find on Aino. She died in her 50s and Aalto remarried -- another architect! Her name was Elsa until she met and married Alvar, then she changed her name to Elissa. She ran his office for years after his death, to finish up projects and oversee renovations to older ones.
Flow is so important. I love that transition between the house and the garden. My current place is the closest I've come to that, but I still have to go across the porch down some stairs and across a little bridge to get to the garden. I'm lucky as can be to have this place and I love it, but the idea of moving straight from my kitchen into the tomato patch and back to my salsa pot is a lovely one.
One of my favorite things is to design those transparencies between indoors and out. Where we live now has a fantastic screen porch across the whole back of the house that's open on three sides. I live out there.
Could you do a few big pots of tomatoes right at the porch?
Thanks for reading, Stacy. It’s been interesting reconsidering what at the time I approached from a purely intellectual vantage, now from a wider view. Including emotion and the senses.
Julie, my son is a 5th year architecture student so I've come to appreciate architecture more deeply through many conversations with him. You've shared some fascinating buildings here. And I love all your thoughts on space & design, especially the connection between spatial flow and creative flow. Thank you 💜
Julie, through this bewitching and meticulous tribute to the house, I can imagine living my life there. Unlike Fallingwater, where I can't imagine living or even spending an evening, this work of art seems meant to nurture the occupants' best impulses, not to impose itself upon them. Thank you for the virtual tour.
Absolutely! It feels just like that. Fallingwater is glorious but more forcefully the personality of the architect. And the living spaces feel low (intentionally). Can’t beat the site, though. 😮
Wow. Appreciated the guided tour to a magnificent home in the woods of Finland. I learned a lot about how to look at such a work of historical architecture. Brava.
Thanks for reading, Jill! So glad you enjoyed it. I’m aware that it’s rather indulgently long but, hey, I can’t shortchange a masterpiece. 😉☺️
Another article I’m just getting to. What a wonderful house and experience. I loved the video and explanation - it made the house come alive and feel like the forest was inside. It was absolutely fascinating. I was in Helsinki quite a few years ago, but never to the rest of Finland. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for reading, Sally! So glad you enjoyed the tour. It’s one of the great works, imho.
Wow! I don't know a thing about architecture, but reading your essay, I feel like a whole world has been opened for me. Architecture as art! Architecture as a relationship between nature and the building! Architecture as a statement. I'm in awe. Thank you so much for writing this!
Thanks for reading, Sarah. Your response makes me so happy! 😀
Wonderful tour, Julie - stunning building, your tour of the concepts no less fascinating. Glad you pointed out the Japanese inspirations moving from the main house to the sauna - and that stone wall!!! Beautiful - thank you!
Thanks for reading and sharing your thought, Troy. We were stunned to learn that, although he had books about Japanese architecture, Aalto never went to Japan. His inspiration seems to have been sourced from the same deep connection to and reverence for places.
Wow…great story…wonderful video…and I’m impressed you could put your hand on projects from architecture school!? Quick check shows the 1985 GA 67 monograph on Villa Mairea is now way out of my budget. And piqued my interest, looking forward to doing a more thorough dive into Aino Alto. Thanks Julie!
Thanks for reading, Jim. Such was my love for this building that I saved the original sketches I did. Very little else survives from those days. I also kept the booklet our studio put together from all the other things we analyzed in that particular studio b/c it's a great resource for teaching assignments, even now.
Interesting about that monograph. I don't have it, but I do have a bunch of other books that I'm potentially looking to send off to their next owner(s). It's a good thought to check online, see if they're worth anything.
Let me know what else you find on Aino. She died in her 50s and Aalto remarried -- another architect! Her name was Elsa until she met and married Alvar, then she changed her name to Elissa. She ran his office for years after his death, to finish up projects and oversee renovations to older ones.
Flow is so important. I love that transition between the house and the garden. My current place is the closest I've come to that, but I still have to go across the porch down some stairs and across a little bridge to get to the garden. I'm lucky as can be to have this place and I love it, but the idea of moving straight from my kitchen into the tomato patch and back to my salsa pot is a lovely one.
One of my favorite things is to design those transparencies between indoors and out. Where we live now has a fantastic screen porch across the whole back of the house that's open on three sides. I live out there.
Could you do a few big pots of tomatoes right at the porch?
A powerful nature-basaed query I wish others would ask, "Does nature impose order, or is human order primary?"
And how you thrust me into the details beginning with a series of "not." "Not the wood handrail ..."
What a beautiful tribute.
Thanks for reading, Stacy. It’s been interesting reconsidering what at the time I approached from a purely intellectual vantage, now from a wider view. Including emotion and the senses.
I really enjoyed your “tour” of this space! So envious that you got to go there in person! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for reading, Gail! Glad you enjoyed it. Great way to celebrate our 35th anniiversary. 🥰
Julie, my son is a 5th year architecture student so I've come to appreciate architecture more deeply through many conversations with him. You've shared some fascinating buildings here. And I love all your thoughts on space & design, especially the connection between spatial flow and creative flow. Thank you 💜
How wonderful, Phoebe! Where is he studying? Thanks for reading. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
My son is studying at the University of South Australia (UniSA) in Adelaide - I'm guessing on the other side of the world from you.
Yes it is. ☺️
Beautiful! I had not heard of this house. Glad you were able to see it, tour it, and describe it.
Thanks for reading, Pat. It was a joy to write about.
Gorgeous!
It really is.