Projects
Connections: Alden and Vada Dow and Yvonne Bannelier Lagier
Yvonne Bannelier Lagier met Alden and Vada Dow when they were among the charter members of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Fellowship in the spring of 1933. Ms. Lagier was an academically-trained artist in her native France and a multi-faceted painter, sculptor,...
Connections: Alden and Vada Dow and Gertrud and Otto Natzler
Alden B. Dow made his debut as a young architect on the international stage when he was awarded the Grand Prize in residential architecture at the 1937 Paris Exposition for his designs of the John Whitman residence and his own studio. Architecture was just one of...
Connections: Alden and Vada Dow and Buckminster Fuller
It’s difficult to know for certain when Alden B. Dow and Buckminster Fuller first connected, but it must have been well before the letter Fuller sent to Mr. Dow in December 1951. In it he thanked Mr. Dow for his generous pledge of $1000 toward the production of his...
Office Fun in 1954
Mr. Dow created and nurtured a fun and playful work environment in his architectural studio throughout its history. We have a couple of slides of the staff awarding a diploma to Harry L Cummings in 1954, that bestows upon him the title of F.A.B.D. (ARCHITECTUS...
Oppermann Friendship
Mr. and Mrs. Dow began renting different cottages in Northern Michigan very early in their marriage. Eventually they would buy and renovate a cottage in Cottage Grove Association on the north side of Higgins Lake. It is here that they made many life-long...
Connections: Alden and Vada Dow and Peters “Pat” Oppermann
Alden B. Dow and his friend Peters “Pat” Oppermann possessed many of the same personal qualities: an inquisitive mind, a love of travel, an appreciation of music, an innate creativity, and a joyful, playful sense of humor. Oppermann was born and raised in Saginaw,...
Connections – Hans Knoll and Florence Schust Knoll Bassett.
Our Connections Exhibit is such a wonderful way to learn about people who Alden and Vada Dow interacted with on personal and professional levels. The first section of the exhibit unveiled is interactions between the Dows and Hans Knoll and Florence Schust Knoll...
Connections: Alden and Vada Dow and Hans and Florence Knoll Bassett
Born to a baker and orphaned at age 12, Florence Schust grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. She demonstrated an early interest in architecture and was enrolled at the Kingswood School for Girls, adjacent to the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan....
Connections Exhibit
It has always been inspiring to learn about the passions and interests Alden B. Dow and Vada B. Dow explored throughout their lives. As inquisitive humans, their passion to learn, grow and understand the world around them only increased with time. This need to...
Ann Arbor City Hall by Alden B. Dow
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Architect: Alden B. Dow In 1960, the citizens of Ann Arbor approved a $2.3 million bond for the construction of a new city hall. Alden B. Dow was selected as the architect and began the design of this important civic project that...
