I wish I could have known or worked with Julia Morgan. She is one of only a handful of past Architects whose design sensibilities and philosophy of practice seem to resonate well with my own. Morgan was steeped in the historicism and eclecticism of the Beaux Arts, but practiced in an era of tremendous stylistic upheaval and technological change. In the unsettled and challenging cultural environment of her time she was able to create a body of work that drew upon historical precedent but was never limited by it. She rarely fell into the trap of placing rote stylistic expression above beauty, comfort, and functionality. Her designs are drawn from her client's vision, the opportunities presented by the site, the required function, and woven into works of beauty and repose. It's a remarkable body of work that is worth careful study.
My thoughts on Julia Morgan wouldn't be complete without mentioning how much less comfortable I feel with the projects at Hearst Castle. Coming relatively late in her career, Hearst Castle is probably the commission that she is most celebrated for. I have tremendous respect for her effort there, but it troubles me on many levels and is far from the best example of her design talent. This is an excellent topic for a future entry, so stay tuned...
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Orchard/8642/jmorgan_dwg.html
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmberkcity/jmberkcity.html
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmberkhses/colby.html
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmmerritt/jmmerritt.html
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmwmshse/jmwmshse.html
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmjolon/jolon.html
http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmasilomar/jmasilomarhousing.html
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