Carl Koch (architect)
Encyclopedia
Carl Koch was a noted American architect
. He was most associated with the design of prefabricated homes and development of the Techcrete building system.
. He was educated at Harvard College and received his Master of Architecture
degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He completed his studies in 1937. The time he spent at Harvard overlapped with arrival of Walter Gropius
, founder of the Bauhaus
in Germany
.
where he worked for Sven Markelius
for six months. There he blended what he had learned in his formal education with clean Scandinavian design
. These influences were evident in his work, especially the Techbuilt homes.
entitled At Home With Tomorrow (NYC: Rinehart Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1958.)
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. He was most associated with the design of prefabricated homes and development of the Techcrete building system.
Education
He was born Albert Carl Koch in Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. He was educated at Harvard College and received his Master of Architecture
Master of Architecture
The Master of Architecture is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation that result in receiving a license.-Overview:...
degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He completed his studies in 1937. The time he spent at Harvard overlapped with arrival of Walter Gropius
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture....
, founder of the Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Career
After completing his education, he moved to SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
where he worked for Sven Markelius
Sven Markelius
Sven Gottfrid Markelius was one of the most important modernist Swedish architects. Markelius played an important role in the post-war urban planning of Stockholm, for example in the creation of the model suburb of Vällingby .Born in Stockholm in October 1889, he attended the Royal Institute of...
for six months. There he blended what he had learned in his formal education with clean Scandinavian design
Scandinavian Design
Scandinavian design emerged in the 1950s in the three Scandinavian countries , as well as Finland. It is a design movement characterized by simple designs, minimalism, functionality, and low-cost mass production....
. These influences were evident in his work, especially the Techbuilt homes.
Work
Koch believed that the American lifestyle would be best served by a housing system which could be easily assembled, disassembled and reconfigured. This passion led him to pioneer prefabrication technologies. His Techbuilt series of homes was designed to be built with prefabricated panels for the walls, floor and roof.Buildings
His prime legacy is the Techbuilt system of home construction. In the Techbuilt house, the master bedroom is upstairs while the other bedrooms, kitchen and living space are all on the first floor.Projects
- Snake Hill, Massachusetts group of eight houses (1942)
- Acorn House (1948)
- Staff housing for the US Embassy, Belgrade (1956)
- The Techcrete Academy Homes (1962)
- Eliot House, Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
(1962) - Lewis Wharf Condominiums (1972–73), residential renovation of a BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
WaterfrontWaterfront-In music:*Waterfront , a 1980s British pop duo*Waterfront Records, an Australian record label*"Waterfront" , by Simple Minds*Waterfront Blues Festival, in Portland, Oregon-In film and television:*Waterfront , directed by William A...
granite warehouse that was built in 1840 on the site of Paul ReverePaul ReverePaul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
's silversmith shop and John HancockJohn HancockJohn Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
's warehouses
Legacy
Carl Koch is known for his successful early designs for prefabricated housing. He created the Techbuilt System of home construction. Progressive Architecture magazine gave him the unofficial title "The Grandfather of Prefab" in 1994. In total, over 3,000 Techbuilt homes were sold. He outlined his thoughts and experiences on prefabrication in a book which he wrote with Andy LewisAndy Lewis
Andy Lewis was the original bassist of Australian band The Whitlams. He left The Whitlams in the late 1995, and went to Melbourne, Australia to form another band, The Gadflys...
entitled At Home With Tomorrow (NYC: Rinehart Rinehart and Company, Inc., 1958.)