Another busy day was on the agenda! We left at 7:00 a.m. to head to Fayetteville to the Special Collections at the University of Arkansas. Cat Wallack is in charge of the Fay Jones Collection and we met with her at 8:00 a.m. Cat had pulled drawings and plans of the previously visited Applegate House and of the soon-to-be-visited Smith House. The collection contains drawings, correspondence, publications and models – there’s a bust of Fay Jones and ceramic dinnerware he designed. This was a special visit – I like to think you can feel Fay’s presence when you’re surrounded by these things that he envisioned and created. There is a sculpture attached to the door that leaves you with no doubt of what is housed beyond it. My favorite thing in Special Collections is the model of the unbuilt Fraser Chapel. Someone please build this chapel!!
We then headed over to Dave McKee’s office to meet up with him and some others that were joining our morning visit to Fay Jones’ residences. Our group totaled 10 people and included a visiting architect/professor from South Africa and several young architects from the area. First stop – the Joe Clark house. I had visited the Joe Clark house in 2002. The owners at that time had converted the carport into a master suite. The current owners are in the process of redoing that conversion and Dave has designed the new and improved remodel. The living room of this house is on a lower level and provides you with a feeling of solitude – which is quite an accomplishment in a residential neighborhood! We learned that the original bedrooms in the house – which are on opposite sides – were situated so one received warm winter sun and the other received summer shade, with the intention that the owners would change rooms with the seasons. And, what did we find on one of the living room windows? Another walking stick! They must be big fans of Fay’s works!
Next stop was the Smith Residence which overlooks a lake – a very nice lot with quite a view and a multitude of wild birds. This house has seen a few changes, both architecturally and aesthetically, through the years, but the bones are most evident. I liked the walls that echo the angled lines of the fireplace which opens to the sunken triangular living room. This house has some interesting stories, mostly from the time when it was the bachelor pad of the son of one of the area’s wealthy families (no, it was not one of the Waltons!). Changes made during that time included the addition of a large, hmm, multi-person shower and the hidden “stash” closet behind the fireplace in the master bedroom!
We then headed over to the Buckley-Brown House which is the Fay Jones house I would most want to live in! Everyone loved this house – no one wanted to leave! It’s two levels of Jonesian details – sunken living room, dining room with custom chandelier overlooking the living room, office opposite the dining room, overlooking the living room, an entry above the living room looking out into the back yard and its unique screen of dogwoods in planters. Simply a fabulous house . . .
Then it was on to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks to see the Butterfly House and Pavilion designed and built by Dave McKee. Lucky butterflies! It’s a standalone screened building with the look and feel you’d expect and, of course, with a butterfly roof! Unfortunately it wasn’t butterfly season. I’m sure it’s even more special when it’s full of colorful flitting butterflies!
The last Fay Jones house for the day was the Brothers Residence. Dave has been handling some restoration/repair work to the house and there is talk of adding a large garage – once the owner can acquire one of the adjoining lots. Jonesian highlights here included a wonderful stone fireplace and the original dining set.
The culmination of our day was our appointment with Marlon Blackwell. We had mentioned our plans to one of the young architects who accompanied us on the Fay Jones portion of our day. She was very impressed and envious of our plans and I invited her to go with us. We were scheduled to meet Marlon at his office in the Fulbright Building. We arrived a little early and while waiting in the parking lot, our new young friend jumped into the car with us, ready to go! She could not believe I had pulled off this visit and tour with Marlon because he is, to quote her, “hot s*#t right now”! (I felt this was the most accurate assessment of Marlon's current status in the architectural world that I had heard!) I assured her that he had been extremely nice and accommodating throughout the planning process. Then she wanted to know if the three of us take these trips once a month! We assured her that we are not a bunch of old retired folks but that we are all employed and still working and that we do well to do something like this once a year!
The four of us entered the offices of Marlon Blackwell Architect where we were greeted by Marlon’s architect wife and business associate, Meryati Johari Blackwell, and were then accompanied through the Fulbright Building by one of his associates. The Fulbright Building is an adaptive reuse of the former library building which Marlon has renovated and expanded for office spaces. By the time we returned to the office, Marlon had arrived, ready to escort us for our visits to his creations in the area. After introductions, a book signing and a discussion of which vehicle to take, we headed out for our tour with Marlon behind the wheel of his Range Rover. Our young friend was completely star-struck and wanted to text all her friends to say "OMG, I'm riding shotgun with Marlon Blackwell!"
The four of us entered the offices of Marlon Blackwell Architect where we were greeted by Marlon’s architect wife and business associate, Meryati Johari Blackwell, and were then accompanied through the Fulbright Building by one of his associates. The Fulbright Building is an adaptive reuse of the former library building which Marlon has renovated and expanded for office spaces. By the time we returned to the office, Marlon had arrived, ready to escort us for our visits to his creations in the area. After introductions, a book signing and a discussion of which vehicle to take, we headed out for our tour with Marlon behind the wheel of his Range Rover. Our young friend was completely star-struck and wanted to text all her friends to say "OMG, I'm riding shotgun with Marlon Blackwell!"
First stop, Marlon’s home, the L-Stack House which is built on a lot that was previously considered to be unusable as it has a small stream cutting through it. Marlon solved that issue by extending part of the house over the stream, echoing the covered bridges found in the area, while raising the other part of the house on utilitarian metal support posts, creating a covered patio area by the stream below. While it relates to iconic images of the area, it is not like its neighbors . . . familiar yet different.
On to Springdale to the Saint Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church, a building for which Marlon has received much recognition and many accolades. The story behind this structure is quite interesting. The church acquired a tract of land with an average, ordinary metal building. Marlon’s design modified and adapted the building while increasing its size, providing additional and much needed space. In order to save money, much of the work was done by the members of the church. Elements necessary to an Eastern Orthodox church were uniquely incorporated into the design, including the obligatory dome - the dome at St. Nicholas was fashioned from an old satellite dish which was acquired in an exchange for a case of beer. It's Orthodox but not orthodox - something I'll call “MacGyver architecture”. The church has the feel and ambiance of an Orthodox church, however packaged into a more modern and vernacular version. You find the familiar blue, a cross, the icons and candles. Yes, it’s not what anyone expects, but it delivers these features while translating them into an attainable, viable and vibrant church, one that is tangible and functional for its community. Father John is quite proud of his unique little church!
We continued on to the Blessings Golf Clubhouse. At first glance, it’s a box-like structure with a hole in it. Then you notice that it’s built of native Arkansas stone and that the “hole” frames the 18th hole of the golf course. The back has glass wall which provide extended vistas across the course. The simplicity of the clubhouse quietly displays its elegance, grace and refinement.
Our last stop on the Marlon Blackwell circuit was the Keenan Tower House which sits on a hill, in the middle of a tract of land, just off a busy roadway, yet isolated from its urban surroundings. By now it was twilight and our light was quickly waning. Our nearly nocturnal visit was acknowledged by a Barred Owl which greeted us with its “who-cooks-for-you” call. Tower House is 80 feet tall and the locals call it a “trailer on a stick”. It’s a blend of wooden slats - which resemble, refer and relate to the surrounding trees of the site - topped with white metal which conjures up images of the clouds above it.
We returned to the Fulbright Building, elated by all of the events of our day and extremely grateful for the amazing generosity of the people we’ve met along the way.
Dinner that night was at the acclaimed James at the Mill in Johnson. Lesson learned here: when your waiter recommends a wine - albeit one which turns out to be excellent - you should ask the price before ordering!
And so ends another excellent day . . . it was as if each day topped the previous one!
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