Dwell Magazine Special Issue

Special Edition Design Personas & Personalities

At Home in the Modern World

Feat. Ray Eames, Paul Rand, Saul Bass, & More

Mid Century Modernism How The Voices of Mid Century Designers Are Heard in Today’s Tiny House Movement

$7.99 U.S./$8.99 Canada

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Special Issue / Spring 2018

Innovative tiny houses let you take home wherever you go.

Even here.

Contents

Special Issue Spring 2018 Mid Century Modern Designers And the Tiny House Movement

2–5 Two Movements Connect How the voices of mid century designers are heard in today’s tiny house movement 6–15 The Power Pair Behind the Chair The lives of Ray and Charles Eames, their iconic designs, and a tiny house big enough to fit it all 16–25 Innovations How three designers’ revolutionary principles are exemplified in a tiny home

26–31 Alternative Ideas Robert Brownjohn and George Lois’ personalities and design ideas found in one repurposed shipping container home

40–47 Type and Architecture A former boiler room turned tiny home showcases the ideas of two mid century modern designers

32–39

48–51

Designing an Icon A house as unique as the corporate identities of Paul Rand, Herbert Matter, and Lester Beall

Mid Century Marketplace Stylish mid century modern inspired elements for your home, big or small

Two Movements Connect

Two Movements Connect Mid Century Modernism and the Tiny House Movement

Both Mid Century Modernism and the Tiny House Movement started similarly. Mid Century Modernism developed as a direct result of World War II and started in America due to the changing economy and the influx of Bauhaus designers emigrating from Germany to the US. The tiny house movement also grew out of adversity, and the struggling housing market has helped to spur its popularity. The low cost of tiny homes allows homeowners to pay off debt more quickly, and the small footprint appeals to the growing minimalist movement.

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The push for a quality designed home is key in both Mid Century Modernism and tiny houses.

Functionality is one of the most important concepts for both movements; for tiny houses’ designs, every part of the house must be used effectively in order to utilize space efficiently.

In conjunction with this, the tight spaces of the tiny homes and the core values of Mid Century Modernism mean the use minimal ornamentation in the building of the homes.

The use of contrasting materials originally introduced through Mid Century Modernism can also be seen in the designs of tiny homes.

For example, the use of a metal shipping containers whose interior has been paneled with wood is a common, nontraditional trend that tiny houses have popularized.

This in itself is the core of both movements: taking traditional elements and turning them to fit nontraditional standards, to a point where it feels almost avant-garde. This is standard in both the lines of Mid Century Modernism and the general building technique of the tiny homes.

The Glass House (above) is considered an icon of Mid Century Modernism.

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Behind the Chair

The Power Pair Behind The Chair Honomobo’s HO2 and the massive work of the Eames

The HO2 is an affordable, efficient, living studio. At 352 square feet it hits above its weight, through efficient design and convertible spaces, this is a comfortable living space. A full bathroom and functional kitchen allow the HO2 to deliver everything the modern dweller needs in a home.

An affordable, efficient, living studio. At 352 square feet it hits above its weight, through efficient design and convertible spaces, this is a comfortable living space. A full bathroom and functional kitchen allow the HO2 to deliver everything the modern dweller needs in a home.

Included as standard is a highly efficient air source heat pump for heating and cooling.

All Honomobo are Solar Photovoltaic ready.

Are you ready to take the plunge to fullnet positive? Banks will mortgage a Honomobo.

Contact your local bank or mortgage broker.

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A Honomobo is built to the local building code.

(Additional costs may apply) A Honomobo is typically installed on a permanent foundation.

A prefabricated shipping container home makes the construction process much simpler and more efficient than ever before. So why spend months building when it could be weeks?

Imagine them as life-size lego blocks and you will start to see the vast possibilities and opportunities. Build a single level or multistory building. Place one in your backyard and then 10 years later move it somewhere new.

When it comes to construction methods and

building materials there are few alternatives that are as durable, portable and sustainable.

At Honomobo we have set out to leverage the modularity and durability of the shipping container while not apologizing for what they are. We don’t hide our boxes, but we have embraced the essence of the shipping container.

Get yours at Honomobo.com

Behind the Chair A shot of the kitchen shows off how much natural light fills the space (left). A floor plan of the house shows just how much is packed in this tiny home (bottom).

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Behind the Chair

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Behind the Chair Featured on opposite page: The Eames House (top left), The Eames Chair (top right), a painting by Ray done in NY (below left), Eames molded plywood sculpture (below right).

Charles Eames

Charles Eames was born in 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended school there and developed an interest in engineering and architecture. After attending Washington University in St. Louis on scholarship for two years and being thrown out for his advocacy of Frank Lloyd Wright, he began working in an architectural office.

In 1929, he married his first wife, Catherine Woermann (they divorced in 1941), and a year later Charles’s only child, Lucia was born.

In 1930, Charles started his own architectural office. Charles began extending his design ideas beyond architecture and received a fellowship to Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, where he eventually became head of the design department.

Ray Kaiser Eames was born in 1912 in Sacramento, California. She studied painting with Hans Hofmann in New York before moving on to Cranbrook Academy where she met and assisted Charles and Eero Saarinen in preparing designs for the Museum of Modern Art’s Organic Furniture Competition. Charles and Eero’s designs, created by molding plywood into complex curves, won them the two first prizes.

Ray Eames

Charles and Ray married in 1941 and moved to California where they continued their furniture design work with molding plywood.

During World War II they were commissioned by the United States Navy to produce molded plywood splints, stretchers, and experimental glider shells.

In 1946, Evans Products began production on the Eameses’ molded plywood furniture.

Their molded plywood chair was described as “the chair of the century” by the architectural critic Esther McCoy. Soon production was taken over by Herman Miller, Inc., who continues to produce the furniture in the United States today. Our other partner, Vitra International, manufactures the furniture in Europe.

In 1949, Charles and Ray designed and built their own home in Pacific Palisades, California, as part of the Case Study House Program sponsored by Arts & Architecture magazine.

Their design and innovative use of materials made the House a mecca for architects and designers from both near and far. Today, it is considered one of the most important post-war residences anywhere in the world.

Ray Eames was known for her exquisite and critical eye, rare gift for color, and painstaking attention to detail. She also had a technical aptitude for structure, leading to the creation of elegant, intuitive forms—both graphically and sculpturally. Ray first began developing her artist skills at an early as age of three when she started making paper dolls and fashion drawings.

Ray brought all these skills and more into her partnership with husband Charles Eames, with whom she worked for nearly 40 years.

In many respects, the couple’s partnership was so interwoven that it is difficult to suss out where their individual talents started and stopped. Even so, Charles generally served as the face and spokesman for their work and philosophies, which is one of the reasons why he sometimes seems to be in the forefront of a partnership that was, no doubt, a wholly collaborative process.

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Behind the Chair

The Eameses are some of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Their house is considered to be a mastery of design. In the featured tiny house, the HO2, the influence of the Eameses is evident.

to the beauty of nature that lies just beyond its walls. The idea of having access to nature in this way was especially important to Ray and Charles, who loved the meadow that encircled the house.

The exterior of this Tiny House mimics the exterior of the actual Eames House. Like the Eames House, it is constructed as a literal box with a panel of open windows at the front. The idea of replacing a wall with glass is implemented in both houses. This window design allows for the maximum influx of natural light into the home and opens the house

The unconventional box-shape is immediately recognizable as a shared feature of both homes. However, the parallels go beyond the shape. Following World War II, the Eameses pursued utilizing new materials in their work. The transformation of the HO2 from a shipping container into a house reflects these values. Cheap and readily available,

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shipping containers can be mass-produced and refurbished into quality homes. This feature of the Tiny House reflects one of the Eameses most important ideals: “We wanted to make the best for the most for the least.�

Read more at EamesOffice.com

Innovations

Innovations Three revolutionary designers and a modern tiny house that exhibits their avant-garde approach

The LoftCube is a small prefab living pod designed by Studio Aisslinger. The size of the pod as well as its flexible design allows the home to be constructed on a variety of spaces, from the top of buildings to coastal beaches.

Innovations

How do you want your tiny house to function?

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Innovations

The modern micro home features floor-toceiling windows on all 4 sides, flooding the interior with daylight and providing panoramic views of all the surrounding landscape. The windows also allow the occupants to take advantage of natural ventilation, reducing dependence on active heating systems. However, the LoftCube does come with some customizable features, such as an energy-efficient heating system.

The prefab element of the LoftCube allows it to minimise its carbon footprint. This provides a great incentive for the consumers who are environmentally conscious.

Its prefabricated nature allows the majority of construction to take place within a

The entire structure can be assembled off-site and then transported to the final location by truck. Or, if it is a tight spot, it can be helicoptered into position. Once in place it typically takes 5-7 days to set up the home.

The structure of the LoftCube is also modular, allowing you to combine several units to create a larger space if necessary. The interior of the

factory setting. This saves both time, energy, and reduces material waste.

retreat is completely customizable. Each living space capable of being modified according to

the owners needs. You can even extend to the exterior with an optional patio area.

This small, 420-square-foot abode, takes flexible design to new heights, and is able to serve a variety of uses – small family house, luxury sky lounge, hotel room, guest house‌ the list goes on. As with all great designs, you are only limited by your imagination (or rather, great designs should inspire imagination).

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Imagine a place where your spirit can fly and the windows are 360° wide. A place where you can work, relax and share life with your friends. Imagine the endless possibilities of thrilling spaces and exceptional panoramic views; a treasure of unique moments.

An exclusive mobile loft, an extraordinary living space. Attractive and convenient – for a transitory lifestyle or a settled home life.

Futuristic architecture, sufficient space for air and light, individual design options, high quality materials, lightweight and easy to install.

The LoftCube combines spectacular views, light–flooded spaces, cosy warmth and innovative technology. “Feel at home – even when you are a long way from home” is Werner Aisslinger’s quintessence. A wide range of innovative ideas have gone into the development of the LoftCube in order to create this environment for you. The result is a set–up time of maximum one week, including the interior. The appealing new living space.

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Innovations

Saul Bass

Alvin Lustig

Alex Steinweiss

Saul Bass was an American designer whose 40+ year career spanned everything from print and identity development to movie title credits.

He worked with major corporations to establish logos and branding guidelines, including AT&T, United Way and Continental Airlines.

He designed titles for over 30 films and he won an academy award for his short film Why Man Creates. Also proficient in typography his “cut-paper” style is one of the most recognized styles of design from the 1950s and 60s.

A student of Frank Lloyd Wright, among others Alvin Lustig had a very successful career in graphic design and art direction. Revolutionizing the approach to book cover design in the 1940s, Lustig would attempt to get a sense of the writers direction from reading the book and then translate it into his own graphic style (The previous trend was to summarize the book with one image). The combination of technology and creativity in Lustig’s designs was reminiscent of the Bauhaus, as was the intellectual approach he

Alex Steinweiss has a massive body of design work that spans several different media. Some of his clients have included the U.S. Navy, PRINT, Fortune and Columbia Records. However, he is most recognized for inventing the modern album cover and much of his work lies in the poster-like images that he created while he was an art director at Columbia records.

took to problem-solving.

to protect the album you had just purchased.

His idea to create artwork to entice the buyer to purchase the album was an instant success.

From 1939 to 1945 he designed record covers for Columbia, during which time he turned out hundreds of distinct designs. After 1945 he began working for other clients including several other record companies and in 1974 he retired to Florida to paint and work on occasional commissioned pieces.

He revolutionized the way that people viewed movie titles by using the time to not just display the information but give a short visual metaphor or story that intrigued the viewer. Often times it was a synopsis or reference to the movie itself.

His list of title credits include famous films such as West Side Story, Psycho, Goodfellas, Big, North by Northwest and Spartacus. He created four titles for Martin Scorsese, the last of which was for Casino.

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He designed books in LA for New Directions before moving to New York to become the Director of Visual Research for Look Magazine.

He rose to success early in his career garnering work for all types of clients and working on a vast array of types of projects. He died much too early at the age of 40, in 1955. His simplified shapes and use of flat colors, while at the same time creating elaborate and intensely interesting compositions, are still imitated today by graphic designers around the world.

Before Steinweiss the only album covers that existed were brown paper wrappers that served

Innovations

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Innovations

These illustrations Lustig did as part of a book design series for The Ghost in the Underblows

As is true of all the designers of this magazine, Steinweiss, Bass, and Lustig played an extremely important role in the Mid-Century Modernism movement. Their work is what sets them apart as a group; they can readily be considered the visual innovators of this movement.

From Steinweiss’ groundbreaking use of imagery on album covers, to Bass’ revolutionary use of typography-driven title sequences, to Lustig’s inventive rework of book covers, these designers didn’t mess around when it came to innovation.

Neither does this house.

The shape of this tiny house is both strong and unconventional. Like the flat shapes used by the designers, the exterior of the house is kept extremely simple (it’s little more than a box with round edges). The simplicity carries into the colors of the home as well. As the designers often did, this house uses one flat plane of color (white) throughout the majority of its form.

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The tiny house also features lots of negative space. Nothing is out of place in this home; everything is carefully laid out in order to maximize the small space’s efficiency and make it feel “open.” Just as each of the designers carefully planned every aspect of their imagery, the architects behind this house were careful to ensure that no part of this home was in danger of being wasted.

Designing an Icon

Designing An Icon Ever dream of living in a grain silo?

This couple made it a reality.

“There’s an intimacy that’s imposed on people when they’re in one space. You can’t find that separation,” he says. “It makes you confront issues more, and it really brings you together…

The ability for people to fashion that to their own liking is a beautiful freedom that we have.”

Christoph Kaiser

Designing an Icon

Kaiser and Thibault (his wife) show off . the curving interior (right). The silo creates a striking image against the darkening site (below).

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Located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix’s Subterranean air ducts that mitigate mechanical “What can you live in and still have a sense of up-and-coming Garfield Historic District, the Silo noise from the air conditioning system also work home?” Kaiser says. “It’s easy to cram all the House is a converted 1955 corrugated steel-wall passively, in conjunction with an operable skylight parts that you need to live in something. It’s easy grain silo. With a 230sf footprint and 340sf at the top of the silo to deliver passive cooling. to build it, even — relatively speaking.” total livable space, a central design challenge was attaining a sense of ‘home’ within a shape “I think there’s an intimacy that’s imposed on “The real challenge is to end up with a piece of and size foreign to common perceptions of home. people when they’re in one space. You can’t find architecture that actually feeds your soul, as Spaciousness and simplicity are achieved by that separation,” [owner Kaiser] says. “It makes opposed to draining it.” accommodating all functions for living in a you confront issues more, and it really brings Read the full interview at ChristophKaiser.com two-story walnut and black steel crescent that you together.” hugs the silo’s southern perimeter. This approach maximizes construction efficiency, usable floor space, and the perceived spatial volume of the interior.

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Designing an Icon

Herbert Matter Paul Rand

Lester Beall

Herbert Matter worked with a number of famous designers and artists during his career including Fernand Léger, Le Courbusier, Charles and Ray Eames, Derberny & Peignot, A.M. Cassandre and A lexey Brodovitch.

Matter was a master of using photomontage, color and typography in an expressive manner, transcending the boundaries between art and design. His design work often favored a heavy use of photography. His most recognizable works are the posters he created for the Swiss

A man with a very technology-oriented background, Beall grew up playing with Ham radios and creating his own wireless sets.

Beall graduated with a Ph.D in the History of Fine Art and the years following his graduation found him expressing an interest in modern art movements such as Surrealism, Constructivism and Dadaism. His work as an advertiser and graphic designer quickly gained international recognition and the most productive years of his career, during the

Tourist Office, but his photography work for Harper’s Bazaar, under the direction of Brodovitch, is equally impressive. A master in his profession, he began teaching photography and design at Yale in 1952. He continued to teach and work, notable work from his later career includes the identity design for the New Haven Railroad, until he died in 1984.

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Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, describing Rand: “He is a painter, lecturer, industrial designer, [and] advertising artist who draws his knowledge and creativeness from the resources of this country. He is an idealist and a realist, using the language of the poet and business man.

Rand thinks in terms of need and function.

He is able to analyze his problems but his fantasy is boundless.” Paul Rand is one of the most famous and recognized American designers of the 20th Century. His ideas, philosophies and approach continue to be a large part of the fundamentals of design taught in education programs across the world.

His early career was spent working for Apparel Arts and Esquire magazines and then joining the Weintraub agency. He was so successful that after a few years he demanded twice the pay for half the time, and got it. His relentless passion for corporate identity helped shape the American business landscape in the 1960s.

The height of corporate identity design owed much to the unwavering pursuit of Paul Rand to make advertising more than just billboards. He worked in the field until the day that he died, at the age of 82.

1930s and 40s, saw many successes in both fields.

His clear and concise use of typography was highly praised both in the United States and abroad. Throughout his career he used bold primary colors and illustrative arrows and lines in a graphic style that became easily recognizable as his own. He eventually moved to rural New York and set up an office, and home, at a premises that he and his family called “Dumbarton Farm”. He remained at the farm until his death in 1969.

Designing an Icon

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Designing an Icon

There can be no question that Rand, Beall, and Matter were of great importance to both Mid Century Modernism and the world of design.

Simplistic, recognizable, and clear, their work is still relevant today. An example of this is Rand’s IBM logo that remains unchanged and is still in use.

Like the listed designers, the Silo House utilizes their push towards simplified design. The shape of the house itself is the main factor here, as the outline of a grain silo is both uncomplicated and unmistakable. A simple, geometric shape, this house doesn’t pretend to be something it wasn’t designed to be; it’s a house that was made out of a silo, not a silo made into a house.

It’s a clear design that does not stray away from its original concept.

Kaiser also reworked the home’s effectiveness with his redesign. By reforming an unused silo to function more efficiently as a home, without 30 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

altering the actual form of the silo, he was applying the basic principle of design that Rand, Beall, and Matter all used which Louis Sullivan summed up when he stated the following: “Form follows function.”

Out of all the similarities to the designers, however, it was Kaiser’s motivation that helped him to create such a well designed home.

He didn’t go into the process expecting a groundbreaking design; Kaiser simply had a silo and knew he wanted to do something with it. As Rand promoted, Kaiser was not trying to be original, he was simply trying to be good. The originality of his design and the effectiveness of it followed suit, just as the designs of Rand, Beall, and Matter did in their own time.

Typography and Architecture

Type and Architecture A repurposed loft and its connection with two iconic mid century modern designers

Making the most of vertical space unleashes the potential of a petite San Francisco project.

Tasked with transforming a 93 square foot 1916 brick boiler room into a guesthouse, architect and metalworker Christi Azevedo flexed her creative muscle.

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Type and Architecture

Erik Nitsche

Erik Nitsche left an unmistakable mark on the world of design in his approximately 60 year career. Leaving almost no field untouched, Nitsche worked as an art director, book designer, illustrator, typographer, graphic designer, photographer, advertiser, and packaging designer.

Nitsche graphic design work included magazine covers, signage, film, exhibitions, posters and many other advertising mediums. Before emigrating to the United States in 1934 Nitsche studied at the College Classique in Switzerland and the Kunstgewerbeschule in Munich.

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His work has a distinctly modernist aesthetic and although he never had the opportunity to attend the Bauhaus Laszlo Moholy-Nagy has been quoted as saying, “Who is this guy that is doing the Bauhaus in New York?� He designed promotional and advertising campaigns for a host of different clients including department stores, feature films, record companies and the New York Transit Authority. Nitsche greatly influenced the young generation of designers in America in the mid-20th century including the legendary designers Walter Bernard and Seymour Chwast.

Type and Architecture

Bradbury Thompson

Thompson made his mark designing more than 60 issues of “Westvaco Inspirations” for the paper manufacturer.

Bradbury Thompson was truly a master of almost every aspect of the design profession.

He studied printing production, was an art director for Mademoiselle magazine, designed books, pushed the boundaries of conventional typography and taught design at Yale University. He designed 60+ issues of Westvaco Inspirations for the Westvaco Paper Corporation. His designs reached thousands of designers, printers and typographers.

Born in 1911 in Topeka, Kansas and educated at Washburn University Thompson stayed in touch with the university throughout his career.

From 1969-1979 Thompson worked together

with Washburn to create the Washburn Bible.

The book was the most significant development in Bible typography since Gutenberg first published his masterpiece in 1455. Another significant point in his career, in the field of typography, was his publication of Alphabet 26, which was labeled as a monoalphabet.

It contained only 26 unique characters, case was established by size only instead of entirely new characters (i.e. r/ R , e/ E , a /A).

Thompson’s work garnered him the highest award of every major design organization including AIGA, the Art Directors Club and the Type Directors Club. He died in 1995.

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Type and Architecture

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Type and Architecture

Erik Nitsche is perhaps most well known for his work with General Dynamics.

“I treated the interior like a custom piece of furniture,” said Architect Christi Azevedo.

She saw a chance to experiment with light, volume, and materials. The architect spent a year and a half designing and fabricating nearly everything in the structure save for the original brick walls. She raised the roof five feet and added a full kitchen, a bathroom, closets, and a sleeping loft, accessed via a steel ship’s ladder and a glass walkway.

structure, which rises to 17 feet in the tallest section. Visitors liken the interior to a tree house—an assessment that makes Azevedo proud. “We don’t want to lose the delight in architecture,” she says.

“When you step inside, you don’t feel like you’re in a small space,” says Azevedo, noting that the split-level design draws the eye up through the 37 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

Type and Architecture In lieu of adding standard-issue fronts to the upper cabinets, architect Christi Azevedo created sliding doors of sanded acrylic panels

A diagram clarifies the separation of space and the varying levels of privacy.

“The art of typography, like architecture, is concerned with beauty and utility in contemporary terms.”

Bradbury Thompson Bradbury Thompson once said, “The art of typography, like architecture, is concerned with beauty and utility in contemporary terms.”

When looking at Thompson and Nitsche’s work, it’s evident that they followed this idea.

They were brilliant designers with powerfully influential work who relied heavily on the visual language. This was particularly true for Nitsche, who used little text. For Thompson, however, he tied together typography, colors, and photography to create iconic imagery.

In a way, this house works off the same aspects.

The house is pieced together aesthetically, but what’s more, it’s made out of multiple building materials, such as brick, metal, and wood, similar to how Thompson used multiple versions of imagery to create his designs.

Like Nitsche’s designs, the house is also very complex. Built off of hundreds of interlocking bricks, the interior of the house has multiple 38 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

levels that almost seem to crisscross over themselves in line work that’s reminiscent of Nitsche. (In a way, the multiple layers apply to both designers, whose complex designs often featured many layers.)

Ultimately, the detailed construction and the layered depth of this tiny house are what truly connect it to the ideals of Nitsche and Thompson; built for both usability and aesthetic beauty, this little house more than makes up for what it lacks in size with its effective form and clear functionality.

Alternative Ideas

Alternative Ideas Brownjohn, Lois, and the O.G.L.E. tiny house

The tiny home craze is upon us, and for good reason: it makes sense to reduce our footprint and only use what we need. However, instead of using the term tiny we prefer to say building smaller to live bigger. We set out on a journey to build the best completely self-sustainable, shippable small dwelling, without compromising on design details or comfort. This O.G.L.E. (Off Grid Living Environment) house, has achieved these goals and more.

Alternative Ideas

To learn more about boxed haus’ visit boxedhaus.com 42 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

Alternative Ideas

“Building smaller to live bigger.�

Boxed Haus Company

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Alternative Ideas

Robert Brownjohn

Brownjohn was born to British parents in New Jersey and had a successful career in both America and Great Britain during the 1950s and 60s. He immediately showed promise as a young design student at the Institute of Design in Chicago, previously The New Bauhaus, where he studied closely with Laszlo MoholyNagy. His career ramped up to an early start when he formed the design firm BCG with Ivan Chermayeff and Thomas Geismar. However, that career came to an early end in 1959 with Brownjohn heading to London, the firm became Chermayeff & Geismar.

His career in London proved as successful as his early career in the US with his most notable contributions coming in the film industry. He also worked within several other industries, creating moving graphics for Pirelli and Midland bank and created the cover for the Rolling Stones album Let It Bleed.

A 240 page catalogue by Emily King that was produced for an exhibition detailing h is career entitled “Robert Brownjohn: Sex and Typography� held at the Design Museum in London was also published as a book of the same name. Sex and Typographydetails the adventures of Brownjohn through detailed information provided by friends and family as iwell as chronicling his career and the work that he produced.

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Alternative Ideas

George Lois “What I taught myself was that in any problem you get, you’ve got to come up with an innovative, brilliant, kind of unusual, stunning solution.”

W hile George Lois is one of the most successful creative advertisers of the 20th c ent u r ie s , he is qu ick to recognize h is upbringing. Born to a hard working Greek family, Lois grew up in the Bronx where he started working in his fathers flower shop at the age of 5. His early career brought him in contact with the CBS Advertising department, Sudler & Hennessy and Herb Lubalin and he would probably be the first person to admit that he owes them a debt of gratitude saying “People who don’t think they owe something to somebody are crazy.”. Wherever it is that he came from, he has lef t his mark on the advertising world through his successful work for Mtv, VH1, Esquire, ESPN, Tommy Hilfiger and USA Today.

In 1959 Lois began working at the advertising agency that would give birth to big idea thinking and the revolution of the advertising industry, Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB). Not a huge fan of the current state of the advertising world, he has proclaimed that advertising is an art and not a science and that only mediocre ideas need testing. While his career has afforded him many successes it is undoubtedly his covers for Esquire that are most recognized.

Throughout the 1960s and 70s Lois worked with editor Harold Hayes to create covers for the magazine that effectively represented some of the most notable ideas of their time.

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Alternative Ideas Lois drowns Andy Warhol in his own can of soup for a cover of Esquire.

The names Brownjohn and Lois are statements unto themselves, though their design work packs just as much of a punch as their names do. Unapologetic and somewhat controversial at times, these driven designers created impact-oriented designs that made viewers take a second look at the image before them.

Whether it was Brownjohn’s expressive use of typography or Lois shocking imagery, these designers knew how to turn heads. Naturally, so does our featured tiny house.

As Brownjohn and Lois did with letterforms and images, the architects behind this house took something ordinary with a standard function and turned it into a stunning tiny home. By using a shipping container and repurposing it into something that functions as a house, the architects were taking a preexisting idea and revamping it, which is similar to how Brownjohn reworked with type to turn letters into imagery.

It should be noted that this house is not iconic; there are plenty of tiny homes that utilize shipping containers as their base. However, this house stands alone, as Brownjohn and Lois did, because it utilizes those shipping containers effectively and innovatively. For example, most shipping container homes don’t keep the original swing-out doors or have a sloped roof (since shipping containers are known to be purely rectangular with no deviation); they are normally removed. This house, however, proudly shows how they can be an effective, useful part of the little home by featuring them swung wide open in the shown images.

All in all, for Brownjohn and Lois, creating an influential statement with their work, getting people to think not only about their designs but what’s happening beyond the designs into the world around them, is what made them successful designers. And for this house, breaking the stereotype of what a typical shipping container should look and function like only adds to its success.

This photograph by Brownjohn shows his experimental work with text on bodies 46 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

Mid-Century Modern Mindset

Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman $944.00 This Eames Lounge Chair and Ottomanalso known as Eames Style Lounge Chair replica is a quality reproduction of the iconic Charles and Ray Eames.

Shop Online: manhattanhomedesign.com

Bubble Lamp $295.00 The Bubble Lamp is a Mid Century Modern style lamp that provides an elegant flair to any living space with simple lines and a sleek shape.

Shop Online: hdwr.com

Wyatt Workspace Wall Mounted Desk $199.00 Easily optimize your space with our clean Wall Mounted Desk. Crafted with solid mango wood, this high quality desk can be folded up to leave ample room for activities when its not study time.

Shop Online: pbteen.com

$499.00 The Ceni armchair fuses classic, but modern, style with its neutral tone, plush seats, sleek track arms and clean lines. Its beautifully crafted wooden base enhances its strong and sturdy construction, while its detachable cushion seats, backrests and armrests allow you to snuggle up comfortably.

Shop Online: www.article.com

Fordham Mid-Century Modern End Table $107.18 Infuse some mid-century modern style into your home by simply adding the Fordham Mid-Century Modern End Table into the mix. This end table is made entirely from solid hardwood that is finished with walnut wood materials.

Shop Online: sleekmodernfurniture.com

Light Walnut 3 Drawer Writing Desk $242.00 Designed in a mid-century modern style, it features square tapered legs, concave drawer pull cut outs, and a light walnut finish. There’s plenty of clean surface space and three drawers that provide accessible storage.

Shop Online: colemanfurniture.com

Mid-Century Modern Mindset

Ceni Armchair

Mid-Century Modern Mindset

Brayden Studio Truett Queen Murphy Bed $1269.99 Save space while also adding distinctive style to your home with this must-have Murphy bed.Crafted of manufactured wood, it is finished with paper foil to give it a trend-setting textured look.

Shop Online: wayfair.com

Winter White Desk $183.75 Convenient fold-up design is ideal for small spaces.Corkboard, shelves and file storage to help you organize.

Shop Online: homedepot.com

AdessoÂŽ Adjustable Mid-Century Modern Table Lamp $59.99 Perfect for your bedroom or work space, the Adesso Mid-Century ModernTable Lamp boasts a charming blend of styles that complements your dĂŠcor. This lamp features an adjustable arm and shade that lets you focus the light exactly where you need it.

Shop Online: bedbathandbeyond.com

$144.25 Transform your bedroom into a midcentury sanctuary with the Dispatch Nightstand. Made of high grade MDF particleboard with wood grain veneer, Dispatch features two full-extension drawers with generous storage, polished metal knob handles, and four splayed dowel legs with non-marking foot caps.

Shop Online: lexmod.com

Nelson™ Triple Bubble Fixture Kit $195.00 This special fixture is designed to hold three Nelson Bubble Lamps® that are 19 inches in diameter or smaller. Use it to hang three different Bubble Lamp shapes for an eclectic look, or three identical shapes for an aesthetic that’s more streamlined.

Shop Online: dwr.com

Ascencio Ladder Bookshelf and Display Case $179.99 The Ascencio Ladder Bookshelf and Display Case is a modern piece with eye-catching White and Walnut finishes. Smooth shelves are supported by slim wooden side panels, creating a ladder effect. Open shelving makes for easy access storage or display.

Shop Online: target.com

Mid-Century Modern Mindset

Dispatch Nightstand in Walnut

Image Sources

cover hoteldaniel.com

page 14 hoteldaniel.com

page 29, top left remagazine.coop

page 1 loftcube.net

page 16, 18–19 humble-homes.com

page 29, top right atelierpictima.com

page 2 tinyhousegiantjourney.com

page 20, left nekrojar.wordpress.com

page 29, bottom herbertmatter.org

page 4 zionstar.net

page 20, center adcglobal.org

page 30 christophkaiser.com

page 6–9 honomobo.com

page 20, right en.wikipedia.org

page 31 zillow.com

page 10, upper left interactive.wttw.com

page 21, top pinterest.com

page 32 gessato.com

page 10, upper right shop.eamesoffice.com

page 21, bottom left library.rit.edu

page 34 iconofgraphics.com

page 10, lower left eamesoffice.com

page 21, bottom right illusion.scene360.com

page 35, center library.rit.edu

page 10 lower right metalocus.es

page 22 petrolicious.com

page 35, right alexanderwwhite.wordpress.com

page 11 vitra.com

page 23 klatmagazine.com

page 36 dwell.com

page 11 design-museum.de

page 24 tinyhouseliving.com

page 37 iconofgraphics.com

page 12, top honomobo.com

page 26–27 christophkaiser.com

page 38 archdaily.com

page 12, left cgarchitect.com

page 28, left moma.org

page 40–43 boxhaus.com

page 12, right vitra.com

page 28, center atelierpictima.com

page 44, left robertbrownjohn.com

page 13 honomobo.com

page 28, right aiga.org

page 44, center robertbrownjohn.com/featured-work

52 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

page 45, center stereoembersmagazine.com

page 51, middle dwr.com

page 45, upper right flickr.com

page 51, bottom target.com

page 46, upper right spd.org page 46, lower left robertbrownjohn.com/featured-work page 47 boxhaus.com page 48, top manhattanhomedesign.com page 48, middle dwr.com page 48, bottom pbteen.com page 49, top article.com page 49, middle sleekmodernfurniture.com page 49, bottom colemanfurniture.com page 50, top wayfair.com page 50, middle homedepot.com page 50, bottom bedbathandbeyond.com page 51, top lexmod.com

53 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

Copy Sources

page 7–8 honomobo.com

page 35 designishistory.com

page 50, bottom bedbathandbeyond.com

page 11 eamesoffice.com

page 37 dwell.com

page 51, top lexmod.com

page 15, 17 humble-homes.com

page 38 quote library.rit.edu

page 51, middle dwr.com

page 18 loftcube.net

page 41 dwellboxes.com

page 51, bottom target.com

page 20, left designishistory.com/1960/saul-bass/

page 43 boxedhaus.com

page 20, center designishistory.com/1940/alvin-lustig/

page 44 designishistory.com

page 20, right designishistory.com/1940/alex-steinweiss/

page 45 designishistory.com

page 25 zillow.com

page 48, top manhattanhomedesign.com

page 27 paragraphs 1–2: christophkaiser.com paragraph 3: zillow.com

page 48, middle dwr.com

page 28, left designishistory.com/1940/herbert-matter/ page 28, center designishistory.com/1960/paul-rand/ page 28, right designishistory.com/1940/lester-beall/ page 33 dwell.com page 34 designishistory.com

page 48, bottom pbteen.com page 49, top article.com page 49, middle sleekmodernfurniture.com page 49, bottom colemanfurniture.com page 50, top wayfair.com page 50, middle homedepot.com

54 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

Designer Credit Melanie Pretorius

Jayne Small

Bobbi Snyder

pages 14-23 pages 40-51

pages 2-13 pages 24-31

page 1 pages 32-39 pages 52-55

Concept

Concept

Concept

Research Typesetting Advertisement Design Editor

Research Copywriting Cover Design

Research Master File Image Management Technical Knowledge

Original Research for: Herbert Matter Saul Bass Alvin Lustig Erik Nitsche

Original Research for: Ray Eames Paul Rand George Lois Alex Steinweiss

Original Research for: Charles Eames Bradbury Thompson Robert Brownjohn Lester Beall

55 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

56 Dwell Special Issue Spring 2018

A home without boundaries.

Where will tiny houses take you?