Since moving into and renovating our own mid-century modern home over seven years ago (the renovation continues…), we have come to appreciate those within the Atlanta modern community.  They have given us direction on everything from the proper building materials to use to information on the pioneering modern architects in our area.  Of course, one cannot begin to research the modern history of Atlanta without coming across the name of Robert Green.

Robert Green was originally from Savannah, Georgia and moved to Atlanta when he was fourteen years old.  He began studying at Georgia Tech when he was seventeen knowing nothing about architecture. In the library of the School of Architecture Robert discovered books containing pictures of the buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright.  They were a revelation to him: houses low, long, tying into the ground, beautiful in proportion, fascinating in plan and space.

During that period of time at Georgia Tech, the favorite of the styles among the professors were the glass buildings of Mies van de Rohe. The professors tended to force the students into copying his stark, modern buildings.  Robert however, liked the naturalness of Mr Wright’s designs better.  After two years at Tech, he joined the U.S. Marines to both satisfy his two-year requirement, and to get the G.I. Bill, which would allow him to attend college where he wanted: California.

After the Marines, Robert attended the University of California in Berkeley only to find that the professors there were no more open-minded than those at Georgia Tech.   Feeling frustrated, he returned to San Francisco for a few months where he had a job and a girlfriend.  He realized if he didn’t leave he would never realize his dream of becoming an architect so, he returned to Georgia Tech for one year before he decided to quit permanently.

Robert returned to California where he discovered that his favorite Georgia Tech professor had also moved to California and had been made the head of Architecture at the University of Southern California, in L.A.  On his way to Los Angeles, Robert ventured to  Scottsdale first and learned that Frank Lloyd Wright would allow students to use the G.I. Bill, if they applied and were accepted to study with him.  When Robert later arrived at L.A. he wrote a nice long, heartfelt letter to Mr Wright explaining how he wanted to study with him.

Three weeks and no answer.

He wrote another letter.  Again no answer.

Finally, Robert wrote a short, nasty letter saying, “..at least you should show me the common courtesy to answer my letter…” and sent along drawings of the only building he had designed while attending Tech.  A week later he received an application form, and an appointment to meet with Mr Wright at Taliesin West in Arizona.

Arriving at Taliesin West, Robert was instructed to wait outside of the office, because Mr Wright was in the theater.  Frank Lloyd Wright came into sight, and he saw Robert about the same time he spied him.  Wright was speaking to a man and Robert stared at him–he was about thirty feet away–and he kept looking back at Robert.  The man left and Robert resolutely approached Mr Wright, sticking his hand out and saying, “Mr Wright, I’m Robert Green, I came to study with you,” figuring the short, direct method had gotten him that far, so why not continue.  He was all of twenty-three years old.

Mr. Wright chuckled and then said, “Well, Robert, do you want to live out here in the desert where it’s cold at night and hot in the day?  Amongst the snakes and things?”

“Yes sir,” Robert replied.

“We have taken on several new apprentices recently, and I don’t know if we have room for you.”  All the time looking straight into Robert’s eyes.

Not missing a beat, he responded, “Mr. Wright, I’ll sleep in my car if I have too.”

Wright laughed, and then said, “Well, we won’t make you do that.” Then he looked to his right at a high hill behind the camp and said,  “You know, we had snow on that hill last night.  The first time I’ve ever seen that here.”  And then they spoke of the weather for the next minute or two.  Finally, he said, “Robert, you go down to the office there and see Gene Masselink.  Tell him I said to get you fixed up with everything you’ll need.”

And that was Robert Green’s acceptance by Frank Lloyd Wright.

After Mr. Wright’s death, Mr. Green returned to Atlanta, and for many years designed beautiful and fascinating buildings in the Wright style which only someone who studied with Mr. Wright would be able to do.  Mr. Green’s works included many custom homes – from 800 square feet to 15,000 square feet and costing from $100,000 to several million dollars – office buildings, apartments and condos, churches, warehouses and other commercial buildings.  Some of his work is featured below.

It is because of his talent and training with Mr. Wright, that Robert Green was able to build such beauty into his buildings, that he could boast that homes he designed often quadruple in value from the time of construction. And even with all the work drawing, detailing, and on-site inspection of construction, his fees were only approximately what real-estate sales agents received to sell a comparable sized house.  He absolutely deserves the status of local icon and it is thrilling to know my love of modern design in the south is shared with such an amazing individual.

Related posts:

1. Concourse E – Atlanta Going Green
2. Threatened Atlanta Architecture Presented at International Conference
3. Wright in Florida

In 1938, then president Dr. Ludd Spivey contacted Wright via telegram that read, “Desire conference with you concerning plans for a great education temple in Florida.”  I love that terminology too – “education temple”.  Wright has been equated by some to the status of prophet because he had the ability to literally see over 10 to 20 years into the future when it came to his designs.  He absolutely accepted the challenge issued by Dr. Spivey and  designed a complex of 18 buildings built around a central fountain and connected by a network of covered walkways.

Wright was given an honorary doctorate by Florida Southern in 1950 and while on the campus to receive the same, he said the college represented what he called a new type of American “organic” architecture.  He went on to call it, “a little green shoot in the realm of the spirit – something that is true to itself, something that is true to mankind, something that insists upon integrity.”  Again, given the year, Wright was some 60 years ahead of all the “going green” builders of our modern day.

The Wright-designed buildings on campus were named to the World Monument Fund’s 100 most endangered sites in 2007. Funded by several grants, ongoing restoration projects are giving visitors a glimpse of the famed architect’s original vision, and tours are available as well.

Luckily for us, the Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay, Jr., Archives Center at FSC has launched two major digital collections related to the work of Wright.  The “Child of the Sun: Florida Southern College Digital Photograph Collection” comprises hundreds of vintage images from the 1930s to the 1950s, including seldom-seen photographs of the campus construction. “The Southern: Florida Southern College’s Student Newspaper Collection” represents the beginning of a keyword-searchable database of student newspapers that chronicle the history of the Wright project and other campus events. Both collections are accessible at http://archives.flsouthern.edu/cdm4/about.php

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1. FLORIDA: NMS Fellows Get Together
2. The Conservatory: Florida’s First LEED Platinum Building