Harold Goldman House

Harold Goldman House

Harold Goldman was introduced to Neutra and Alexander when the firm designed a library and dormitories for Simpson College where he was a trustee. Goldman subsequently commissioned the firm to design his home in nearby Des Moines, Iowa. Although not vast in its square footage, the house has a more imposing and dignified presence ideal for a university patron in its horizontal gestures and bold lines. Lines and planes are carefully placed to overlap with one another and interact with the site in surprising ways, as can be seen from the street facade. For example, a beam from the garage’s roof extends to meet the walkway roof that runs perpendicularly to it. This beam not only offers an additional support for the walkway’s overhang, but it also substantially lowers its height of the ceiling at a particular moment as if to compress the space between the roof and visitors as they process toward the front door. The materials, including glass, vertical board-and-batt sheathing, and horizontally laid craggy blond fieldstone extend indoors and out. The L-shaped footprint contains a floorplan that is undomestic and almost formal in nature, lending itself to entertaining groups including academic crowds. Yet the open plan also reflects increasingly informal layouts of the 1960s and makes space for Goldman’s family, including his three growing sons, with two bedrooms at one end of the L near the kitchen, bar, and family room. The master bedroom at the opposing end neighbors the library and offers privacy and sanctuary.

Adapted from Neutra – Complete Works by Barbara Lamprecht (Taschen, 2000), p. 413.