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Alden B. Dow (b. April 10, 1904, Midland, Michigan – d. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Midland is a city in the US state of Michigan in Flint/Tri-Cities region of the state August 20, 1983) was an American architect; he was the son of Herbert Henry Dow (founder of the Dow Chemical Company) and Grace A. Dow. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction Herbert Henry Dow ( February 26, 1866 Belleville Ontario, Canada – October 15, 1930) was a Canadian born The Dow Chemical Company () is an American Multinational corporation headquartered in Midland Michigan. Grace A Dow (1869 – 1953 was an American Philanthropist who is best known as the wife of Herbert H

Dow is known for his prolific architectural design. His personal house in Midland, the Midland Center for the Arts, as well as the current building for the Grace A. Dow Library (named in honor of his mother) are examples of his work based in his hometown. The Grace A Dow Memorial Library is a Public library located at 1710 W St Andrews in Midland, Michigan, U

Contents

Biography

Education

Alden B. Dow attended the Midland Public Schools district, and following the custom of the day was sent to the University of Michigan to study engineering in preparation to enter his father's company. Midland Public Schools is a public School district located in Midland Michigan USA. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ( U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a top-ranked Coeducational public research After three years, Dow became a student of architecture at Columbia University, and graduated in 1931. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League.

Dow was married to Vada Bennett in 1931. Bennett, a daughter of Earl Bennett (an employee at the Dow Chemical Company), had three children with Dow: Michael Lloyd Dow, Mary Lloyd Dow, and Barbara Alden Dow.

After a year and a half of working with the architectural firm of Frantz and Spence in nearby Saginaw, Michigan, Alden and Vada studied with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin for the summer in 1933. Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8 1867 &ndash April 9 1959 was an American (of Welsh descent Architect, Interior designer, Writer, and educator who Taliesin /ˌtæliˈɛsɪn/ in Spring Green, Wisconsin, was the summer home of American Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Spring Green is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States.

Early Career

Following his apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright, Dow opened his own studio in 1934. Dow designed his office space himself, blending the surrounding environment with his architecture under the principles "honesty, humility and enthusiasm. "[1] In his early career, Dow concentrated on residential design using his signature style of Unit Block construction. [2] In this patented method, Dow designed using white unit blocks, which, though they appeared to be a cube, were actually six-sided rhombuses which gained strength as they were stacked together. [3]

Dow described his own philosophy of design as "Architecture is more than the front face of the building. It is the location of the building. It is the plan of the building. It is the construction of the building. It is the heating and cooling of the building. It is the furnishing of the building. It is the landscaping of the building. It is, in its entirety, the manifestation of wholesome living. "[3]

He received the Diplome de Grand Prix at that 1937 Paris International Exposition for best residential design in the world, partly for his own home and design studio and also for his work on the John Whitman residence. [4]

In 1941, Dow officially incorporated his business as Alden B. Dow, Inc. The following year, Dow was tasked with designing a town in Texas to house those who worked at his father's Dow Chemical Company's site near Freeport, Texas. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area and is situated in Southeast Texas. With his brother Willard and Dow Chemical Company executive A. P. Beutel, he chose a site west of Freeport that was formerly the site of the Abner Jackson Plantation. Dow designed the town, which they named Lake Jackson to hold 5,000 people. Lake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area. The layout was notable for its lack of straight streets; Dow felt that the winding roads would provide "something of a surprise around each turn. "[5] The streets were given whimsical names, including "This Way", "That Way" (which intersects This Way), and "Winding Way. " Dow also provided the six designs used to build houses within the newly created town. The first residents arrived at the end of 1943. [5]

Growth

The name was changed again in 1963 to Alden B. Dow Associates Inc. as the business grew and more people joined the firm. Dow designed the Fleming Administration Building at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, completed in 1968. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ( U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a top-ranked Coeducational public research Ann Arbor is a city in the US state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The building houses the offices of the University's president, and its narrow windows (all located above the first floor) and fortress-like exterior led to a campus rumor that it was designed in the wake of the student activism of the 1960s to be riot-proof. Dow denies these rumors, claiming the small windows were designed to be energy efficient. Dow was purportly offended by the rumor. [6]

As time passed, Dow began to delve into other areas of architecture, designing many commercial and community buildings, especially in and around his hometown of Midland, Michigan. [1] Dow relinquished the chairmanship of his company in 1974 to Jim Howell.

As the crowning achievement of his 50-year career, Dow was named the architect laureate of Michigan in 1983. Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. He died shortly after receiving that honor, on August 20, 1983. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) [4] That title has not been bestowed on anyone since Dow. The company name changed one final time after Dow's death. Alden Dow's company survived over six decades and is now known as Dow, Howell & Gilmore Associates Inc. [4] and is owned by its' employees.

Six years later, in 1989, Dow's home, with its internationally-recognized design, was designated a National Historic Landmark. [7]

Selected Works

Midland Center for the Arts
Midland Center for the Arts

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b History. Dow Howell Gilmore Associates Inc. . Retrieved on 2007-04-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop
  2. ^ Alden B. Dow Home & Studio-Unit Block systems
  3. ^ a b Brandt, Sheena. A Student's Visit to the House. Delta College. Retrieved on 2007-04-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop
  4. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named dghistory
  5. ^ a b History of Texas Operations. The Dow Chemical Company. Retrieved on 2007-04-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop
  6. ^ Holmes, Jake (April 6, 2007). Explained: Coleman's Castle (English). The Michigan Daily. Retrieved on 2007-04-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop
  7. ^ Alden B. Dow House and Studio. State of Michigan History, Arts and Libraries. Retrieved on 2007-04-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop

External links

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