Anyone who has had a home built could probably sympathize with George. He had to deal with architectural
and construction conflicts, and cost overruns and delays that constantly bumped
his move-in date. His vacation residence took six years and $10 million to
complete.
Of course, that’s $10 million in late-19th-century dollars
(with a value about 10 times that today) and the 175,000-square-foot house that
George—George Washington Vanderbilt II—had constructed in Asheville, N.C., is
now known as the Biltmore Estate. The mansion was recently selected in a public
poll as part of America’s Favorite Architecture, a project central to the 150th
anniversary celebration of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
 Illustration by Michael Austin. (Click image to enlarge)
"What I find interesting is that among the 150 structures
selected in the poll, many of them are homes, specifically vacation or summer
homes," says RK Stewart, president of the AIA and a principal with Gensler
Architecture in San Francisco. "I think it shows how people think about ‘the
good life’ as it was in the past and now. It shows what people aspire to."
Other second homes on the list are Hearst Castle, the palatial
estate on a hill between San Francisco and Los Angeles, built mostly by
architect Julia Morgan in a variety of European architectural styles; the Gamble
house in Pasadena, Calif., an Arts and Crafts home by Greene & Greene;
Fallingwater, the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Kaufmann house, built over
a waterfall in western Pennsylvania; and Richard Meier’s stark, white,
modern Douglas house in Harbor Springs, Mich.
"The styles are all over the place, which shows that there are
many different types of architecture that are distinctly ‘American,’" says
Stewart. "From the tradition of the Biltmore Estate to the modernism of the
Douglas House, people respond to great design, no matter what type it is."
Stewart sees some of the favorites as reflecting a trend in
residential architecture. "When you look at the Kaufmann house or some of the
other designs, I think it shows a real appreciation for architecture that fits
into an environment," he explains. "People are more concerned about sustainable
design and climate change, and we’re starting to see how we can change the way
we inhabit our homes."
The AIA has an arrangement with Google Earth, whereby the 150
chosen structures, which include the Golden Gate Bridge, the Empire State
Building and Monticello, can be viewed on-line. "Architecture is all about the
experience," adds Stewart. "Hopefully this list will get people out to
appreciate the buildings around us."
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