A Brilliant, But Lesser Known, Designer

I’ve been a Norman Carver fan-boy ever since the Fine Homebuilding profile of him decades ago.  This video reminds me to dig out that back issue and reread it for inspiration.  At the time I also bought the Carver book on Japanese folk houses.  My fascination with Japanese carpentry and design almost got me in trouble at work when I did an online search for “Minka” vernacular architecture.  (“Minka” architecture is characterized by massive steep thatched roofs on Japanese farmhouses.  Minka is also the stage name of a, uh, “model.”  I still remember the heat on my face when a gallery of her “performances” popped up on my screen.)

A colleague of mine at SI knew a lot about Carver and his houses, and if I recall correctly had some relatives who owned a Carver house.  I should probably plan a trip to Kalamazoo some time to see any that are open to the public.