Alden B. Dow
Encyclopedia
Alden B. Dow was an American architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

; he was the son of Herbert Henry Dow
Herbert Henry Dow
Herbert Henry Dow was a Canadian born, American chemical industrialist. He is a graduate of Case School of Applied Science in Cleveland, Ohio. His most significant achievement was the founding of the Dow Chemical Company in 1897...

 (founder of the Dow Chemical Company
Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...

) and Grace A. Dow
Grace A. Dow
Grace A. Dow was an American philanthropist who is best known as the wife of Herbert H. Dow, and mother of architect Alden B. Dow.- Personal :...

. 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.

Education

Alden B. Dow attended the Midland Public Schools
Midland Public Schools
Midland Public Schools is a public school district located in Midland, Michigan, USA.-History:The roots of Midland Public Schools go back to the 1872 Union High School, which educated local students until a boiler explosion destroyed the building in 1907. A new school was constructed the following...

 district, and following the custom of the day was sent to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 to study engineering in preparation to enter his father's company. After three years, Dow became a student of architecture at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

, and graduated in 1931.

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
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...

, Alden and Vada studied with Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...

 at Taliesin
Taliesin (studio)
Taliesin , near Spring Green, Wisconsin, was the summer home of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright began the building in 1911 after leaving his first wife, Catherine Tobin, and his Oak Park, Illinois, home and studio in 1909. The impetus behind Wright's departure was his affair with...

 in Spring Green, Wisconsin
Spring Green, Wisconsin
Spring Green is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,444 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Spring Green.-Geography:Spring Green is located at ....

 for the summer in 1933.

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." In his early career, Dow concentrated on residential design using his signature style of Unit Block construction. 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.

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."

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.

In 1941, Dow officially incorporated his business as Alden B. Dow, Inc. The following year, Dow was tasked with designing a town in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 to house those who worked at his father's Dow Chemical Company's site near Freeport, Texas
Freeport, Texas
Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and is situated in Southeast Texas. As of the 2000 U.S...

. 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
Lake Jackson, Texas
Lake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 27,614....

 to hold 5,000 people. 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." 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.

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
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 in Ann Arbor, completed in 1968. 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.

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. 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
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 in 1983. He died shortly after receiving that honor, on August 20, 1983. 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. 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.

Selected works

  • Harry and Margaret Towsley House, Ann Arbor, Michigan
    Ann Arbor, Michigan
    Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...

    , 1932 Built for Dow's sister and her husband. It was the "first residence in the country designed with an attached garage facing the street."
  • John Whitman House, (Midland, Michigan
    Midland, Michigan
    Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....

    ) 1934 (see the "Awards" section of article)
  • Dow Chemical Company Administrative Building (Midland, Michigan) 1937
  • Alden Dow House and Studio
    Alden Dow House and Studio
    Alden B. Dow House and Studio, also known as Alden B. Dow Home & Studio, in Midland, Michigan, was the house and studio that were the residence and acknowledged masterpiece of 20th century architect Alden B. Dow...

    , a National Historic Landmark
    National Historic Landmark
    A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

     (Midland, Michigan) 1939-40
  • MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland
    MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland
    MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland is a 250-bed, non-profit hospital in Midland, Michigan. It is a member of the MidMichigan Health System.-History:...

     (Midland Hospital), built around a courtyard garden. (Midland, Michigan) 1943
  • Grace A. Dow Memorial Library
    Grace A. Dow Memorial Library
    The Grace A. Dow Memorial Library is a public library located at 1710 W St Andrews in Midland, Michigan, U.S.A. The library serves Midland County, and is named after the wife of Herbert Henry Dow , Grace A. Dow. The building is adjacent to both the Midland Center for the Arts and Dow Gardens...

     (Midland, Michigan) 1953
  • Phoenix Civic Center and Art Museum
    Phoenix art museum
    The Phoenix Art Museum is the Southwest United States' largest art museum for visual art. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the museum is . It displays international exhibitions alongside its comprehensive collection of more than 18,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western...

    , (Phoenix, Arizona
    Phoenix, Arizona
    Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

    ), with Blaine Drake  1954
  • Ann Arbor Library (Ann Arbor, Michigan) 1956
  • Ann Arbor Community Center (Ann Arbor, Michigan) 1958
  • Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 1960, East Lansing, Michigan
    East Lansing, Michigan
    East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...

      1959
  • Ann Arbor City Hall (Ann Arbor, Michigan) 1961
  • Henry McMorran Auditorium and Sports Arena
    McMorran Place
    McMorran Place is an entertainment complex in Port Huron, Michigan consisting of a 4,800-seat multi-purpose arena, a pavilion and a theater. It was designed by Alden Dow and built in 1960 for $3.5 million .- Sports :...

     (Port Huron, Michigan
    Port Huron, Michigan
    Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...

    ) 1961
  • Kalamazoo Nature Center (Kalamazoo, Michigan
    Kalamazoo, Michigan
    The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...

    ) 1963
  • University Microfilms Building (Ann Arbor, Michigan) 1965
  • Muskegon Community College
    Muskegon Community College
    Muskegon Community College is a community college in Muskegon, Michigan. Providing service to the lakeshore region of West Michigan, MCC is located near the shores of Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan...

    , (Muskegon, Michigan
    Muskegon, Michigan
    Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...

    ) 1965
  • Fleming Administration Building (Ann Arbor, Michigan) 1966
  • Greenhills School
    Greenhills School
    Greenhills School is an independent college preparatory school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.-Awards and recognition:Greenhills Upper School was recognized as one of six national Intel Schools of Distinction in 2007 for excellence as one of the nation's top schools for science...

     (Ann Arbor, Michigan) 1967
  • Midland Center for the Arts (Midland, Michigan) 1968
  • Chemical Bank and Trust Company (Midland, Michigan)
  • Dow Center Complex (Midland, Michigan)

Awards

  • Diplome de Grand Prix at the Paris Exposition of 1937 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
  • Received honorary degrees from Albion College
    Albion College
    Albion College is a private liberal arts college located in Albion, Michigan. Related to the United Methodist Church, it was founded in 1835 and was the first private college in Michigan to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It has a student population of about 1500.The school's sports teams are...

    , Hillsdale College
    Hillsdale College
    Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...

    , Michigan State University
    Michigan State University
    Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...

    , Northwood University
    Northwood University
    Northwood University is a private university with multiple locations. The school has four residential campuses: Midland, Michigan , Cedar Hill, Texas , West Palm Beach, Florida and a joint program with Hotel Institute Montreux in Montreux, Switzerland, began in 2001...

     and the University of Michigan
    University of Michigan
    The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

    .
  • In 1957 became a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects
    American Institute of Architects
    The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...

     (AIA).
  • Awarded The Michigan Society of Architects Gold Medal for 1960.
  • The Northwood University
    Northwood University
    Northwood University is a private university with multiple locations. The school has four residential campuses: Midland, Michigan , Cedar Hill, Texas , West Palm Beach, Florida and a joint program with Hotel Institute Montreux in Montreux, Switzerland, began in 2001...

     Alden B. Dow Creativity Center was founded in 1978 to honor and perpetuate his commitment to quality and innovation.
  • First recipient of the Frank Lloyd Wright Creativity Award in 1982.
  • In 1983 named Architect Laureate
    Laureate
    In English, the word laureate has come to signify eminence or association with literary or military glory. It is also used for winners of the Nobel Prize.-History:...

     of his home state of Michigan
    Michigan
    Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

    .
  • The Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art in Midland, Michigan is named in his honor.

Further reading


External links

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