House and Spiritual Retrat for Mary LaMar

1993 to 1995

Lake Tomahawk, WI, U.S.A.

Residential, Designed , Not built

Client:

Mrs. Mary LaMar and Mr. Michael Price

C.E.S. staff:

Christopher Alexander, Randall Schmidt, James Maguire

Project stages:

Preliminary Design

Contents

Correspondence

LaMar-Price House: Transmitting enclosed electronic drawing file labeled "Lamar.dwg"; drawing not included 17/08/1993

Design Matters, Subcontracting Services

Sender:

Gerald B. Inman, Inman-Foltz and Associates, Minocqua, WI, U.S.A.

Recipient:

James Maguire, Center for Environmental Structure , Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Transmitting mylar drawing of topographic survey; drawing not included 18/08/1993

Design Matters, Subcontracting Services

Sender:

Gerald B. Inman, Inman-Foltz and Associates, Minocqua, WI, U.S.A.

Recipient:

James Maguire, Center for Environmental Structure , Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Proposal for surveying services and request for signing contract 30/07/1993

Design Matters, Subcontracting Services

Sender:

Gerald B. Inman, Inman-Foltz and Associates, Minocqua, WI, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Re: Project sketches, explaining to client the purpose of the previously faxed conceptual layouts 29/09/1993

Design Matters, Layout Process on Site

Sender:

James Maguire, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Transmitting enclosed photos of 1/2" scale model of preliminary design 12/11/1993

Design Matters, Transmittal

Sender:

James Maguire, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Note
LaMar-Price House: Refers to an enclosed note for "Mary and Mike" that needs to "get to them as soon as possible;" enclosed note not found 23/03/1994

Design Matters

Sender:

James Maguire, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Chuck Gintz, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Proposal to meet in person with the client, while providing information on working progress and on attached unpaid invoice 23/03/1994

Progress of Works

Sender:

Gary Black, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Referring to two versions of preliminary construction budget, attached to the letter One version is the "basic" version and the other is a "Full version. both dated 2/21/1994 22/02/1994

Financial, Cost Estimate

Sender:

James Maguire, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Handwritten note to Christopher Alexander referring to sketches and asking his feedback on house layout adjustments made on site, regarding details of house volumes position; includes two drawings 19/08/1994

Design Matters, Layout Process on Site

Sender:

Randall Schmidt, Center for Environmental Structure, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Christopher Alexander, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Handwritten note to Christopher Alexander referring to site plan adjustments and clients' initial reaction to the new building new stake out 16/09/1994

Design Matters, Layout Process on Site

Sender:

Randall Schmidt, Center for Environmental Structure, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Christopher Alexander, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Handwritten note to Christopher Alexander with marked up photographs showing staked out areas for building placement, and building details drawn on them 17/09/1994

Design Matters, Layout Process on Site

Sender:

Randall Schmidt, Center for Environmental Structure, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Christopher Alexander, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Unsigned letter discussing the change of the construction manager, the clients construction process doubts and the importance of their trust for the sucess of the project 19/09/1994

Construction Works, Construction Process

Sender:

Christopher Alexander, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter Draft
LaMar-Price House: Unsigned letter regarding a new construction manager suggested, and reference to unpaid invoice 22/09/1994

Administrative, Notification

Sender:

Christopher Alexander, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Regarding the organization of the construction process for the cottage on Tomahawk Lake and role of C.E.S. as construction managers; C.E.S. responsibility for subcontractors; details for payment and accounting procedures; included is a draft of the letter 06/09/1994

Construction Works, Construction Process

Sender:

Randall Schmidt, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter Draft
LaMar-Price House: Transmitting a set of prints for client's review 05/07/1994

Design Matters, Transmittal

Sender:

Randall Schmidt, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Refers to the new California address where the IRS Form-1099 should be sent by Randall Schmidt 07/01/1995

Financial, Notification

Sender:

Martin T. Dare, Taipei, Taiwan

Recipient:

Randall Schmidt, Center for Environmental Structure , Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Proposal to appropriate the remaining balance in job account for compensation to his loss due to abrupt dismissal from the project 15/09/1995

Financial, Request for Feedback

Sender:

Randall Schmidt, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Refusal of Randall's proposition to appropriate the remaining balance in job account for compensation and request to return the checkbook and statements 05/10/1995

Financial, Response to Request

Sender:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Randall Schmidt, Center for Environmental Structure , Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Lake Tomahawk House - Termination Invoice; reference to Article 6 of contract agreement and request to reimburse Randall Schmidt's loss of income; analysis of "Balance Owed" is attached 16/02/1996

Contractual, Termination of Contract

Sender:

Christopher Alexander, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter
LaMar-Price House: Unsigned draft letter, refers to the temporary halting of the construction process of the Lake Tomahawk House and need for reimbursement for work to date 16/02/1996

Contractual, Termination of Contract

Sender:

Christopher Alexander, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Recipient:

Michael Price, Mary LaMar, Madison, WI, U.S.A.

Medium:

Letter Draft

SEE ALL Correspondence

Drawings

SEE ALL Drawings

Reports

Records

SEE ALL Records

Photographs

SEE ALL Photographs

References

Scientific Research

The Layout Process of Buildings on the Land - Visualization at Full Scale on Site

Areas of focus:

Design and Building Process

Guiding idea:

Step by Step Process

Each act of building needs to have a positive effect on its surroundings; to complete them, preserve their structure, make them better, by creating strong centers in them and next to them. Each new building is more alive when it ...