Friday, September 18, 2009

When Mid-Century Modern was Green - A Climate-Wise House for the Missouri River Valley by Architect, David B. Runnells - Part 2


Name: A Climate-Wise House for the Missouri Valley - Stuart Williams Residence
Architect: David Benton Runnells
Year Designed: 1949-1950
Builder: Unknown
Year Built: 1950-1952
Size: Unknown
Location: South Kansas City, Missouri
Type: Residential
Style: Modern, Passive solar heating and cooling
Status: Good
Photographer: N/A
Illustrator: Unknown

Scanned from an article, "If You've Too Much Climate Try Climate Control" and "A Climate-Wise House for the Missouri River Valley" in the May 1950 issue of House Beautiful magazine.


2 comments:

Julie Williams said...

I've just found this site by accident!!!

My name is Julie Ryan (Williams) - my parents built this house at West 94th Street, and I remember it very well. It was a wonderful, comfortable home. We loved it, and my parents put their hearts and souls into it.

We owned all of the land to Wornall Road, which was a much smaller road then. The only thing across Wornall Road was the old Bales House where Mr. Bales' grandfather had been born and stuffed up the chimney during a raid in the Civil War. I have a picture of it from 94th Street.

The hobby room was where we had the television and often put up Christmas trees in there. We had a tornado warning one day when my father was at work and, after putting me and my brother on a mattress in the bathtub, my mother climed a ladder and nailed the clerstory windows shut with a steam iron! Better safe than sorry, I guess.

The north patio is where I used to cut out my paper dolls, and we spent some lovely summer days and evenings with friends on the terrace in front.

The view of the long driveway is nostalgic because every day I used to meet my father coming home from work at the end of the drive, sit in his lap and steer the car all the way to the house. My other means of transportation was my pony, Cameo Dandy, who regularly got out and we used to have to chase him down all over the neighbourhood.

robert said...

Julie: Thanks for your comments and memories of the house. We would love to talk to you more about the house. You can contact me by email by going to KCMODERN.com and going to the contacts page.

I assume that you are aware that the house is for sale. From what I hear there is a contract pending.

http://www.200west94th.com/