American School team members Angela Person and Stephanie Pilat recently had the opportunity to tour Bruce Goff’s Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House in Aurora, Illinois.
Completed in 1950, the Ford House is owned by Sidney K. Robinson, who graciously hosted Person and Pilat. It was first introduced to the American public in a 1951 Life magazine article entitled “The Round House,” which included six pages of color photographs.
Angela Person with Sidney Robinson, the owner of the Ford House.
In 2023, the house became a National Historic Landmark because of its unique architecture, which features Quonset hut ribs arranged in the shape of dome. Most of the dome is covered with shingles, but the southeast side is left open to create outdoor rooms. There are two smaller domes attached to the south and northeast sides of the main dome, which are used for bedrooms. Intricate rope patterns cover portions of the ceiling.
The interior of the Ford house.
According to Person, “The home is a stunning example of Goff’s resourcefulness, repurposing everyday objects to create a magical set of spaces unlike anything seen before.” She continued, “The way Goff blurs inside and outside, particularly with the plantings and the visible structure, is masterful.”
Robinson has lived in the Ford house since 1986. He is an author, architect, and emeritus educator at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Taliesin. His articles and books include Architecture of Alden B. Dow, Life Imitates Architecture: Taliesin and Alden Dow’s Studio, and Inquiry into the Picturesque.
Gibbs College of Architecture is proud to recognize Petya Stefanoff, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Planning, Design & Construction (PDC) program, has been appointed the new role of Director of Community Development for the City of Shawnee, Oklahoma. She joined the city in 2024.
Gibbs College of Architecture is pleased to announce that Amber N. Wiley, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Planning, Landscape Architecture and Design and director of the Institute for Quality Communities, has received national recognition for her book Model Schools in the Model City. The book has been named a finalist for the 2026 the PROSE Awards.
Gibbs College of Architecture Regional + City Planning Professor of Practice Vanessa Morrison and Associate Professor of Architecture Deborah Richards’ Open Design Collective received top honors at the inaugural BlackSpace Urbanist Collective Studio KIN Pitch Night Competition, held last month in Brooklyn, New York City.
