Lately I have been looking at Schindler’s later buildings. They (fig 1) are different from his earlier buildings (fig 2) that I have written about.1 The earlier houses, described by Schindler as Plaster Skin houses, are smooth masses with little detail and dynamic exteriors. His later homes, described by Schindler as Schindler Frame buildings, are thinner, with roof overhangs, exposed structure and intricate interiors. His later buildings can be more difficult to like and understand-particularly from the outside. They lack the dynamic, modern Plaster Skin exteriors. To some people they look strange, cobbled together, as if they were not even built by an architect at all. Continue reading Schindler Frame – Introduction, part 1 of 3→
NOTE I make my models to show designs, spaces and ideas. They are not intended to be photo realistic. The interiors of the Kaun House are all wood, stained yellow. Schindler’s stains are typically semi-transparent and allow the wood grain to show through. I chose not to show that grain in this model-it was distracting and unpleasant looking. So when you see the interiors, imagine that the flat yellow walls and ceilings have a faint wood texture showing through.
Schindler’s interiors are known for his sculptural cabinets. The Kaun House, all wood on the inside, is like being inside one large cabinet. The walls are covered with ¼” plywood, the ceiling is exposed wood beams and roof planks, the floor is wood. The only thing that isn’t wood is the plaster finished fireplace.
The most striking feature of the exteriors is the green roll roofing. It covers the roofs and wraps down in horizontal bands over all the walls-even the garage doors (Figure 1). The bottom edge of each band is installed over triangular wooden strips that angle the roofing out from the wall (Fig 2 with notes from CD’s). This creates ridges and shadow lines that further emphasize the horizontal. Schindler used this same system of horizontal bands of roofing on part of another home, the De Keyser House1, at about the same time. The roofing was a response to the extremely small budget of both houses 2.
Trying to understand Schindler’s later houses
Lately I have been looking at Schindler’s later buildings. They (fig 1) are different from his earlier buildings (fig 2) that I have written about.1 The earlier houses, described by Schindler as Plaster Skin houses, are smooth masses with little detail and dynamic exteriors. His later homes, described by Schindler as Schindler Frame buildings, are thinner, with roof overhangs, exposed structure 
and intricate interiors. His later buildings can be more difficult to like and understand-particularly from the outside. They lack the dynamic, modern Plaster Skin exteriors. To some people they look strange, cobbled together, as if they were not even built by an architect at all.
