Rudolph M. Schindlers Unbuilt Architecture - Design Theory, Languages and Methods Toward Space Making

This book explores Rudolph M. Schindler's design theory, architectural language, and methods, with a focus on his unbuilt projects. Drawing from his lecture notes, manuscripts, and drawings, it offers fresh insights into Schindler's legacy, emphasizing how his work diverged from mainstream modernism and deserves greater recognition in modern architectural history.
The first part investigates Schindler's theoretical and methodical foundations, including his concept of "space architecture" and "Reference Frames in Space"- three-dimensional tools for shaping form and proportion. Using archival materials, it traces the development and evolution of his ideas within broader historical and theoretical contexts. The second part presents detailed analyses of over a dozen unbuilt projects, reconstructed through drawings and models. These case studies reveal Schindler's design theory and methods in practice and provide a deeper understanding of his creative process and influence on modern architecture.
This book will appeal to architectural scholars, students, and practitioners interested in early modernism and Californian Modernism. It also speaks to institutions, libraries, and enthusiasts of Rudolph M. Schindler's work. With global interest in Schindler's legacy, the book offers valuable insights for both academic and general audiences passionate about his unique architectural vision.

List of contents

List of figures
List of tables
List of abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1: R. M. Schindler's design theory, languages, and methods
Ch. 1 Theoretic foundations of space making
Ch. 2 Framing of space: sources and influences
Part 2: Selected unbuilt works
Ch. 3 New lights on the Workmen's Colony of the Monolith Home (1919)
Ch. 4 Bergen Branch Library competition (1920): Unpremiated submission with the winning scheme
Ch. 5 Translucent House for Aline Barnsdall, Palos Verdes Estates (1927-1928)
Ch. 6 Braxton-Shore Beach House (1930): Departure from the 1920s
Ch. 7 Projected in and out in the Oliver House (1931)
Ch. 8 Locke House (1933): Directed rooms with L-shaped surfaces
Ch. 9 Schindler Shelters (1933-1942): Composition and construction for low-cost housing units and incremental clustering
Ch. 10 Full-blown rhythmic forms in the Shep House (1934-38)
Ch. 11 Curvilinear form in the Warshaw House (1936)
Ch. 12 Toward nonorthogonal space forms in the Timme House (1938)
Ch. 13 "Space Development" (1945) and its subsequent applications for the Braden House and the Schick House (1945) with the Schindler Frame
Ch. 14 Tilted box form in the Elmer House (1951-1952)
Conclusion
Index

About the author

Jin-Ho Park is a Professor of Architecture at Inha University in South Korea, where he teaches architectural design, theory, and history. Prior to his appointment at Inha University, he was a tenured Associate Professor at the School of Architecture, University of Hawaii at Manoa, U.S.A. He holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His recent publications include Pavilions for Giving (2025) and Architectural and Urban Subsymmetries (2022).

Product details

• Authors: Jin-Ho Park, Park Jin-Ho
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 17.11.2025
• EAN: 9781041104681
• ISBN: 978-1-0-4110468-1
• No. of pages: 272
• Series: Routledge Research in Architecture
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Architecture; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Technology > Structural and environmental engineering; ARCHITECTURE / Design, Drafting, Drawing & Presentation, ARCHITECTURE / General, ARCHITECTURE / History / Modern (late 19th Century to 1945), ARCHITECTURE / Individual Architects & Firms / Monographs, History of Architecture, Civil engineering, surveying & building, Individual architects and architectural firms, Theory of architecture, Civil engineering, surveying and building