Hunton House a visual catalog
Maddie Bean
Hunton House
a visual catalog
Hunton House was built in 1914 for Eppa and Virginia Hunton. The architecture firm of Noland and Baskervill designed a house in the American Renaissance style, with a floor plan that echoes a 19th century Italianate townhouse, while the interior decoration reveals influences from the Aesthetic movement \ (Carter, 2005).
Today, Hunton House is part of VCU’s psychology department and home to the Clark-Hill Insitute for Positive Youth Development. Although it was renovated in 1946 and again in the 1970s, many features from the original interior are still intact. This catalog explores a range of visual elements from the foyer of the Hunton House as a means to interrogate the perceived level of care and upkeep that this building receives, and to highlight the interesting juxtaposition between old and new in this space. Each element has been broken down into its simplified composite shapes as a way to explore the basic forms that make up the foyer.
The final section of this catalog explores the potential of design interventions to change how a person interacts with a space and understands its history. An intervention is proposed that uses the basic forms and shapes of Hunton House to investigate the significance of stewardship, care, and function in a historical building.
How do you know that a building is cared for?
How do you show that a building is cared for?
810 W. Franklin St.
design influences
historical context &
American
Renaissance (1976-1917)
During the American Renaissance, the country sought to develop a new, more sophisticated architectural expression to match America’s growing national dignity. Because America viewed itself as the heir of Western civilization and its cultural traditions, architecture in this style prioritized a sense of order, restraint, discipline, and harmony based on classical principles. William Noland (of Noland & Baskervill) was a classicist who used classical elements such as columns and sumptuous decorative elements in nearly all of his buildings, including Hunton House (Novelli, 2017). Many of these design influences are still apparent in Hunton House’s foyer, including its ordered pilasters, grand proportions, and dentil molding.
“all great art borrows from the past”
Aesthetic Movement
Though the interior architectural detailing of Hunton House featured the classically inspired trends of the American Renaissance, this home was originally decorated in an aesthetic style, a movement spanning the mid-to-late 19th and early 20th centuries that prioritized art in everyday objects. The Aesthetic Movement was based on the ideas that beauty was the most important thing in life and that art could be made and admired simply because it was beautiful and not because it fulfilled any moral or narrative function (Easby, n.d.). Although Hunton House has changed significantly since it was first built and decorated, the influence of the Aesthetic Movement can still be felt, including in the abundance of surface pattern (as seen in the carved mahogany staircase and parquet wood floors), the use of Asian motifs (the frame of the door at the back of the foyer), and the mixing of decorative styles (Carter, 2005).
“art for art’s sake”
view of foyer from front door
view of foyer towards front door
Hunton House foyer - NTS = scope of project
1. wrought iron door grille 2. brass door handle
Doric order pilaster 4. dentil crown molding
5. decorative molding with switch
6. carved mahogany newel post
7. carved mahogany balustrades
8. parquet wood flooring
9. vinyl floor tiles
10. contemporary light switch
11. double bullnose steps
12. artificial ficus trees
13. brass air vent cover 14. cast iron radiators 15. patched plumbing fixtures
16. Japanese-inspired door frame
1. wrought iron door grille
materiality
location
outer front door of Hunton House
wrought iron age, condition, and function original to the house appears to be in good condition due to durability of the material indicates the status/identity of the original owner and the historicity of the building
composite shapes
2. brass door handle
materiality
brass metal
location front door of Hunton House
age, condition, and function possibly original to the house
showing lots of wear, with scratches and patina throughout; missing dead bolt but functional means to open the door and enter/exit the building
composite shapes
3. Doric order pilasters
materiality
stained mahogany wood
location
methodically spaced throughout the foyer
age, condition, and function
original to the house
most of these pilasters are in good condition, though the stain is cracking and scratched in places lends a sense of grandiosity to the foyer; the dark wood feels imposing; delineates the wall space
composite shapes
4. dentil crown molding
materiality
stained mahogany wood; appears almost black when viewed from the ground level
composite shapes location lines the foyer
age, condition, and function original to the house appears to be in good condition provides the space with an orderly, classical, and slightly severe feel
5. decorative molding
materiality
white painted wood
location placed methodically throughout the foyer
age, condition, and function original to the house
mostly in good condition, with some chips in the pain some frame an electrical switch or lamp base that is no longer in use, making it seem irrelevant
composite shapes
6. carved newel posts
materiality
stained mahogany wood
location base of the staircase
age, condition, and function original to the house in relatively good condition, but showing scratches and wear anchors the staircase; provides a handhold; signals prestige
composite shapes
7. carved balustrades
materiality
stained mahogany wood
composite shapes location lining the staircase
age, condition, and function original to the house in relatively good condition, but showing scratches and wear supports the stair railing; suggests the wealth and status of the original owners
8. parquet wood flooring
materiality
oak planks
location entirety of foyer floor
age, condition, and function original to the house in good condition considering its age the parquet pattern indicates a degree of thoughtfulness and care; adds warmth to the space composite shapes
9. vinyl floor tiles
materiality
location
floor of room adjacent to main foyer
vinyl age, condition, and function
added during a renovation very worn; discolored, uneven coloring, and cracks throughout provides a durable surface; indicates public/institutional usage of the building
composite shapes
10. contemporary light switch
materiality
white sheet metal, plastic, screws
location to the left of the first doorway on the right when you enter the foyer
age, condition, and function added during a renovation
worn, embedded with dirt and grime purely functional purpose - to turn on a light
composite shapes
11. double bullnose steps
materiality
stained mahogany wood; plastic tread mat
location first two steps of stairs in foyer
age, condition, and function original to the house
the stain is worn away and cracked in places; the planks are splitting at joinery decorative alternative to conventional stair shapes; signals the care taken in designing the house composite shapes
12. artificial ficus trees
materiality
wood, plastic, artificial moss, metal planter
location
one to the right upon entering the foyer; one in the back corner of the room
age, condition, and function added during a renovation
shedding leaves; covered in dust add warmth and a connection to nature to the space
composite shapes
13. brass air vent cover
materiality
brass metal
location on the floor along the staircase on the right side of the foyer from the entry
age, condition, and function original to the house worn and dirty, but intact unclear if still in use, but originally provided heat to foyer composite shapes
14. cast iron radiators
materiality
location
there are two along the right wall of the foyer, next to the front door and in the back corner
cast iron age, condition, and function original to the house undamaged but very dusty unclear if they are still functioning or used for heating the space
composite shapes
15. patched plumbing fixtures
materiality
white painted metal
composite shapes location on the lower right-hand wall of the room beyond the foyer
age, condition, and function possibly original to the house poor condition; unevenly patched and painted; stain from a leak; dusty and grimy no longer in use
16. Japanese-inspired door frame
materiality
stained mahogany wood
location framing the entry into the room beyond the foyer
age, condition, and function original to the house
in good condition, though stain is cracking in places signals the passageway through the foyer into the interior of the house
composite shapes
DESIGN
A renovation and new facade design that honors and reinterprets the traditions of the local architecture and the building’s history
How can an architectural design intervention respond to the surrounding physical, historical, and cultural contexts?
Hotel Fouquet Barrière by Edouard François in Paris, France
INTERVENTIONS
XXX Inflatables by Steven Messam in the Borders, Scotland
These sculptures interact with and interrupt their historic setting, referencing the white marble sculptures that were originally on the grounds
How does the interaction between old, historical structures and new, artful installations change the experience?
light the way forward
existing light fixtures
original ceiling molding
location of proposed stained glass fixtures
The foyer of Hunton House is currently lit with several overhead fixtures that emit a harsh artificial light. Despite their utilitarian appearance and function, these lights are framed by original decorative molding. As a design intervention for this space, I propose replacing these fixtures with original stained glass lights that fill the space delineated by the existing molding on the ceiling. The design of these stained glass pieces will draw upon the basic shapes that make up the original and contemporary features of the Hunton House foyer, as detailed in this catalog.
The use of simplified forms that can already be found in the foyer creates a connection between these new stained glass fixtures and their setting. These various forms can also be combined in a practically endless number of patterns and layouts, demonstrating the many possibilities that exist for creating a dialogue between original features and new ones in a historic, repurposed space.
These lights also speak to a stained glass skylight that was originally installed over the stairs on the fourth floor of the house, but that has been covered over due to “lack of proper maintenance” (Culhane, 1997). They serve as a reminder that new additions to a historic building can be thoughtful, beautiful, functional, and deserving of care and upkeep.
ideas for stained glass fixtures using the shapes of Hunton House
Carter, V.K. (2005). Gustav Stickley’s Hapke-Geiger House and Noland and Baskervill’s Hunton House: Richmond architecture ca. 1915. [Master’s thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University]. VCU Scholars Compass. https://doi.org/10.25772/TW80-CY07
Culhane, K.E. (1997). “The Fifth Avenue of Richmond”: the development of the 800 and 900 blocks of West Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia, 1855-1925. [Master’s thesis, Virginia Commonwealth University]. VCU Scholars Compass. https://doi.org/10.25772/3SD2-4E06
Easby, R.J. (n.d.). The Aesthetic Movement. Smart History. https://smarthistory.org/the-aestheticmovement/
Hotel Fouquet Barrière / Edouard François. (13 June 2009). ArchDaily. Retrieved 18 Mar 2024. https://www.archdaily.com/24801/hotel-fouquet-barrier-eduard-fanchanc
Inflatable interventions: Soft spikes bring roofless ruins back to life. (n.d.). Web Urbanist. Retrieved 18 Mar 2024. https://weburbanist.com/2017/08/15/inflatable-interventions-soft-spikes-bringroofless-ruins-back-to-life/
Novelli, C.V. (2017). William Noland: the making of a Virginia architect. The Magazine of the Victorian Society in America, 37 (1), 24-37. https://victoriansociety.org/upload/NC-37-1.pdf