Skip to main content
The largest online newspaper archive
A Publisher Extra® Newspaper

Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 57

Location:
Tucson, Arizona
Issue Date:
Page:
57
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

Six? Arizona Haifa Slat Rescuing The Old Young Architect Remodels Ancient Adobe To Serve As Office And Living Quarters HOMES and building l-'-'V i til vW 1 1 r)pf 1 1 m' A. s. lift mug i 0 tf 4 I i mh. t- if SECTION PAGE ELEVEN TUCSON, SUNDAY. MARCH 21.

1971 The floors of the two adjoining front rooms, which serve as drawing board rooms and office, are now a subdued red tile. An opening was made facing the front door and some of the old adobe was left exposed. With the help "of her paint dealer, she finally found a compound that has stabilized the crumbly old dirt. The entrance leads into a dining room, which can also be used as a conference room, and sliding glass doors open onto a patio. Miss Chafee created this by taking the roof off of the third apartment, covering one end with beams, which will eventually support a vine.

She graveled the patio, and has created planters from flue liners. One planter supports a Blaze climbing rose, and in others arrays of herbs are beginning to poke through. A slender reed of a fruitless mulberry promises cool shade later. Opening off the patio opposite the dining room are living quarters, with the guest bedroom furniture of Miss Chafee's own design. The chests, desk and bed are from a series she designed as college furniture for Bennington, and are versatile for mix and multiple use.

The living room opens off the dining room, and is furnished with Swedish modern couch and chairs with sheepskin throws. In one corner is a clay Oaxaca stove and a piano is decorated with Indian drums and rattles. By NANCV SORTORE Star Staff Writer Architect Judith Chafee believes in rescuing and using the city's old buildings, and she doesn't just talk about it. Last week she had a party to show off her combination office and living quarters, located in an old adube on Council St. "Countless people have lived here over the years, and while I was working on it, several people stopped by and said 'what are you doing to my old What she has done is to utilize the four sections of the building, each once a long, narrow apartment, as a combination office and living quarters.

This necessitated making four new openings in the walls. A Tucson returnee, she came back here last fall after a 20 year absence, and is delightedly rediscovering her home town and reveling in the warmth and friendliness of Its people. She did most of the remodeling work on the building with day labor, buying all the materials herself. "I can't say enough about the helpfulness and advice of the lumber and paint she said. "The atmosphere here is just as I remembered it." Miss Chafee, who can tack the initials of the American Institute of Architects after her name, has had an impressive education and background in her chosen profession.

She attended Tucson High School for a short time and then went to Frances Parker School in Chicago. She received her B.A. degree at Bennington College and her degree in architecture from Yale. She worked in several large architectural offices in Hamden and New Haven, and was in charge of designing the remodeling and addition to the Yale Library, and worked on several other large architectural projects. SheT opened her own office in New Haven, and among other projects designed a house for Ruth P.

Merrill, which was on the cover of Architectural Record and will be featured in the April issue of House Beautiful magazine. But every February she would remember the Tucson weather, so she came back. The building, which she eventually bought, was built by the father of Monica Flinn, owner of El Charro restaurant next door. Of two-foot thick adobe, it had been neglected for many years, and was, as Miss Chafee says, "a frightful mess." The walls had huge holes in them, the floor was dirt with a few boards over it, and garbage and old clothes in one room were waist high. 1 'Alv JUDITH CHAFEE at her drawing board in the new office which she recently opened on Council Street.

The old adobe building, once four small apartments, is now both office and living quarters for the architect. (Sheaffer photos by Harry Lewis) It her slow, thoughtful voice, "I just never think about going out and buying furniture, I think it should be gathered over the years." The office and living quarters were gay with flowers, sent by friends in honor of her opening, but in a place of honor was a potted plant, sent to their new neighbor by the ladies of El Charro restaurant. adobe walls, are modern, shiny silver. Another chest in the dining room immediately catches the eye. Of brass bound pine, it accompanied her great-greatgrandfather when he came to America by ship from Scotland.

A remark on her interesting furniture brings this comment from the owner, delivered in In another corner are some book boxes, which were designed for her by her mother when she first went to college. Of black wood, they are bound in metal and have decorative handles. They can be used to ship the books, then will serve as bookcases, or turned another way, make a charming side table. Light fixtures, in contrast to the white plastered Ji J1 If a i ii lima Reception Room And Office Newly added skylight Is over drawing board. -wg iii LWI mm a "jL -V rETI -J I Flue Liners Used As Planters In Patio Will provide fresh herbs for cooking.

Multi-Use Room Opens Onto Patio Adobe Is Exposed Room can serve for dMng or conference: Sea chest came from Scotland. t0KiW ll Ml 1 1 '--'t A 1 1.1. till 1. HI t. i Oaxaca Stove, Swedish Furniture In Living Room Old Timber Serves As Spice Shelf Opens into dining and conference room, SmaU kitchen is compactly arranged..

Get access to Newspapers.com

  • The largest online newspaper archive
  • 300+ newspapers from the 1700's - 2000's
  • Millions of additional pages added every month

Publisher Extra® Newspapers

  • Exclusive licensed content from premium publishers like the Arizona Daily Star
  • Archives through last month
  • Continually updated

About Arizona Daily Star Archive

Pages Available:
2,185,215
Years Available:
1879-2024