Myron Bachman House

“The Turzak House Among Goff's earliest Chicago commissions was a two-story home and studio for the family of Charles Turzak, a well-respected Chicago artist. Turzak was born in Streeter, Illinois, in 1899, the son of Czechoslovakian immigrant parents.”

“Bruce Goff: An Unconventional Genius Bruce Alonzo Goff spent almost his entire life in architecture. Goff was born in Alton, Kansas in 1904, into a family that spent the first decade of the century residing in various small towns in the Middle West, eventually settling in the prospering oil boom town of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1915.”

“The resulting design bore a striking resemblance to those of Frank Lloyd Wright, whose name and work was unknown to Goff. Upon being shown articles and illustrations of Wright's work, Goff was inspired to study further, looking not only into Wright's work, but that of Louis Sullivan and other architects associated with the creative architectural movements of the early twentieth century.”

“Aluminum ridge projections on the gable faces suggest Japanese influences and unifies the varied planes of the facades and roof. On the first floor, the house was extended to the street and to the east with a masonry addition of pinkish common brick, given texture by the heavy application of extruded mortar.”

“In 1937, Goff established himself in full-time independent architectural practice in Chicago, renting a small office at 1515 W. Howard Street. Working and living out of the small one-room office, Goff began to receive residential commissions as the effects of the depression began to clear.”

“After a brief attempt at independent architectural practice in Tulsa, Goff moved to Chicago in 1934 at the invitation of sculptor Alphonso Iannelli. Headquartered in Park Ridge, Illinois, Iannelli operated a multi-discipline commercial studio, working in the areas of painting, sculpture, interior design, industrial design and architecture.”

“The Myron Bachman House Remodeling One of Bruce Goff's most unusual commissions came in 1947 when he was engaged to plan the remodeling of an existing frame house for recording engineer Myron Bachman.”

“A commercial recording engineer, Bachman had engaged Goff in 1942 to plan a small recording studio within his house, and after the war commissioned a more extensive remodeling of the property.”

“A garage with corrugated aluminum doors was also provided on the front facade, a practical necessity since the property had no alley access for a rear garage, Although many of the interior partitions of the original house were left in place, the finish and trim were completely changed.”

“Architects on Architecture: New York, Walker & Company, 1966 Kostka, Robert. "Bruce Goff and the New Tradition." Prairie School Review (No. 2, 1970). PERIODICALS: Architectural Record Global Architecture Inland Architect Progressive Architecture NEWSPAPERS: Chicago Daily News ARCHIVES: Bruce Goff Collection--The Art Institute of Chicago.”