Sam and Ruth VanSickle Ford House, Organic architecture residence in Aurora, United States
The Sam and Ruth VanSickle Ford House is an organically designed residence in Aurora featuring a distinctive dome-shaped structure. The main dome contains living spaces, while two smaller domes positioned on the south and northeast sides serve as bedrooms, creating an interconnected arrangement.
Built between 1949 and 1950, the house was designed by architect Bruce Goff for painter Ruth VanSickle Ford and her husband Sam, a civil engineer. Its recognition as a National Historic Landmark in 2023 acknowledges its importance in American architectural history of the mid-20th century.
The residence reflects how organic architecture principles shaped daily living, with its dome design encouraging residents to experience spaces that fluidly connect indoors with nature outside. The structure itself became a statement about rethinking conventional home design.
Located on South Edgelawn Drive in Aurora, Illinois, the private residence can be viewed from the street where its distinctive dome shape is clearly visible. The surrounding neighborhood offers good sightlines to appreciate the structure's unusual architectural features from outside.
The structure incorporates recycled Quonset hut ribs in its frame, repurposing leftover wartime materials for residential construction. This resourceful approach to design reflects the experimental and practical thinking that defined post-war American architecture.
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