American School team members Angela Person and Stephanie Pilat recently had the opportunity to tour Bruce Goff’s Sam and Ruth Van Sickle Ford House in Aurora, Illinois.
Completed in 1950, the Ford House is owned by Sidney K. Robinson, who graciously hosted Person and Pilat. It was first introduced to the American public in a 1951 Life magazine article entitled “The Round House,” which included six pages of color photographs.
Angela Person with Sidney Robinson, the owner of the Ford House.
In 2023, the house became a National Historic Landmark because of its unique architecture, which features Quonset hut ribs arranged in the shape of dome. Most of the dome is covered with shingles, but the southeast side is left open to create outdoor rooms. There are two smaller domes attached to the south and northeast sides of the main dome, which are used for bedrooms. Intricate rope patterns cover portions of the ceiling.
The interior of the Ford house.
According to Person, “The home is a stunning example of Goff’s resourcefulness, repurposing everyday objects to create a magical set of spaces unlike anything seen before.” She continued, “The way Goff blurs inside and outside, particularly with the plantings and the visible structure, is masterful.”
Robinson has lived in the Ford house since 1986. He is an author, architect, and emeritus educator at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Taliesin. His articles and books include Architecture of Alden B. Dow, Life Imitates Architecture: Taliesin and Alden Dow’s Studio, and Inquiry into the Picturesque.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture announces John Harris as Associate Dean for Research ad interim, effective Aug. 25, 2026, until the permanent position is filled.
Gibbs College is pleased to announce the 2026 Gibbs College Faculty & Staff Awards recipients. These individuals were recognized by Dean Butzer during the Gibbs College Back to School Meeting and will be honored during the Celebration Banquet in October. They were nominated by their colleagues via an open nomination process.
Telesis, the Gibbs College of Architecture’s student journal, has been awarded a grant from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts to support its next two issues, “Pause” (Volume IX) and “React” (Volume X).
