The Roberta Sugden House
« Back to Last Page« Go to Search Page
Address
Salt Lake City, Utah
Year Completed
1955
Historic Information
National Register
Building Type
Location Area
Thru out Salt Lake County
Architect:
Firm/Partnership
Project Description
An article from Salt Lake Modern describes the residence as, “A glass and steel Millcreek-area home with direct ties to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, one of the pioneers of modern architecture, is the first Utah mid-century building to have a protective preservation easement to prevent alteration and demolition of the property. The current owner of the 1955 home, Mollie Kimball, has lived in it since 1993 and worried that the home would be demolished when she was no longer the owner.”1
In an Intermountain Home Builder article, Sugden wrote an article about the Roberta Sugden House: “This is a house design for a single woman in her fifties. She required a bedroom, living room, kitchen, a porch which could be screened in later for summer living, a carport, a single bath, utility room and storage. We selected a steep site with the slope facing both south and the barrier mountains surrounding Salt Lake City. To provide a residence so situated that there would be ample space for gardening, and so arranged that the garden as well as the spectacular view on 3 sides would be enjoyed at all times, were important facets of the program and the site selection.
The house was crowded toward the street on the north side in order to minimize the precipitous nature of the south slope. It spans a ‘gully’ (clearly shown by the countours on the plot plan) and is supported by a retaining wall, flanked by stairs which lead from house level to future garden terrace. We favored a plan open on all sides to the extraordinary view and to an intimate future on the street approach.
The structure is steel, the enclosing wall for the most part glass, and the floor is a structural concrete slab. The steel frame was shop fabricated and erected in two large panels. It was necessary, because of the large areas of glass, to use a forced air heating system and to make provision for air conditioning to be added at a later date.”2
Another article describes the residence, “Although completely open, the interior of Roberta’s house feels private and intimate. This is partially due to its human scale and the humanizing relationship of the building to its natural surroundings. The neutral background of Sugden’s architecture allows the homeowner to color the space. As the present owner, Mollie Kimball, exclaims, ‘The walls are green’ from the unobstructed views of the surrounding gardens. Snowy white walls envelop the space in winter.”
The article continues, “The carefully sited design achieves a rare feeling of connectedness to the landscape within its suburban setting. The house, nestled into the trees to the north, overlooks a steep ravine to the south. The low winter sunlight extends straight through the house, warming the interior surfaces. In the summer, the roof canopy shades the interior from the harsh sun directly overhead. Sugden built a small working studio below Roberta’s house where he spent much time. In the summer months he slept on a cot in the open-air porch, now an enclosed dining room.”
The article continues on to describe the current owner who undertook restoration of the residence, “Appreciative of its history and significance, [Mollie] Kimball purchased the home from one of several owners following Roberta and carefully undertook a restoration of the deteriorating structure.
Especially challenging was the reversal of the several additions and ‘improvements’ that had tampered with the integrity of Sugden’s original design. Among the components Kimball preserved is Sugden’s original kitchen design featuring Steel [sic] painted metal cabinets and a continuous stainless steel countertop with integral stove burners. Her efforts earned her a 2005 Utah Heritage Foundation Heritage Award recognizing her thoughtful and well-researched renovation project.”3
Sources
1.
2. Liz Joerger, “Roberta Sugden House,” last modified October 20, 2015, accessed February 20, 2017, http://www.slmodern.org/2015/10/20/roberta-sugden-house/.
3.
4.
5. John W. Sugden, “Unusual Design in Concrete, Steel and Glass, By Dean L. Gustavson & Associates,” Intermountain Home Builder (December 7, 1957), 7. In the folder “Clippings, 1947-1979,” from the John W. Sugden Papers, 1909-2009, accn 2720, box 4, folder 1. From the Special Collections and Archives Department at the University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
6.
7.
8. Anne G. Mooney, “John Sugden: Modern Architecture Utah-Style,” Utah Preservation: Building on the Past, 2006, 6-7. In the “Clippings, 1990-2007” file from the John W. Sugden Papers, 1909-2009, accn 2720, box 4, folder 3. From the Special Collections and Archives Department at the University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
9.
10. “National Register for Historic Places Program,” National Parks Service, accessed February 20, 2017, https://www.nps.gov/nR/feature/places/16000124.htm.
11. “Home Tour: Sugden’s Legacy,” Utah Style & Design, May 11, 2015, http://slmag.com/blog/2015/05/11/home-tour-sugdens-legacy/.
