Green building. Pre-fabricated construction. Healthy environments. These ideas seem to be the domain of today’s architects. Yet, as early as the 1930s, Colorado architect Eugene Groves was already exploring how concrete could replace timber in construction, how it could be pre-cast into made-to-order building components, and how it could improve the lives of homeowners, especially those suffering from health problems of the time.
When Groves’ first home went up in 1932, it was clear that he could produce work of exotic beauty and experimental intrigue. He drew from a variety of architectural experiences, including his formal education at Harvard and his informal education in the pueblos of New Mexico, where he had lived while recovering from tuberculosis. But rather than adopt any one style, Groves created one all his own, amalgamating the Classical with the whimsical, the Moderne with the Colonial. The results speak for themselves. He also designed a wealth of commercial, educational and municipal buildings, many of which became recognized on historic registers. Be sure to read “Architect Unraveled” in this issue of Modern In Denver to find out how the iconoclastic Groves ended up homeless and broke.
