Aalto's Vision

Notably, as my later research into Alvar Aalto’s work illuminated, a lot of credit for the community feel of the house really must be given to Aalto’s original designs. I became a much bigger appreciator of architecture after living at Baker: the flow through the single hallway, the grand staircase connecting all the floors - it all promotes organic cross-flow of residents that architecture such as that of New House or Burton-Conner doesn’t invite, when each building section has a different entrance, for example. Don’t even get me started about the amazing custom-built furniture, which by the time we got there were still holding sturdy (though clearly battle-scarred), but very little of it still in its purpose-built configuration and usage: armadillos, elephants and giraffes would all be mixed and matched and swapped around such that very few rooms were likely outfitted to Aalto’s original intent.