Keeping with the heavy architecture theme I have going today I thought I would post one more thing about Robert C. Broward. My choice for "Video of the Week" and the bio below is found on the Broward Family History website. It’s a great video of Robert Broward talking about his start and his hopes for his own legacy. I love the part where Broward talks about "Form following function" the true meaning of that phrase and the importance of emotional enticements.
ROBERT C. BROWARD, ARCHITECT
Robert C. "Bob" Broward is one of Florida’s most renowned living architects. The organic design of his buildings reflects his lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship and quality of life.
The great-second-cousin of Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, Bob grew up in Jacksonville. At age 17, he inherited a stack of old Broward family letters that dated from the early 1800s through the post-Civil War period. These faded, torn, and fragile letters contained remarkable stories that piqued his interest in his most unusual family. Thus began a 65-year search for the Broward family’s history, the result of which is this book.
His childhood experiences in North Florida's unspoiled pine woods fostered in him a respect for our natural environment that led him to America's most famous organic architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
After graduating from Georgia Tech in 1948, Bob worked on the construction of Florida Southern College, the largest complex of Wright buildings in the world. Wright gave Bob apprenticeships to study at both of his compounds, Taliesin East in Wisconsin and Taliesin West in Arizona.
Since he began practicing in Jacksonville in 1956, Bob has translated Wright's principles into an approach to architectural design specific to Florida: using open space, natural forms, and natural materials to complement Florida's environment. In 2011 he was designated Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
His love of architecture and history has led him on a diverse and untraditional life’s journey, as a writer, a teacher, and a champion of both modern architecture and historic preservation. Bob is the author of the award-winning book, The Architecture of Henry John Klutho: The Prairie School in Jacksonville, which explores the career of one of Florida’s early architectural geniuses. For over four decades, he served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida’s School of Architecture, challenging hundreds of young architectural students to reach for the highest values in that noble career. In addition to his many award-winning designs for homes, churches, schools, museums, and commercial buildings, he has played a key role in preserving some of Jacksonville’s most significant historic landmarks.
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