As the President of Concierge Auctions, Laura oversees the firm’s strategic brand direction and image, including marketing, public relations and events.
Architectural pedigree can really give a unique property an edge over the competition and can lend it well towards selling through auction. Just as painting, sculpting and drawing are artistic mediums, so is architectural design — a creative release from within the artist. The beauty is that architecture can not only be admired from an outside perspective, but it can also be lived in and enjoyed. We’ve often used the term “artchitecture” when referring to properties that are true works of art.
Perhaps the most iconic American residential architect is Frank Lloyd Wright, and nearly all of his homes sell for over a million dollars — even in small and remote markets. Another example is Philip Johnson, whose works include the famed “Glass House” in New Canaan, Connecticut, which is currently a National Trust Historic Site and offers its 49-acre campus as a catalyst for education on the preservation and interpretation of modern architecture, landscape and art.
Buyers gravitate towards homes designed by famous architects for two reasons. First, a luxury home is like a fine piece of art, and having a well-known architect as the designer can add value to the property. But second, and perhaps more important, a well-known architect is well-known for a reason. Their homes are aesthetically pleasing and typically impeccably constructed.
We have represented and sold a number of unique luxury estate homes across the nation, each matchless in its own way, and many designed by popular architects. Architecturally significant examples include Pa Gomo in Telluride, Colorado, designed by Jack Snow of RKD Architects, and Trancas Canyon in Malibu, California, designed by Busch Design Build. Currently, the most relevant buying opportunity is our July 12th auction of The Grand Teton Estate in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which was notably designed by Jonathan Foote.
Foote is one of the foremost architects of the Preservation Movement, and some say the most important figure in the movement. The Preservation Movement is an architectural thought process that emphasizes conservation of old buildings and areas with the aim to tie a place’s history to its people and culture. It is focused on historic renovation, regional design and historic preservation.
According to Jonathan Foote’s website, he designs homes with a “regional vernacular” in mind:
“In my 50 years of architectural practice, I have tried to understand what a material wants to be. I have tried to use materials honestly and have organized them in a way to best express what those who live in them, want to be. … The respect for the regional vernacular weaves its way through every decision during the process of design. The sensitive reuse of old materials and ancient craftsmanship used to assemble them, allows the building to live on timelessly and quietly, as it walks softly on the land.”
Foote stays true to his focus on preservation while producing modern, artful homes that people want to live in. The Grand Teton Estate is no exception. Reflecting his Preservation Movement roots, Foote uses local antique timbers and stone and weaves natural springs and fauna throughout the property. Handcrafted chandeliers mimic local flowers, and oversized windows frame views of the craggy mountain ridges. The beauty of the outdoors is echoed throughout the interior.
The Preservation Movement seems to be a forerunner to current trends of “green” living and building, and Jonathan Foote can be credited with starting many of these trends. They are evident at The Grand Teton Estate and all the properties he has designed.
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As the President of Concierge Auctions, Laura oversees the firm’s strategic brand direction and image, including marketing, public relations and events.
laura.brady@conciergeauctions.com
888.966.4759 X 701