"In 1935, Portland lumber magnate Aubrey Watzek was looking for an architect to design his house. His friend, self-taught designer John Yeon, submitted a proposal, and the rest, as they say, is history. The grand Watzek House has since become one of the most famous houses in the state, with Yeon now credited as one of the founders of Northwest Regional Modernism."
"For these, the builder of the Watzek House, Willard "Burt" Smith, approached Yeon for more economic designs, and with no homeowner to accommodate, Yeon could do as he pleased. The resulting homes are known as the Plywood Houses for Yeon's innovative use of plywood on the exterior. (At the time, new glues in the plywood made this waterproof exterior application possible.)"
In 1935 Portland lumber magnate Aubrey Watzek sought an architect and self-taught designer John Yeon submitted a proposal that produced the grand Watzek House. The Watzek House became one of the state's most famous residences and helped establish Yeon as a founder of Northwest Regional Modernism. Fewer than twenty of Yeon's designs were built; nine were speculative smaller houses in Portland and Lake Oswego completed in 1939. Builder Willard "Burt" Smith commissioned Yeon to create more economical designs without specific homeowners. Yeon applied plywood innovatively on exteriors using new waterproof glues, producing facades likened to Japanese screen art. One Lakewood Ridgeway Road house is identified as a Yeon original despite a 1955 construction date; seven of the speculative houses were believed to survive as of 2010.
Read at Portland Monthly
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