Welcome to the Archives of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture. The purpose of this online collection is to function as a tool for scholars, students, architects, preservationists, journalists and other interested parties. The archive consists of photographs, slides, articles and publications from Rudolph’s lifetime; physical drawings and models; personal photos and memorabilia; and contemporary photographs and articles.
Some of the materials are in the public domain, some are offered under Creative Commons, and some are owned by others, including the Paul Rudolph Estate. Please speak with a representative of The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture before using any drawings or photos in the Archives. In all cases, the researcher shall determine how to appropriately publish or otherwise distribute the materials found in this collection, while maintaining appropriate protection of the applicable intellectual property rights.
In his will, Paul Rudolph gave his Architectural Archives (including drawings, plans, renderings, blueprints, models and other materials prepared in connection with his professional practice of architecture) to the Library of Congress Trust Fund following his death in 1997. A Stipulation of Settlement, signed on June 6, 2001 between the Paul Rudolph Estate and the Library of Congress Trust Fund, resulted in the transfer of those items to the Library of Congress among the Architectural Archives, that the Library of Congress determined suitable for its collections. The intellectual property rights of items transferred to the Library of Congress are in the public domain. The usage of the Paul M. Rudolph Archive at the Library of Congress and any intellectual property rights are governed by the Library of Congress Rights and Permissions.
However, the Library of Congress has not received the entirety of the Paul Rudolph architectural works, and therefore ownership and intellectual property rights of any materials that were not selected by the Library of Congress may not be in the public domain and may belong to the Paul Rudolph Estate.
LOCATION
Address: 628 East Samford Avenue
City: Auburn
State: Alabama
Zip Code: 36830
Nation: United States
STATUS
Type: Residence
Status: Built
TECHNICAL DATA
Date(s): 1940
Site Area: 16,000 ft² (1,486.4 m²)
Floor Area: 3 beds, 2 baths, 1,520 ft² (141.2 m²)
Height:
Floors (Above Ground): 1
Building Cost: $5,500 (in 1940)
PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Client: Thomas Prater Atkinson
Architect: Paul M. Rudolph
Associate Architect: E.B. van Keuren
Landscape:
Structural:
MEP:
QS/PM:
SUPPLIERS
Contractor:
Subcontractor(s):
atkinson residence
The client is Thomas Prater Atkinson (1884-1970) a professor in the Foreign Languages Department at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University).
Rudolph is 22 years old when he designs the Atkinson Residence and oversees its construction.
The design Incorporates technical innovations such as central heating, corner windows and a copper standing seam roof.
The residence is labelled as a 'builder's house' by several residents due to its similarity to local builder's advertisements in the 1950's.
The living room features a 6'-0" high x 10'-0" wide ornamental mural which most likely results from Rudolph attending a required class #447 on 'Mural Design' while in school. The mural is inscribed with a 'v'-shaped groove on plaster above the fireplace.
The home is listed for sale at $179,900 on December 1st, 2012.
The home is sold for $160,000 to Bernis Simmons and Kathy Simmons on May 20, 2013.
The home is listed for sale at $399,000 by Prestige Properties on June 05, 2022.
“This was the first of many innovative experiments with new materials, the hallmark of Rudolph’s early work.”
DRAWINGS - Design Drawings / Renderings
DRAWINGS - Construction Drawings
DRAWINGS - Shop Drawings
PHOTOS - Project Model
PHOTOS - During Construction
PHOTOS - Completed Project
PHOTOS - Current Conditions
LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION
RELATED DOWNLOADS
PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Christian Bjone and Robert Walker. First House: The Grid, the Figure and the Void. Wiley, 2002.
John Howey. The Sarasota School of Architecture 1941-1966. MIT Press, 1997.
Patrick Sisson. “21 First Drafts: Paul Rudolph’s Atkinson House.” Curbed, 11 Aug. 2015.
Timothy Rohan. The Architecture of Paul Rudolph. Yale University Press, 2014.