A
graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of
Architecture, Edward Harrison Bernstein designed a number of residences
in the Penn Valley and Gladwyne areas during the1950s and 1960s. Each
project responds to the rational planning practices espoused by Bauhaus
founder Walter Gropius and his protégé Marcel Breuer whose influence
came to dominate American architecture in the decade following the end
of World War II. A particular development, the Bi- Nuclear Plan, was a
hallmark of the period, characterized by the separa- Perlmutter House 1957 Separation of living and sleeping areas into distinct pavilions typically connected by a glass enclosed breezeway.
Bernstein's
Perlmutter House (completed in 1957) reflects this planning strategy,
adapting the layout to the sloped terrain of the site. Large glass
expanses are directed towards the wooded site allowing
Berstein Personal Residince 1953
Index to MODERN HOMES PHILADELPHIA History Pages
Overview of Philadelphia Area Mid-Century Modern Residential Architecture(below on this page)Photo overviewfollowed by brief written overview of Philadelphia mid-century architects .
Time Lineof area modern homes from 1930's to todayMid-Century Modern Homes Architects Who Designed Mid-Century Modern Homes in the Philadelphia Region
photographs of the regional homes designed by each architect are included
