Last month, Serge Ambrose and Michelangelo Sabatino
were recognized by the Frederick Law Olmsted Society of
Riverside for the restoration of their home and garden.
The 2022 Preservation Award recognizes the couple’s efforts to restore the 1939 International Style structure,
known as the Benda House, both inside and out.
Sabatino, a professor of architectural history and historic preservation at Illinois Institute of Technology’s
College of Architecture, and Ambrose, an architect and
engineer focused on 20th-century architectural heritage,
brought a wealth of knowledge to the project when they
purchased their home in Riverside.
Both are also active with Docomomo US, an international organization for the advocacy and documentation of
modern buildings and sites.
They make clear that
their four-year project was
guided by a preservation
mindset.
“This is a sensitive restoration, not a remodeling,”
Ambrose said.
According to Sabatino,
“We approached this with
the idea of repairing not
replacing, with a preservationist’s ethos.”
Sabatino points out that
their architect-designed
home stands apart from its
eclectic neighbors. Unlike traditional style pattern-book
homes, this modern house was sited keeping in mind solar orientation so that the living and dining rooms were
in the rear of the house, where they would get southern
exposure. A prominent two-car garage at the front of the
house speaks to the inevitable rise of the car as a part of
suburban living.
The couple worked to reveal the modern spirit of the
home and were guided by original blueprints from architect Winston Elting, which have been passed from owner
to owner of the home. They also researched what building
materials were specified by
the architect and used by
the Berwyn-based builder
Arvid Viren.
Read the full story including photos here.
Michelangelo Sabatino joined SAH in 1999. He was awarded the Alice Davis Hitchcock book award in 2012. He has served on numerous SAH Committees including the SAH Mellon Author Awards Jury, the de Montequin Fellowship committee, chaired the Johnson Exhibition Catalogue Award Committee, and has served on the Board of the Society. He has also served as a Session Chair at Annual conferences in 2014 and 2016, and as a speaker in 2015.
