Atle and Hedvig Selberg Residence
The Atle and Hedvig Residence, designed by architect Wynant D. Vanderpool Jr, for noted mathematician Atle Selberg, is a local historical landmark and cultural beacon of the Princeton Community.
Atle Selberg was a Norwegian mathematician best know for his work in analytic number theory, and the theory of automorphic forms.
Atle moved to the United States in the 1950s to Syracuse NY, where he began work as an associate professor at Syracuse University. He moved to Princeton where began his Ivy League tenure at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University. Atle settled in Princeton and remained a poignant figure in the community until his passing.
Located in IAS(Institute for Advanced Study) community Princeton NJ, the house was built specifically for Atle Selberg in 1952 and utilized as his studio and residence in the past half century.
With caring and great maintenance, all interior details and the traces of time had been preserved.
Usonian House & Mid-century Modern
As part of Mid-century Modern, from 1930' ~ 1960' many Usonian houses had been built in United State. The style was designed and developed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright with the onset of the Great Depression.
The picture shows the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House which was constructed in 1937 and is considered by most to be the first Usonian home by Wright.
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More information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_and_Katherine_Jacobs_First_House
Usonian homes contained very little ornamentation.
These homes were arranged in zones, without basements or attics. There were main areas; the bedrooms, a living space, and a kitchen/dining area. Integrative components and built in furniture allowed homeowners to experience our current version of modern habitation, over a century ago.
In Atle and Hedvig Selberg Residence, architect Wynant D. Vanderpool Jr. shows his enthusiasm on honor the Usonia design philosophy and made this house even more typical than Frank Lloyd Wright's original work.
Atle and Hedvig Selberg Residence has its unique value on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Place list.
Relocation & Reconstruction
In order to preserve the Atle and Hedvig Selberg house to another suitable location, the house will need to be excavated and lift up onto moving steel and dollies. However, the roads around IAS community are limited with clearance.
Considering all the surrounding objects, such as, poles, trees, curbside, overhead cables, and traffic lights, which only provides 20 feet wide and 15 feet tall for average road clearance. Due to the risks and potential damages to infrastructures, it makes impossible to move the house as one piece.
We finally figure out a solution after a month of consulting with the moving team. After analyzed the value of each space, the house is going to be divided into several parts. Central masonry with the sunroom; facade walls of the living room, studio and kitchen. They will be packaged and shipped as future components.
At the new location, the house will be reconstructed on a platform foundation, which the structure will settle above a gentle slope from 2 to 6 feet. In this case, we can maximum preserve the structure from natural threats and also make it much easier to serve all interior spaces with modern mechanical, electrical and plumbing.
A Museum
Professor Atle Selberg left us many precious heritages in mathematic, he passed away at home in this house on 6 August 2007.
As a noble man, beside a mathematician or a scientist, he is in memory of extraordinary thoughts.
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Today, we can hardly find any information about architect Wynant D. Vanderpool Jr., but we discovered he was once a photographer on a short movies about Taliesin with Jim Davis in 1950.
In the document of Morris County commemorates the 75th Anniversary of V.J. Day, we found Vanderpool's passion on historical building preservation at the end of his life journey.
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Along with professor Atle Selberg's open-mindedness; architect Wynant D. Vanderpool Jr.'s passion and perseverance. The Atle and Hedvig Selberg Residence will continue its journey in the future.
As we carry on the history, sharing its stories and meanwhile demonstrating its transformation to modern life in our way; this is destined to be a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the innovation of Americ
It will be an Extraordinary Work!