In 1988 Robert Miller of Lexington,
Kentucky commissioned architect
Jose Oubrerie to design a residence for
the Miller family on a 20 acre site
on the northeast side of the city.
Jose was the Dean of the College of
Architecture during this time having
begun his career many years earlier as
an assistant to the legendary French
architect Le Corbusier. The work
continued for the next four years and
when completed in 1992 the house stood
as an extraordinary example of Modernist
architecture. The house was featured in
numerous international publications
including 'American Masterworks'
by Kenneth Frampton and was the
'cover story' for the journal 'Global
Architecture' in 1993.
In 2006, the house was sold by the Miller
family to a Lexington real estate
development company. The plan
for the surrounding land was designed
for the development of a luxury
neighborhood with densely planted lots
that would retain the 'forest' landscape
that had been part of the original property.
Lexington architect Scott L. Guyon
redesigned the Miller House property to
retain 2.2 acres immediately around the
house with the intention of creating a
small
enclave for the landmark building.
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In 2007, the Miller House sustained several incidents
of vandalism. Many windows were broken and damage
occurred throughout the interior. The situation was
further aggravated by a slowdown in the housing market
that caused the development to delay its construction
of the neighborhood until Spring 2008. With little activity
on the property the Miller House became an inviting
target for vandals.
In July of 2007, Joe Mainous (an attorney connected
to the development investors) suggested to architect
Scott Guyon that perhaps a non-profit organization
could be formed to purchase the Miller House and
perform the restoration in order to arrive as a final use
for the building. In August of 2007, Guyon founded
the Foundation for Advanced Architecture with the
foundation's larger mission as that of a 'supporter of
visionary projects in the field of Architecture and Design
worldwide'. As a first assignment, the Foundation was
tasked with purchasing and restoring the Miller House.
After months of effort, the Foundation for Advanced
Architecture was granted a $1.2MM loan from the First
Federal Bank of Lexington. The current schedule calls
for repairs to begin in March 2008. The Miller House is
eligible for the status of 'Historic House Museum' which
would allow permanent access for architecture tourists
and students from around the world. Other educational
and cultural uses for the property are envisioned
with the possibility of events of a wide variety
staged in a wonderful and artistic environment.
The Miller House stands as an icon for 20th C.
architecture and design and it can locate Lexington
on the 'international map' of cultural landmarks from
the Modernist period.
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