LaVerne Lantz

The mid-twentieth century saw an effusion of modern architecture. New ideas were the rage, even if they never quite became the norm. Mid-century modern design was in the air when LaVerne Lantz brought his unique vision to the architectural arena. LaVerne Lantz worked primarily in southeastern Wisconsin from the early 1960s until his passing in 1998. Lantz was heavily influenced by fellow Wisconsonite Frank Lloyd Wright, an inspiration he readily acknowledged. However, as part of a second wave of mid-century modern designers, Lantz developed the principals of Wright’s organic architecture into something uniquely his own. Lantz never compromised his design philosophy. As a result, every Lantz-designed home is a clear testament to his well-developed sense of what a house could and ought to be. His projects varied by budget and execution, but never by intent. Every Lantz home is a confident expression of internally consistent design principles and coherent themes. 

Despite the high quality and integrity of LaVerne Lantz’s body of work, it is largely undocumented. This monograph attempts to remedy that omission. As the subtitle indicates, this is an architectural biography, presenting the ideas that led to Lantz’s architectural designs and the evidence of those ideas in some of his best completed works.