Architect O'Neil Ford

Architect O'Neil Ford lived from 1905 through 1982, and is considered one of the best known architects in the nation. He created designs in a vernacular style, and because they lacked a certain cutting-edge innovation, they did not give him the international reputation achieved by others. However, his unpretentious style and desire to achieve the best total design gave him a following and a good reputation in America.

Ford was born in Pink Hill, Texas. He studied at the North Texas State University in Denton, then worked as a draftsman for David Williams in Dallas. He entered into private practice in 1934 and worked with a series of partners within the state of Texas from 1936. His principal building materials have been bricks, glass, wood, and stone, and most of his designs were governed by the climatic conditions in the area. Preservation would also become a major driving force in his works, and his work in Texas helped make preservation a viable alternative to the destructiveness of "urban renewal" (Emanuel 313-314).

Ford had populist tastes, and while he worked in Dallas, he never fit with the prevailing society of bankers and shiny glass boxes made by other architects. He fit better in San Antonio, his home city. Still, Ford began his architectural career in Dallas, "and long after he had moved his practice to San Antonio he returned to build elegant residences for old friends landscape architects Marie and Arthur Berger and Texas Instruments founders Cecil G

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Category: Arts - A