LTU continues renovating Frank Lloyd Wright house

Metromode, 7/1/2010

A lot of sanding, a lot of scraping, and a lot of staining is how recent Lawrence Technological University graduate Doug Metiva plans to spend his summer.

Metiva is working on and living in the university's Affleck House in Bloomfield Hills, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, for the third summer in a row. This summer, he hopes to refinish much of the wood throughout the house, including the hallways, bedrooms and bathrooms -- work he started with former fellow student Justin Butler.

Metiva will continue with the project as he looks for a permanent job after graduating in May with degrees in architecture and construction management. "The school is kind enough to let me stay working on this, to finish what I started," he says. "It's kind of been a work in progress. I'd like to see it finished."

Lawrence Tech also received a $7,500 grant for the re-creation of furniture for the 2,300-square-foot house, which was completed in 1941. The house was donated to the university in 1978 and has since been used as a teaching tool for students in Lawrence Tech's College of Architecture and Design.

The Affleck House is on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, and is one of the 50 most significant structures in the state, according to the Michigan Society of Architects.

Source: Doug Metiva, recent Lawrence Technological University graduate
Writer: Kristin Lukowski