The final form of the Norman Fisher house was a distinct departure from most
residential designs of the period (Fig. 3.1). The juxtaposed cubic volumes broke free
from the orthogonal plans of both Kahn’s and his contemporaries’ architecture. MidCentury
Modernist houses were often seen as cold and rigid, minimal in their interior
arrangements and devoid of ornamentation. The technological spoils of modern
materials allowed for a minimization of structure to free up floor plans and increase the
quantity and dimensions of apertures. Mies Van der Rohe’s Farnsworth house and Philip
Johnson’s Glass House embraced technological innovation, using steel to create an open
interior with large expanses of glass to provide a connection to the outside. The box-like
structures integrated the openings within the facades, utilizing known devices such as
steps to gesture towards the indistinct entrances. Rather than rely on applied devices to
convey a function, Kahn attempted to design a logic into his work in order to define the
purpose of each architectural element