Rice House (now known as the Cottrell House) on Lock Island in the James River, designed by renowned architect Richard Neutra (Photo by Ansel Olson)
What started as a humble gathering of modern architecture enthusiasts has evolved into a trendsetting nonprofit organization with frequently sold-out home tours throughout the city. Now celebrating 15 years, Modern Richmond shows no signs of slowing down.
The organization, which operates on donations, has spent much of its 15-year tenure offering tours of modern homes and businesses in Richmond and beyond, aiming to educate on the modernist influence in Virginia’s architecture. Over time, Modern Richmond has extended its outreach by hosting makers markets, awarding scholarships to Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts students and organizing Modern Richmond Week.
When eight local enthusiasts of modernism — Reid Collier, Patrick Farley, Chris Fultz, Andrea Levine, Susan Milne, Deborah Roberts, Elli Sparks and Rob Staropoli — started Modern Richmond in 2009, the city was still very much clinging to its traditional roots, Marketing Director Helen Reed recalls.
“We’ve got other great history throughout our city, and [modern architecture] was just undiscovered or not really standing out because we’re such a traditional city.”
However, undiscovered didn’t mean nonexistent, Reed says. Perhaps one of the most iconic examples of modernism in Richmond is the Rice House (now known as the Cottrell House) on Lock Island in the James River, designed by renowned architect Richard Neutra. While the Austrian-born architect spent most of his time designing homes in Southern California, Ambassador Walter and wife Inger Rice commissioned Neutra to build their home in the 1960s, bringing international style to the River City.
The group sought to discover other hidden gems across the city and began gathering at modern residences, often over beers, to share their love for the sleek designs. Over time, they began offering tours for small crowds of usually 20 or 30 people. Their most recent tour in Laburnum Park, which hosted 150 people, sold out in less than 10 minutes.
In 2018, the organization decided to take itself to the next level by becoming a nonprofit. The following year, it produced its first book, also titled “Modern Richmond” and now sold out, highlighting nearly 50 homes out of the 100 homes toured since its inception.
“We’ve just continued to grow,” Reed says, citing the cyclical nature of design that has allowed modernism to come back to the forefront. “I think that we’re not alone because we’re seeing organizations like ours pop up all across the country,” she adds.
With a full calendar of tours to round out 2024, Reed says the organization won’t be able to officially celebrate its 15th anniversary until next year. The most recent tour in September featured a newly constructed modern home on Swift Creek Reservoir designed by SMS Architects.
As it looks to the future, Reed says, the organization plans to continue to expand its tours to include more properties outside of Richmond and highlight local designers, artists, makers and businesses. They are also starting to work on their second book, which Reed hopes will be released for the 20th anniversary.
“[We want] not only Richmond recognized as a center for modernism, but also other areas in Virginia,” Reed explains, “whether it’s new or old modernism.”
For more information on Modern Richmond’s tours and events, visit modernrichmond.org or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
