Property of Professor and Mrs. C. O. Wells | Whitewater, Wisconsin | Architect William Kaeser | Photos Carrol Hanson

Professor and Mrs. Wells picked a lot of generous proportions which sloped gently upward from the street. This meant that the house could be placed on the crown of the property, with the garage in front inconspicuous under the projecting bedroom wing. Horizontal red cedar boarding has been used on the exterior, plus common brick for retaining walls and for planting pockets which march up the front steps. Wide overhangs extend beyond the flat roof and don't leak, despite the dire prophecies of well-meaning friends. These overhangs protect the large glass areas and control the rays of the sun. There's a small entrance hall with an all-glass south wall for indoor planting. From this hall one may go directly into the long, narrow kitchen, into the bedroom wing, or directly ahead into the living-dining area. The guest bedroom has corner windows to the north and east, which have been placed high to provide for ample cupboard space below. The master bedroom has a west wall of glass with French doors leading into the garden.

Across the entire width of the main house we find the living-dining room, with its continuous wall of glass to the west. The glass has bookcases underneath and a door on the south leading to the terrace. Mr. Wells is amazed at the amount of solar heating the little house gains from the west and south exposures. Since, in Wisconsin, the summers are comparatively short, Mr. Kaeser purposely planned the large glass areas so that the winter sun would not only make the house more cheerful but would, at the same time, give some natural reflected heat. Leading from the kitchen is a convenient sneak stairway to the partially excavated basement.