The late architect Ken Neumann designed buildings throughout metro Detroit, but one of his most personal projects, the Franklin home he designed for himself and his family, is on the market for $3.25 million.
From the front, the contemporary brick house gives little indication of what is behind it. Set on 1.24 wooded acres overlooking a pond, the house extends back and down the steep site, opening at the rear to a wall of windows and views of the surrounding trees.
Built in 1987, the three-story home in Oakland County has 5 bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms and 7,348 square feet of living space. Visitors enter at the upper level and descend through the house, an unconventional layout shaped in part by the property itself.
Neumann designed the house at 25850
Romany Way around the trees on the property, said his daughter Susan Kaplan, who shared memories of her father and the family’s life there. The property is listed by Linda Hiller Novak and Frank Novak of Max Broock Realtors.
“They took into consideration the location of all the trees,” Kaplan said. “They tried to build around the trees because they didn’t want to harm any nature.”
She said her parents wanted to live among the trees and enjoy the natural setting. Large expanses of glass bring in natural light and views of the property, while decks extend into the wooded surroundings.
Inside, Neumann mixed materials and forms. Glass, metal and different types of wood appear alongside geometric shapes, curves and changing angles. Built-in shelving and some furniture designed by Neumann repeat forms found elsewhere in the house.
“There was nothing else like it,” Kaplan said. “Very different, but that’s how my dad was. He always thought outside the box.”
Neumann was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and co-founder of the architecture firm now known as Neumann/Smith Architecture. His work included the original Pine Knob Music Theatre. His Franklin residence has been featured in architectural publications and books, including “Architects House Themselves” and “Dream Homes Michigan.”
Books, art and opera
The house reflected the interests of both Neumann and his wife, Beverly, an artist whose work remains displayed throughout the home.
Books on architecture, art, photography, religion and other subjects once filled built-in shelves throughout the house.
Some shelves climbed above steps, creating a problem Neumann solved himself. Kaplan said her father altered a wooden ladder so it could rest on the steps and allow him to reach the books above. He regularly read and rearranged his collection, organizing books by subject and color.
Neumann also loved opera.
“He would blast his opera, and he’d read his books and listen to his opera,” Kaplan said.
The books have since been removed. Kaplan said John K. King Books in Detroit took books from the collection.
Beverly spent much of her time painting in a studio on a lower level of the house, where windows looked out onto the wooded property. A spiral staircase connected the area to the kitchen above.
“She lived in this room, really,” Kaplan said. “She painted all day long.”
A house that changed with the family
Over the years, the house changed along with the family.
The original bridge into the house was later enclosed to create additional living space. The kitchen and primary suite were updated, an elevator was added to connect the three levels, and portions of the originally open stairs and railings were modified for safety after grandchildren arrived.
Other changes included radiant floor heating and a heated driveway, which Kaplan said was installed after her mother slipped on ice.
Kaplan said she believes her father was proud to design a home for himself, see it built and live in it.
Neumann died in 2007. Beverly continued living in the house for years afterward.
For Kaplan, the house holds memories of her parents’ lives there: her mother’s art and her father reading as opera played through the open spaces of the home he designed among the trees.
Brendel Clark writes about real estate and other topics for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bclark@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Home of late architect behind Pine Knob, and more, for sale for $3.25M
