An Unusual Landmark: Lexington's Miller House

The Miller House - 832 Lochmere Place, Lexington, Ky. Zillow. 

In 1988, Robert and Penny Miller commissioned José Oubrerie to design and build for them a home on a twenty-acre tract for them in what was then a rural part of Fayette County, Kentucky. An essay by John McMorrough contained in the book, Et in Suburbia Ego: José Oubrerie's Miller House, describes some of the Miller's ambitions with the project.

Oubrerie "liked Aldo van Eyck 's idea of 'a city is like a house, a house is like a city' and so he designed a structure where each resident might have their "own little house" "inside the citadel." While public or common areas dominate the ground level, each person would have their own exit from their "little house" allowing each occupant to have full independence from the other residents. With grown children, the Miller's sought that each member of the family could have their own space.

As the home rose from the ground, the fluid design continued to change. According to Oubrerie, this was a source of consternation among contractors but was one of the lessons the architect had learned from his mentor, LeCorbusier: "as long as something is not built, there is still time." In the design of the Miller House, the approach worked because the parts of the house were disassociated from one another. As new elements were introduced into the project, the site changed creating what Oubrerie called a "creative construction process."

The result is José Oubrerie's masterpiece.

Interior of the Miller House. Zillow.

At the time he designed The Miller House, Oubrerie was the dean of UK's College of Architecture. His mentor, Le Corbusier, was described by Time Magazine in 1988 as the "most important architect of the 20th century."

Unlike any other property in landmark, this residence is truly a Lexington landmark.

Currently listed on the market, The Miller House is the site of the Blue Grass Trust's deTour on August 2, 2017.

A couple of notes about the deTour: (1) There is no air conditioning at the Miller House, but windows will be opened for airflow. (2) The second and third floors are accessible only by stair. (3) Parking is available along the neighborhood streets, but people who need to be dropped off at the front door are welcome to do so. Please be respectful of the neighbors and neighborhood.

IF YOU GO BGT deTour The Miller House August 2, 2017 Gather at 5:30 p.m., program begins at 5:45 p.m. The Miller House 832 Lochmere Place Lexington, KY Free and open to the public. #BGTdeTours

The Miller House. Zillow.