Greene and Greene Stairs

Greene and Greene was an architectural firm established by brothers Charles Sumner Greene (1868-1957) and Henry Mather Greene (1870-1954), influential early 20th Century American architects. Active primarily in California, their bungalow houses and larger-scale ultimate bungalows are prime exemplars of the American Arts and Crafts Movement.

The structure of the Greene & Greene house is essential not only to the immense feeling of security that such an overly-supported structure brings, but also accentuates the importance of the Arts & Crafts fundamentals in the Greene & Greene style. The visual importance of the aesthetic nature of the joints, pegs, and complex wood-work symbolizes the structure of the house, and coincides with the principles taught in the Manual Training School of their youth. The structure of the house is externalized, or exploded, rather than hidden in decoration. Each element of the structure asserts itself. This extravagance of support takes its origins from the elaborate joinery and framing of traditional Japanese architecture.