Adapting the Aspirational Modernism of World’s Fairs Series

Restoring the Relocated Houses of Tomorrow: Preserving the Aspirational Modernism of Chicago's 1933 Century of Progress Exposition

Wednesday, July 30, 2025 
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET

APT’s Technical Committee on Modern Heritage is pleased to offer the next installment in its webinar series on Adapting Aspirational Modernism. 

In a bold move to boost the local economy and inspire optimism in the future amidst the Great Depression, Chicago’s 1933 Century of Progress Exposition marked the city’s centennial, celebrating innovations in architecture, science, technology and transportation. An enduring exhibit was the Homes of Tomorrow exhibition that demonstrated modern home convenience and practical new building materials and techniques with twelve model homes.

Sponsored by manufacturers of construction materials and products, such as the Ferro Enamel Corporation, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, General Electric, Celotex, Goodyear, and Insulated Steel, these futuristic homes demonstrated clean lines and the streamlined aesthetic of Art Deco and Art Moderne design, as well as new technologies such as central air conditioning, dishwashers, and a personal helicopter pad. Several firms used the model homes to demonstrate pre-fabricated construction techniques as well as new material such as baked enamel and Rostone — an artificial stone that could fabricated in different colors, shapes and sizes—were hailed as affordable and durable home construction options.

Five of the houses remain viewable today in the Century of Progress Architectural District created by the relocation of select houses from the Chicago exhibition across the lake to shore property in what is now Indiana Dunes National Park, managed by the National Park Service in cooperation with the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

This webinar will explore the history, reuse, and conservation challenges raised by the surviving Century of Progress Houses, focusing on the House of Tomorrow, architect Fred Keck’s unique for the time design, its structural configuration, and the recent project that restored the exterior to its original 1933 appearance.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the history and historic significance of the houses and site.
• Evaluate repair approaches used for the enclosure, with consideration of existing details.
• Specify requirements for selecting replacement wall and paver materials.
• Select modern finish materials consistent with the design intent and context of a historic property. 
• Guide construction logistics, contractor approach, and quality control measures for the best possible finished product.

Continuing Education Credits
1 LU/PDH

Accreditation guidelines dictate that CEU credit is only available to participants of the live program. 

Can't join the webinar live? A limited-access recording of this session will be available exclusively to those who register for the webinar.  Please note, per AIA guidelines, only participants of the live program are eligible for continuing education credits.

Registration Fees

• APT Members: $20
• Emerging Professionals: $15 $0*
• Students: $10 $0*
• Non-Members: $35

* Thanks to the generous support of the Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, APT is pleased to offer this program at no cost to Student members and Emerging Professional members. Not a member? Learn how to join here. 

Register

Speakers:

Todd Zeiger, Director, Northern Regional Office, Indiana Landmarks Todd Zeiger, with over 35 years of experience and a background in historic preservation, executive management, and business, has dedicated his career to preserving historic buildings. As director of Indiana Landmarks' Northern Regional Office since 1998, he offers preservation support and project development expertise throughout northern Indiana. One project has been the Century of Progress leasing program a part of which is the House of Tomorrow.  In addition, he has been a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture since 2008, teaching courses on preservation theory, history, and documentation.

Todd Ravesloot, Chief of Facilities, Indiana Dunes National Park Todd Ravesloot has served as the Chief of Facilities with Indiana Dunes National Park since 2021 and is one of the primary people responsible for the preservation and maintenance of all of the park’s historic structures. He has worked for the National Park Service since 2010 in a construction and historic preservation project management capacity, first at the Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, MD, and more recently the project manager at Pullman National Historical Park in Chicago, IL, responsible for the construction management of the new visitor center in the historic Administration Clock Tower Building.

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