The “Rhode Residence”, located at 1220 Susquehanna Road in the Rydal section of Abington Township, was featured by Dwell.com for its ties to a prominent architect.
The 1957-built, 2,244 sf rancher was designed by Carlos Joseph Alvaré (1924-2017), a Cuban-born architect who worked directly under and was mentored from 1947-1951 by Louis Kahn, a famous 20th-century architect known for creating monumental, geometric buildings that featured raw materials like concrete and brick.
The .72-acre property has been featured by E! And Hulu and sold in June for $1,056,000. It features 10-foot walls of glass, exposed Douglas fir beams, fieldstone facades, and a lush, Japanese-inspired garden.
From the agent:
The Rhode Residence is a remarkably preserved single-story midcentury-modern gem in Rydal, Pennsylvania, being offered for sale for only the second time since it was designed and built in 1957. Located in Abington Township, outside Philadelphia, the home was designed by Cuban-born architect Carlos Joseph Alvaré (1924–2017), who worked under Louis Kahn from 1947 to 1951. Alvaré studied architecture at Yale and the University of Pennsylvania, with connections to Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier during his education.
Influenced by Kahn and other contemporary modernists, Alvaré designed award-winning homes characterized by facades of Pennsylvania fieldstone, open-flowing layouts, exposed structural elements, custom millwork, expansive windows, and dramatic ten-foot walls of glass that connect the interiors to the natural landscape. His work also emphasized thoughtful siting, natural light, and Japanese-inspired landscape design.
Commissioned by Meyer and Rhea Rhode, longtime patrons of Philadelphia’s arts community, the Rhode Residence is one of the finest surviving examples of Alvaré’s residential work. The home sits on a private, professionally landscaped 0.72-acre lot and retains many of its original architectural details, alongside updates to the roof, mechanical systems, kitchen, bathrooms, electrical system, flooring, lighting, and landscaping. Currently owned by a professional artist, it has been meticulously preserved.
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