Berkeley’s Ultimate Bungalow: Greene & Greene’s Thorsen House

Lecture & Visit
Sunday, 18 September 2022

2:00–3:00 pm
Lecture by Professor Margaretta M. Lovell
Sproul Room, International House
2299 Piedmont Avenue

3:00–5:00 pm
Thorsen House Visit & Reception
2307 Piedmont Avenue

Tickets: $45—Sold out (waitlist available)
Space is limited to 75 participants.

Designed in 1908 for William and Caroline Thorsen by legendary architects Charles and Henry Greene, this landmark house is one of the great architectural treasures of the nation. The only Greene & Greene “Ultimate Bungalow” in Northern California, the Thorsen House is a work of art exhibiting the goals of the international Arts & Crafts movement, the materials available on a global market a century ago, and the exceptional skills of these renowned architects and their craftsmen.

In her lecture, Margaretta M. Lovell, the Jay D. McEvoy Professor of American Art and Architecture at U.C. Berkeley, will discuss the history and significance of the house, as well as the Thorsen family and the social life of this extraordinary work of craftsmanship.

This is a rare opportunity to visit one of Berkeley’s most remarkable houses. Home of the Sigma Phi Society since 1942, the house has been maintained by the chapter members, some of whom will be on hand.

Paid parking is available at the nearby Stadium Parking Garage, 2175 Gayley Road.