Contemporary Homes + a Woodland Community = Easy Elegant Living
A home in Holly Hill Farms: A decision that will afford you lifelong tranquility.
Some of Holly Hill Farms Original
ARCHITECTS
Joseph St. Cyr
Worked with famed Michigan architect Minoru Yamasaki prior to establishing St. Cyr Architects & Associates.
James W. Conn
More information coming soon…
Carl Koch
The Grandfather of Prefab. Inventor of the Techbuilt system, of which Wolfe-Gilchrist were franchised builders.
Richard Pollman
Among the most prolific of home designers of the 20th Century, Pollman contributed one distinct ranch style home in Holly Hill Farms.
Irving Tobocman
The renowned Michigan architect, recognized around the world for his sleek, contemporary designs.
Jay Barbas
Designer/Builder of Holly Hill Farms famous Butterfly House and VP of Urban Systems Development Company Detroit.
Cyr’s Holly Hill House models exist only here, and demonstrate a compact, efficient, and very open, airy style of living.
Joseph Cyr - HOLLY HILL HOUSE
Born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan he set up his own practice there in 1955, only two years after completing his master’s degrees in architecture at the University of Michigan. St. Cyr Architects & Associates designed more than 100 churches, schools and office buildings. Cyr also had an affinity for an open layout that created an illusion of space flowing between the exterior and interior. His designs can be seen in our significant neighborhood of Holly Hill Farms as he designed close to 30 magical properties our lots giving each owner an opportunity to live in his extraordinary design. Each house was placed with considerable thought embracing the nature, character, and topographical features.
A Classic Techbuilt Home exhibiting the “Detroit Brick” used to construct most of the Techbuilt designs in Holly Hill Farms
Carl Koch - TECHBUILT
Harvard educated and noted American architect associated with the design of prefabricated homes and the development of the Techbuilt system. Koch believed that the American lifestyle would be best served by a housing system which could be easily assembled and reconfigured. His prime legacy is the Techbuilt system of home construction. In the Techbuilt house, the post and beam system makes interior walls non-load bearing combined with a variety of modular exterior wall panels permits the client to easily customize the design. Koch designed multiple versions of his Techbuilt system in Holly Hill Farms.
We have many TECHBUILT homes in Holly Hill Farms with various different layouts and styles. Techbuilt homes were typically built with a style letter A-E with the Excursion House being an additional model. The most well known layout in HHF is The E House. The original models and brochure can be seen below.
The house is built around a core containing the utilities and immovable fixtures such as stairs, chimney, fireplace, and bathroom. The rest of the space is free.
Flat roofs and no overhang characterize almost all of Irv Tobocman’s work.
Irving Tobocman - SIGNATURE MONOLITH
Irv Tobocman’s architectural and personal legacy within Michigan has grown tremendously since his passing, as is the case with all great artists. His signature monolithic style is present in all the homes he designed throughout Holly Hill Farms. These flat-roof floating boxes can catch a passerby off-guard with their unassuming and functional yet elegant posture. Homes built in this subdivision have varying influence from his studio - in some cases they’re referred to as a “Tobocman design” without construction having been specifically overseen by Irv himself, while others were built, and in some cases remodeled directly under the watchful eye of the mastermind behind these great Michigan Moderns.
Jay Barbas - The Butterfly House
The Butterfly House is a bit of a mystery. Jay A. Barbas designed several ultra modern and spectacular houses throughout metro Detroit. He designed the Butterfly House to be his personal residence in 1965, but sold it not long after its completion. The roof design is a totally unique quartered hyperbolic paraboloid shape, with high-end architectural choices throughout the interior while being constructed with many of the same elements as Cyr’s Holly Hill Houses as well as Tobocman’s cantilevered masterpieces. The collaboration between the three minds is largely unknown.
Once home to Ed Taylor and his family; a storied GM and Corvette designer who is purported to have brought home all varieties of exotic cars including Maseratis and Lamborghinis during development of the C4 corvette. This home holds the distinction of never having been on the real estate market through five different owners - always having been passed from friend to friend.
NEOCOLONIAL HOMES
After the bankruptcy of Wolfe-Gilchrist, inc Holly Hill Farms still had several undeveloped lots. Although the original vision was to fill all 138 lots with modern, unique homes, the evolving desires of homebuyers in the late seventies and early eighties saw a return to more divided room layouts, larger bathrooms, and classical ornamentation in a contemporary revival of the Colonial style home. These continue to be wonderful homes to reside in within the quiet woods and winding roads of Holly Hill Farms.
