Richard Corff is a real estate salesman with a difference.
Corff loves a certain type of real estate at the expense of almost everything else.
It wasn't always this way, but almost from the time he arrived here from Oklahoma City in 1980, he wanted it to be that way.
Corff is the driving force behind 360 Modern, "people passionate about and dedicated to the appreciation of modern architecture and all things related," according to the firm's wildly informative website: www.360modern.com.
The firm buys and sells modern architecture homes and "provides a community where buyers and sellers can connect."
"It's really terrific to do something that you love. We're not trying to be all things to all people," Corff asserted, although he says he does leave a spot in his business for friends and associates who may not be as smitten by modern architecture as he is.
And Corff walks the talk.
"I live in a 1952 Paul Hayden Kirk house in a community called Hilltop. Hayden Kirk was one of the mid-century modern masters. Hilltop was a community started by Jack Morse, Perry Johanson and a few others (architects). These guys started this thing," Corff said excitedly.
'"The concept of 360 has been in play for about two-and-a-half years. I have had a strong interest in modern architecture since I was young. My grandparents had an art deco house. One of my best friends lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. I thought everybody lived this way," Corff chuckled.
Corff recently had a sit-down with Ron Ho, a Northwest artist and former teacher at the University of Washington, about his home.
"He lives in a 1936 Paul Thiry house. Paul Thiry (who graduated from the University of Washington in 1928) brought modernism to the Northwest. Mr. Ho said something very profound. I'm paraphrasing here: 'It's all about design. If you start with design it's hard to screw it up. If you don't start with design, it's almost impossible to fix it.'"
But there is a snake in every garden.
"These beautiful houses are being bought and torn down and replaced with something that is now commonly referred to as McMansions," Corff said.
Corff is dedicated to buying and selling and helping others appreciate these homes, their style, and their effect on this area's architecture.
"How do you define what is modern architecture? Like anything, we see a continuum of what is modern architecture," Corff explained. "There are the masterpieces, but we also have houses on the Eastside, tract house developments, built in the early 1960smostly, that feature at least some components of modernism."
He and 360 Modern are waiting to minister to the needs of anyone interested in living modern and avoiding the McMansion trap.
"Whether you're looking for your first home or finding that masterpiece, we'll help you," promised Corff, a 44-year-old husband and father of two.
Interested in learning more about Seattle's modern architecture 360 modern? Call 425-941-8113 or check out the website at www.360modern.com.
Dennis Wilken can be reached at editor@sdistrictjournal.com.[[In-content Ad]]
