There hasn't been a house built in the past 70 years that even comes close to the iconic status of Fallingwater. Sure it took a good architect and a great client, but it also took the right cultural climate and publicity machine that understood what America was looking for - and gave it to us, all sugary excess on a cantilevered platter. And we've eaten it up ever since. Podcast notes: For more information, read the book Fallingwater Rising: Frank Lloyd Wright, E.J. Kaufmann, and America's Most Extraordinary House, by Franklin Toker. Visit the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York for their Sweet Creations Gingerbread Houses through December 15, www.eastmanhouse.org. And visit www.tedwells.com

Atop the highest peak of the highest hill in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles rests Silvertop -- one of architect John Lautner's most intriguing houses. "Real architecture is everything in life: Free-enduring spaces, heart, soul, spirit ... " Lautner said. Started in 1963, Silvertop wasn't finished until ten years later. In this podcast, hear about the clients who finished the house and have lived there ever since. Photo of Silvertop by John Ellis. www.tedwells.com.

Every few months I hear Brad Pitt talking about his love of architecture, and this week it appears he's in the thick of it. He's been blasted by residents of a British seaside town for a controversial design project he's worked on -- before construction has even begun. And on the same day, I saw a study finding that architects have been voted the sexiest male professionals, in a survey of women's ideal partners. Coincidence? ... The photo is of Brad Pitt intently using a glue gun on a design model as Frank Gehry beams at the camera. www.tedwells.com

Julius Shulman's photos did more than publicize the work of Modernist architects. He showed the world that the best architecture of mid-century America reflected the unique and imagined lifestyle of this place. In Shulman's perceptively sharp photos of architecture, interesting men and beautiful women are caught in the middle of a stimulating conversation over cocktails, or lounging in the garden, or emerging from an evening swim in the pool. Ted Wells notes that Shulman's photographs created the two things architecture needs for immortality: respectability and desirability. The Julius Shulman archive of 260,000 photographs has been acquired by the Getty Research Institute. The exhibit "Julius Shulman: Modernity and the Metropolis," is on display until January 22, 2006 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. For more information visit www.getty.edu. Photo from the Getty Research Institute: Chuey Residence, Los Angeles, 1956. Richard Neutra, architect. www.tedwells.com

Julius Shulman is a world-renowned architectural photographer whose career spans the history of Modernism in America. The Shulman House and Studio, built in 1947 and designed by architect Raphael Soriano, has been the photographer's home for nearly sixty years. Ted Wells presents the fourth podcast in a series about four architects and four clients who were committed to the ideals of modern living. These clients are true patrons: generous with their praise, evangelical in their fervor to spread the spirit of Modernism, and satisfied that the rest of the world has finally caught up with their foresight. The photos of the clients in this four-part series are by John Ellis. www.tedwells.com

Leland Burns is a professor of Urban Planning at Cambridge and UCLA. His house, by architect Charles Moore, is imaginative, playful, colorful and memorable. It's a "harmonious and fruitful collaboration between architect and client." This is the third in a series, presented by Ted Wells, about four architects and four clients who were committed to the ideals of modern living. These clients are true patrons: generous with their praise, evangelical in their fervor to spread the spirit of Modernism, and satisfied that the rest of the world has finally caught up with their foresight. www.tedwells.com

Hilde Marshall has been interested in the arts and architecture for most of her life. Her modern house in Beverly Hills, California, was built in 1948 by the noted architect, Konrad Wachsmann. Earlier in his career he had teamed with Walter Gropius, and he also designed Albert Einstein's house in Berlin in 1929. This is the second in a series about four architects and four clients who were committed to the ideals of modern living. These clients are true patrons: generous with their praise, evangelical in their fervor to spread the spirit of Modernism, and satisfied that the rest of the world has finally caught up with their foresight. www.tedwells.com

John P. Clark was a music teacher and his house, by Richard Neutra, centers around the creation, performance and enjoyment of music. When Mr. Clark and his wife DeeVee commissioned the house, they helped create a modern masterpiece. Ted Wells presents the first in a series about four architects and four clients who were committed to the ideals of modern living. These clients are true patrons: generous with their praise, evangelical in their fervor to spread the spirit of Modernism, and satisfied that the rest of the world has finally caught up with their foresight. www.tedwells.com

Over 40 images are in this ENHANCED audio and visual tour to take along for your visit to the exhibit, "Greene & Greene in Long Beach: Furniture for the Homes of Jennie A. Reeve and Adelaide Tichenor." Images of the exhibit have been added to this podcast (November 8, 2005). You may view this Enhanced Podcast in iTunes, Quicktime or on your iPod. Ted Wells shares his insights into the furniture and decorative objects to help you get the most from your visit to this new exhibit at the Long Beach Museum of Art in Long Beach, California. In the early 1900s, the architects Henry and Charles Greene designed some of the world's most beautiful Arts & Crafts houses and some of the most extraordinary furniture ever created. This is the third in a three-part series of podcasts related to the exhibition and the work of the Greenes in Long Beach. www.tedwells.com

The Long Beach Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the work of celebrated Arts & Crafts architects Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene. The exhibit "Greene & Greene in Long Beach: Furniture from the Homes of Jennie A. Reeve and Adelaide Tichenor" is the first time these decorative objects have been assembled and marks their return to Long Beach. In this podcast, Ted Wells looks at an extrordinary and progressive woman, Adelaide Tichenor and tells the story of her Japanese-inspired house. This is the second in a series of three podcasts to enhance the experience of visiting the museum exhibition. www.tedwells.com

The Long Beach Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the work of celebrated Arts & Crafts architects Charles Sumner Greene and Henry Mather Greene. The exhibit "Greene & Greene in Long Beach: Furniture from the Homes of Jennie A. Reeve and Adelaide Tichenor" is the first time these decorative objects have been assembled and marks their return to Long Beach. In this podcast, Ted Wells looks at an extrordinary and progressive woman, Jennie Reeve, and the more than 100-year history of her house. This is the first in a series of three podcasts to enhance the experience of visiting the museum exhibition. www.tedwells.com

Welcome to Ted Wells living : simple podcasts. Architecture and design can make your life better ... or worse. Architectural historian and writer Ted Wells explores what we can learn from contemporary and historical architects and designers, and the houses, buildings, gardens and objects they create. Subscribe at iTunes or www.twls.libsyn.com or visit www.tedwells.com. Thanks for listening.