VICTOR HORNBEIN ARCHITECTURAL RECORDS

Victor (Vic) Hornbein (1913-1995) was born in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from East High School in 1930 and from Atelier Denver, Beaux Arts Institute of Design in 1934. Hornbein's interest in architecture started at an early age and by 1929, he held his first job in an architect's office. He began working part time that summer for M.S. Fallis and Son Architects who were working on the Mayan Theater. When funds ran out, he worked for four months for G. Charles Jaka who was working on the “Cruise Room” in the Oxford Hotel. Funds ran out in that office too and Hornbein started working for G. Meredith Musick who was the architect for the Republic Building where his office was located. Hornbein worked there for two years along with Stanley Morse.

During this time, he was attending the Atelier Denver, a member of the Beaux-Art Institute of Design in New York City. The classes were taught in the basement of Chappell house, owned and operated by the Denver Art Museum. When the work ended with G. Charles Jaka in 1933, Hornbein took short-term jobs with the Bird Roofing Company and the WPA (Works Progress Administration).

Late in January 1934, the Historic American Building Survey began in New Mexico. Hornbein went to New Mexico and joined the project, documenting buildings including the Kiva at Nambe Pueblo and El Santuario del Senor Esquipula. In 1935, Hornbein was hired to work on a project through the National Recovery Act. The project, developed through the Public Buildings Act, included the architects Walter DeMordount, Burnham Hoyt, W.E. and A.A. Fisher, G. Meridith Musick, Frewen and Morris and W. Gordon Jamison. The partnership was named The Associated Architects for the State Hospital in Pueblo. They worked in the old Cooper building at 17th and Curtis. Victor worked in the office with Dudley Smith, Karl Kloverstrom, and Bill Cabot.

This project was completed in January 1936. Immediately afterwards Hornbein went to work for Jamieson and Stiffler who operated the Small House Service Bureau, an AIA (American Institute of Architects) project to provide construction drawings of small houses designed by architects. While working for them, he was approached by Frank Frewen to work for Frewen and Morris. Here he worked on the Boulder High School and J.C. Penney building on 16th and Champa in Denver. In this firm, Hornbein had more responsibility with assignments in design work and the entire production of construction drawings. One design project was the bronze hoistway doors at the State Capitol Building. He designed eight panels per door with stylized symbols of Colorado history and industry.

At this time Hornbein wanted to work at Taliesin West with Frank Lloyd Wright but because of the high annual fee he instead went to California and worked for Paul Frankel, a furniture and interior designer. While working at his office, Hornbein received a telegram from Tom Moore asking Hornbein to return to Denver and work for him. At Tom Moore’s office Hornbein had his first commission with the Touff Residence. In 1940, Hornbein passed the architects' exam and became licensed in Colorado. The next project was the Holden residence. During the summer of 1940 with the Holden residence in construction, he worked for Burnham Hoyt on the Las Casitas Housing Project. Then for Gordon White on the Montclair Elementary school and after that project he spent a couple of months working for Mark Musick on the Arena Building.

In 1941, the Chicago firm of Schmidt, Garden, Erikson was retained for the Remington Arms Company project financed by the War Department. Hornbein worked on the project, which was known as Denver Ordnance, with Jared Morse. The ammunition production facility eventually became the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. Afterwards the Public Buildings Administration hired him to design an addition for a school. After the project, in 1942, Hornbein headed back to New Mexico where he spent nine months working for the Corps of Engineers. Projects included administration buildings, post exchanges, army barracks, base hospitals and a warehouse.

Hornbein returned to Denver and was inducted into the army. While in the army, he was assigned to the Engineer Section, 20th Air Force to design, draw and supervise the operational and housing sites and buildings in the Mariannas Islands and Okinawa. Design projects included airfield runways. He spent three years in the army and in 1946, Hornbein resumed his practice with the opening of an office in the Tabor Building. He ran the office Victor Hornbein, Architect until 1960 when he joined forces with Edward D. White Jr. The office of Hornbein and White operated from 1960 until 1975. The partnership dissolved and he formed Victor Hornbein and Associates from 1975 to 1980. In 1980, Hornbein formed a partnership with John James. In 1981, the firm changed back to individual ownership as Victor Hornbein, Architect.

Hornbein held licenses in Colorado, Kansas and Texas. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects and was elected a Fellow in 1968. Hornbein served on several boards and committees, the Public Advisory Panel on Architectural Services, General Services Administration from 1966-1968, Denver Planning Board from 1965-1968, Colorado Council on Arts and Humanities in 1966 and the Design Review Board at the University of Colorado from 1969-1973. Hornbein was elected to office on several boards. He served as First Vice President in 1970 and President in 1971 for the Colorado Chapter of the AIA. At the Wright-Ingram Institute he was a member of the Board of Advisors in 1972, the Board of Trustees in 1974 and was Chairman of the Board of Trustees in 1975. Hornbein received the Western Mountain Region AIA Silver Medal in 1981.

Many of the projects Hornbein designed were published in magazines and books. Several of these publications include Architectural Forum, Architectural Record, Progressive Architecture and Better Homes and Gardens. Hornbein wrote articles for magazines and an essay on Frank Lloyd Wright for publication. He was a visiting lecturer at the University of Colorado, School of Architecture in 1957-59, 1968, and 1975.