(abridged version Bonas Essay) Frits Adolf Eschauzier was born at The Hague in 1889 and died at his home in 's-Graveland in August 1957. His father went to the Dutch East Indies as a young man, where he made a fair fortune in sugar. In the 1880s, the family returned to the Netherlands, where the Eschauziers moved into a home in The Hague. Here their last child was born, Frits Adolf. Frits married J.E. Sypkens, daughter of a police commissioner in Scheveningen. From both his own family and that of his wife, he received several commissions to build residential houses. Education From 1906 to 1911, Eschauzier attended HBS. He then spent two years studying architecture at the TH in Delft, which he had to leave due to problems with the science subjects. He continued his training as an architect at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London from 1913 to 1915. In the year of his return to the Netherlands, Eschauzier designed his first building, a residence in Wassenaar. Not much is known about his study time in England and Delft. Which teachers or fellow students Eschauzier had is unclear. However, it can be determined that the time in England was of great importance for Eschauzier's architectural designs. Eschauzier's style bears much resemblance to the work of English innovative architecture at the turn of the century. Similarities are particularly striking in the work of Charles F.A. Voysey (1857-1941). The use of slightly inward-sloping walls and very heavy chimneys is found in both of their work. Also, like Eschauzier, Voysey designed many extensions such as turrets and bay windows. After working as an independent architect for several years, Eschauzier studied with Professor Oskar Strnad in Vienna as late as 1927. This study focused on the interior. Influence and style Eschauzier can be considered a traditionalist in light of the modern ideas of his time. While many architects at the beginning of the twentieth century focused on the future, Eschauzier reached back to the generation of the turn of the century. These designers tried to free themselves from the rules of nineteenth-century architecture. For them, craftsmanship replaced industrial innovation. Eschauzier's method can be compared to this. He designed according to his feelings and used traditional materials, such as brick and thatched roofing. Importantly, in this way he was free to design very personally for the client. The influence of his Viennese apprenticeship can be seen in Eschauzier's furniture designs and interiors. He uses traditional forms and materials to create a homely atmosphere. That Eschauzier is considered part of the "Delft School" because of this traditional style is incorrect. Several architects of this school based themselves on the ideas of the medievalist Thomas Aquinas and used classical forms. This is not the case with Eschauzier. Eschauzier did not join any specific movement or group in the world of architecture. However, he was considered a leading figure there. He had contact with "modern" architects of his generation, such as G. Rietveld and W. van Tijen, who was a personal friend, as well as with the foreman of the Delft School, M.J. Granpré Molière. Style, form and material Eschauzier worked primarily in brick and occasionally in wood. In construction, he sometimes used concrete, including residential buildings. Eschauzier did not work with modules (repeatable fixed sizes). He designed from the function. As a result, with him the floor plans are often imaginative but not very clear. Shifts of spaces relative to each other, obtuse angles in the floor plan and curved forms were used to create an atmosphere of intimacy. He tried to make an organic whole out of the various parts. This organic did not stem from stylistic rules, as in anthroposophic architecture, for example. Eschauzier did not design from a particular doctrine; he followed his feelings. Eschauzier's formal language went through a clear development. His early work showed the influence of traditional architecture, especially that of the Englishman Voysey and, to a lesser extent, the Swedish traditionalists. In later work, after World War II, Eschauzier abandoned these forms, making his work appear more modern. The walls became thinner and less plastic. For roofing, he used predominantly roof tiles during this period. His design style remained the same; the floor plans remained original translations of the client's wishes. History of the office Eschauzier worked as an architect from 1915, with an interruption in 1927. He designed his first commission from his parents' home in The Hague. In 1919, he moved to a home designed by himself, the "Stroovogel" in Wageningen. Eschauzier then received several major commissions: designing a garden district for the Kunstzijde factory in Ede, a residential house and some renovations. From the Stroovogel, Eschauzier and his office moved to an estate in 's-Graveland in 1923. There he moved into a large house, "Swaenenburgh," designed by Ed Cuypers. The office, judging by the constant stream of commissions, must be running well. In addition to designing, Eschauzier became active in other fields. In the 1930s, he became a teacher at the Voorbereidend en Hoger Bouwkunst Onderricht in Amsterdam. Despite increasing busyness, Eschauzier continued to work without a partner until World War II. However, he was assisted by several draftsmen. The scale of the commissions was generally not large; mainly residential houses were designed during these years. The office for the Amstel Brewery in Amsterdam (1931-33) clearly stands out in terms of scale, but still had a relatively simple program of requirements. As a result of his success in the Dutch entry at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris, the situation changed in the final years before World War II. Eschauzier received a number of larger commissions, such as designing the ship interiors for the ms. 'Willem Ruys' and a large country house for D.G. van Beuningen on the Noorderheide estate in Vierhouten. In 1941, the office therefore moved to Bussum. The Second World War, with its attendant reconstruction plans, was a turning point for Eschauzier. The nature of the commissions changed. Instead of acting as architect of individual residential houses, he increasingly acted as architect or consultant of larger projects. After the bombing of Rotterdam, for example, Eschauzier collaborated on the first reconstruction plan and was engaged as architect for the rebuilding of the daily newspaper company of the Rotterdams Nieuwsblad. The architect of country houses, as he will always be known, grew into a well-known personality in the world of architecture. From the late 1940s, Eschauzier frequently served on juries for competitions and on advisory committees. His appointment as extraordinary professor at the TH in Delft in 1948 was a milestone. As a result of these external activities and a growing number of commissions, the firm expanded. Through the TH, Eschauzier regularly recruited draughtsmen, most of whom left after a short period. Eventually, three became associates. These were Frits Eschauzier Jr., Paul de Vletter and Fons van der Berg. They took over the firm in 1957. Slot Eschauzier tried to be independent of the architectural trends of his time. In the time of progressive architects like Rietveld and van Tijen and of traditionalists like Granpré Molière, he tried to achieve a personal architecture. Eschauzier was not bothered by rules. He went his own way in Dutch architecture. Important with Eschauzier was his individually oriented way of designing. He was not a man of great ideals, for example about social housing. He wanted to design a unique building for each client. Eschauzier therefore became known primarily as an architect of country houses. Education: HBS/1906-1911; TH Delft/1911-1913; Architectural Association School of Architecture in London/1913-1915; Vienna with Oskar Strnad/1927 Additional positions: Reconstruction plans for Rotterdam/jury member/1941; Voorbereidend en Hoger Bouwkunst Onderricht Amsterdam/teacher/1930 (about); TH Delft/extraordinary professor of decorative arts/1948.12.14; Competition for a celebration tower in Hulst/jury member/1953; Prix de Rome/jury member/1954; Choice of an architect for the construction of a Mennonite church in Rotterdam/advice member/1958; Advisory committee for the restoration of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam/member/1958