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Project Coordinator (Part-Time) Alan I W Frank House Foundation   About the Frank House Foundation The Frank House Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of the Alan I W Frank House, a modern masterpiece designed and built in 1940 by Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus, and Marcel Breuer. Located in Pittsburgh, the house has been referred to as a complete work of art integrating architecture, furnishings, and landscape. It is widely recognized as the most important residence Gropius and Breuer ever completed. The Foundation is working diligently to preserve the house and open it to the public, ensuring its legacy as an architectural and cultural landmark for future generations. More information can be found at thefrankhouse.org. Position Summary The Frank House Foundation seeks a highly motivated and detail-oriented Project Coordinator to support the Foundation’s programs and operations. This is a part-time position (15-20 hours per week) for a 8–12 month period, working closely with the Foundation’s President, Vice President, Trustees, and Advisors on a range of projects including fundraising support, website content, house preparation and volunteer engagement. The ideal candidate will have a background in arts management, studio management (ideally in related fields of architecture/design), communications or marketing, fund development, and/or non-profit management with a deep appreciation for modern architecture and architectural preservation. Strong communication, writing, organizational and administrative skills are essential, as is the ability to manage confidential information with discretion. Candidate must be willing to roll up their sleeves and tackle a range of duties from tactical to strategic. Key Responsibilities • Provide administrative and project support for Foundation initiatives. • Assist with book sale merchandizing and fulfillment with vendors. • Monitor and manage Foundation email communications. • Support website content refreshes (e.g., announcements, news, events). • Support grant writing and applications. • Maintain and grow the Foundation’s social media presence (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). • Assist with end-of-year fundraising appeal efforts. • Support house readiness and preparation for programs and visits. • Identify and coordinate volunteers to support work. • Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.   Qualifications • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in fields noted above or related field. Graduate students encouraged to apply. • Experience and/or strong interest in architectural preservation. • Demonstrated discretion and ability to handle confidential information. • Strong organizational, task/project management, and communication skills. • Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including experts, advisors, vendors, volunteers and partner organizations. • Proficiency with digital tools and platforms (email, social media, website content management). • Ability to identify, cultivate and manage volunteers. • Experience with donor database development and management. • Exceptional references.   Position Details • Part-time, non-exempt role: approximately 15-20 hours/week; no travel is anticipated. • Candidate is expected to be on-site at the Frank House regularly, depending on the duties for the week. Remainder of role can be performed remotely. Candidate is expected to be able to commute easily to the Pittsburgh neighborhood. • Hourly pay range: $28-$38/hr, depending on experience and qualifications. • No benefits (health, paid leave, retirement) provided — this role is classified as part-time, non-benefit eligible. • Appointment for 8-12 months, with possibility of renewal if funding allows. • Reports to the President and Vice President of the Foundation.   Application Process Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume and cover letter describing their interest in and qualifications for the position. Applications should be emailed to friends@thefrankhouse.org   Thank you for your interest.

The story of the Frank House will be presented at the upcoming Modernism Week on February 18, 2026.  Click here for more information.

The Frank House masterpiece was featured in The Wall Street Journal article “Pittsburgh Home by Renowned Architects Remains Virtually Unchanged Inside and Out Since Its 1940 Completion”, written by Anthony Paletta, and an article in the New York Times “Bauhaus at 100”, written by Jade-Snow Joachim, Alex Marshall, Josephine Sedgwick and Eden Weingart.

Conversation and Book Signing: The Alan I W Frank House, The Modernist Masterwork by Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer Dec 7, 2019 1:30 pm–3:00 pm CMOA Theater: Pittsburgh, PA To celebrate the launch of the new publication, Alan I W Frank House: The Modernist Masterwork by Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer, attendees joined us for an informal conversation between Alan Frank, who has lived in the Shadyside house since childhood, and Raymund Ryan, curator of the Heinz Architectural Center. Published by Rizzoli, this remarkable book recounts the story of one of Pittsburgh’s most important works of midcentury architecture. Featuring several critical texts, and with new photography by Richard Pare and Richard Barnes, it is essential reading for all those interested in Pittsburgh design culture. A book signing followed the conversation, with copies available for purchase through the CMOA store. The event was free and is co-sponsored by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. For more information, visit: CMOA.org

The Alan I W Frank House Book offers a rare opportunity to explore the house. It is the most important residence Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer, two of the best architects of the twentieth century, ever designed. In keeping with the Bauhaus “total work of art” philosophy they created every aspect of the building, its furniture, and the site. The Alan I W Frank House book is available via Amazon. Shop Here +

Like many others from around the world, 53 visitors came from Washington, DC, in November 2015 to see the house.

Two stonemasons carefully lower an 800-pound block of Kasota stone into place on the roof. The stone came from an ancient inland sea that existed in Minnesota about 450 million years ago.

A red oak embraces the north terrace as painters remove old paint from the outside of the railing. The inside of the railing is made from Robert Frank’s Copperweld Steel Company copper-covered steel wire. The special stainless steel lighting fixture has just been restored. A ginkgo tree watches in the background.

450 million years ago, a beautiful pink stone formed under an ancient sea. Known as Kasota stone, it wraps the exterior of The Alan I W Frank House in warm, natural beauty. On a trip to Minnesota, where the original stone was quarried, Alan met with Howard J Vetter, chairman of the board of Vetter Stone Company, and grandson of the man who actually cut the original stone in 1939. Mr. Vetter personally selected a piece of stone to match a piece on the house that had weathered. He said that he was “honored to supply the stone” and autographed it as a donation to the preservation of the house.

A benefit dinner for the Alan I W Frank House Foundation was held recently at Eleven, a restaurant in Pittsburgh. Henry P Hoffstot, and Susan and John Block share stories of the Frank House’s role in Pittsburgh history with Alan.

Stonework at the Frank House recently revealed a link to the home’s historic heritage and Pittsburgh’s industrial past. Stonemasons set a new capstone on one of the home’s chimneys, fitting it around a lightning rod connected to a grounding cable. The connector was invented by Robert Frank, and the lightning rod, connector and grounding cable were made by Copperweld, the highly successful steel company that he built.

In November 2013, the chief curator and Anni Albers foundation gave a seminar on Annie Albers for graduate students at Yale School of Architecture. A highlight of the seminar was an image of a magnificent piece of fabric with a copper thread woven in it, from the master bedroom of the Frank House. Annie Albers is recognized as one of the most influential fabric designers of thee twentieth century. She began her studies at the Bauhause in 1922 with Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. It was there she met her husband, Joseph Albers.

In June 2013, the Alan I W Frank House Foundation announced the return of four pieces of the original Marcel Breuer furniture to the Foundation for preservation and future exhibition. The desk and bookcase, desk chair, armchair and table were created by Breuer for the Frank House in 1940. They were designed in wood, Lucite and natural upholstery, and some were made by American manufacturer Schmieg & Kotzian. For the last eight years, they have been on exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Art through the good works of Elsie and Henry Hillman and the museum’s director at the time Richard Armstrong, and with the generous support of the Hillman Foundation. They are four of the hundreds of pieces of furniture that Breuer designed for the home.

The Frank House masterpiece was featured in MODERN magazine, with a multiple page article by Barry Bergdoll, with photography by Richard Barnes and Ezra Stoller.

Important work on the Alan I W Frank House started on June 22, 2011, as stonemasons began cleaning the building’s famous Kasota stone. Designed and built as a “Total Work of Art” for Cecelia and Robert Frank in 1939-40 by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius and his partner Marcel Breuer, the home and its original contents have been preserved to the present day, original and authentic. But seventy years, along with the harsh Pittsburgh climate, have taken their toll on some parts of the outside and some of the original fabrics. The stonework is the first phase of the long range plan. This phase will use an innovative honing process to remove 70 years of surface discoloration from the stone, restoring the warm brilliance of its original pink-sand beach color. The honing process developed by industrialist/innovator Alan I W Frank, owner of the House, will duplicate the original factory sand honed finish. Renowned architectural advisors to the current project include Jay Turnbull, president of Page & Turnbull, an architectural firm specializing in historic preservation; and Joseph Godfryt, Principal, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. According to Mr. Turnbull, “The late 1930s, when this home was built, was a time of great creative blossoming in the country, especially with the influx of the best of the European architects like Gropius and Breuer. There’s no question this home is a great masterpiece. And it’s extraordinary, a great blessing in fact, that the house has come down to us virtually intact from the moment it was created. The work we’re starting today will help by preserving the weather envelope.” Joseph Godfryt added: “The fact that the building envelope components have provided such exemplary service since originally constructed in 1940 is truly a tribute to the excellence in their design and craftsmanship. Our firm is excited about our involvement with the superb restoration that is starting.”  Photographed together from left to right are Jay Turnbull, Alan I W Frank and Joseph Godfryt.