Episode 139: Judith Chafee
Christina Affeld, a stage actress from Chicago, married Dr. Percy B. Davidson, a physician who died unexpectedly after an appendectomy in 1932 before Judith was born. Left widowed and pregnant, Christina returned to Chicago and gave birth to Judith on August 18, 1932. She later remarried Dr. Benson Bloom, and the family moved to Tucson, where the family became involved in the local community, politics, and indigenous culture. Judith grew up in a unique, free-spirited environment, helping her mother build their adobe house and learning hands-on building skills. The family’s political activism, including support for civil rights and women’s reproductive rights, shaped Judith’s early views. Christina became close friends with Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, and Judith met notable figures like Eleanor Roosevelt and Frank Lloyd Wright, further shaping her path. Judith attended the Parker School in Chicago, where she became a feisty, rebellious student, challenging the discriminatory practices in school admissions. After a summer internship at Hull House, she attended Bennington College, where a mentor encouraged her to pursue architecture. After college she worked in New York City before deciding to attend architecture school. She entered Yale’s prestigious architecture program, eventually marrying Richard Spofford Chafee and becoming Judith B. Chafee. During her time at Yale, Judith was mentored by architects like Paul Rudolph and Louis Kahn, and she later worked for top firms, including Eero Saarinen and Associates and TAC. She divorced Richard during the late 60s and went on to establish her own architectural practice, gaining recognition for residential projects like the Merrill House and Funking Residence, both of which were published in Architectural Record. Judith’s journey, marked by personal and professional challenges, laid the foundation for her influential career in architecture.
Caryatid: Trattie Davies
Trattie Davies attended Yale University for undergrad and received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree in 1994. After graduating she taught photography at a high school in Vermont before going to New York City and working at an architecture firm. She then decided to go to grad school and went back to Yale to get her M. Arch in 2004. Her final semester, she had Frank Gehry as her professor, and after graduation she went to work for Gehry Partners in LA. She also was an artist in residence at Cité International des Arts in Paris and a teaching fellow at the Fontainebleau Schools of Music and Fine Arts. In 2009, she and Jonathan Toews started Davies Toews in New York City. Their firm does residential, commercial, and institutional projects and focuses on practice through building with an emphasis on design exploration and scale diversity. In addition to her firm, Trattie also is a Senior Critic at the Yale School of Architecture.
References
C.E., and Kathryn McGuire. “Judith Davidson Chafee.” Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, dna.bwaf.org/architect/chafee-judith-davidson.
Domin, Christopher. “Judith Chafee | 1932 - 1998: The Influence of Place and Character.” Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, preservetucson.org/stories/judith-chafee-1932-1998.
“Judith Chafee, FAIA.” Docomomo, www.docomomo-us.org/designer/judith-chafee.
“Judith Davidson Chafee, FAIA (1932-1998).” USModernist Archives, www.usmodernist.org/chafee.htm.
Marsh, Margaret, and Alex Thompson. “Interview: Trattie Davies.” Paprika!, 8 Sept. 2016, paprikamagazine.com/folds/on-practicing/interview-trattie-davies.
Sisson, Patrick. “Judith Chafee: Dean of Desert Architecture.” Curbed, 10 Aug. 2017, archive.curbed.com/2017/8/10/16120726/judith-chafee-midcentury-architect-tucson.
“Trattie Davies - Senior Critic.” Yale Architecture, www.architecture.yale.edu/faculty/325-trattie-davies.
Wikipedia contributors. “Judith Chafee.” Wikipedia, 18 Aug. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Chafee.
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