When asked if his dwellings have any characteristic features, Phil is demure and replies that he just designs to suit his clients and the site. Many of his homes do share similarities not generally found in other mid-century modern homes in the area, however.
First and foremost is his love of geometric patterns involving squares. Frequently Phil made use of a simple concrete block for building chimneys. The center of these blocks happens to hold a glass block, also an item common to the era. In other cases, he created his own squares out of frequently found materials.
The above examples are only a few of his many patterns. As you visit a Hallock home or examine pictures of his buildings, look for one of his designs.
Found less frequently are frameless corner windows. These were pioneered by Wright. The lack of a support post where one normally expects one creates the illusion of a much larger room and seems to bring the outdoors in. This construction is obviously much more expensive than the use of standard designs and therefore tends to be found in his more expensive homes. There are several notable exceptions, however.
Another Wright architectural device that intrigued Hallock very much was the use of the cantilever. (Most famous are the balconies of Fallingwater, which recently had to be reconstructed to prevent falling indeed into the water.) Hallock not only used balconies, but also cantilevered dining tables (no legs to bump) and porch overhangs.
Hallock was also sought out for his work with difficult sites, especially rocky, sloping ones. Such homes often appeared as one story in front and two stories in the rear.
Traditional homes without fireplaces nearly always had a simple, narrow, utilitarian chimney. Those with fireplaces were nearly always wider at the bottom to accommodate the firebox opening and then narrowed at the top for more economical construction. Hallock heavily favored fireplaces, per Wright, and designed them to be rectangular boxes, especially as seen from outside. Inside he eschewed the traditional mantle and used various sculpted surfaces for visual interest.
