Mine grows just fine on an obelisk in the middle of the yard.

Whomever wrote that hybrids must be near foundations is whack.

It's the other way around. Sometimes clematis don't do well near a foundation because the eaves of the house can prevent rain from reaching the soil nearest to the foundation. This is especially true further south because the eaves are deeper whereas here in the north the eaves are typically only about a foot deep. If someone who is fairly new to gardening isn't aware of the potential dry-soil-near-the-foundation problem, they might not supplement with extra water.