I am a Frank Lloyd Wright fan. Just can’t help myself. I know that many might chime in here with a recitation of all his faults . . . how his roofs leaked, his slabs sagged, yadda, yadda, yadda . . . I don’t care.
Last weekend while in Chicagoland visiting the kids, I took an afternoon trip with our SIL to visit the FLW home and studio in Oak Park, IL. We did the guided tour of the home and studio, then the walking tour of the neigborhood to see the homes.
Wright’s own house and studio complex was remodeled and added to extensively by him in the 20 or so years he lived there, and it all shows how his ideas on design were progressing. The trim schemes inside and out were exquisite, the colors and textures dead on, and the stained glass skylights were incredible.
Particularly impressive for me, on the walking tour of the Oak Park immediate neighborhood, were the 1906 Edward R. Hills house at 313 Forest Avenue, and the 1901 Franklin W. Thomas house at 210 Forest. The Hills house underwent a ground-up restoration in the last ten years, and its tiered wood-shingle roof with copper accent bands was remarkable.
I just completed a copy of a Sarah Susanka showhouse design for a client, and Susanka’s rooflines were just about an exact ripoff of the 1901 Thomas house.
On our next trip there, I want to schedule a tour of the Robie house. We have done Fallingwater numberous times and in all four seasons, Taliesan West in Scottsdale, the Guggenhiem in NYC, and our pilgrimages are not over.
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Wright's architecture did have some problems, but in comparison to what was generally being built out there at the time, his stuff was pretty spectacular.
I have always admired his style....
there is a floor lamp from one of theTaliesin houses that I always wanted to try and duplicate. ( and have been trying to find a picture of it for this post )
...the only thing I lack is the ability to do either
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here it is.......
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I've loved FLW for many years - probably ever since I became aware that there was such a thing as "architecture". My DH was one of the FLW skeptics until we toured Taliesen West on our honeymoon - he's coming around to understanding why FLW has the reputation and the following he does.
"Once you institutionalize thinking outside the box, it turns to dust in your hand." .
Gen. Michael Hayden
yes. his work ...in spite of all the complaints..... was capable of fitting in with Nature using the one thing you will never find in Nature.a straight line.
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You can't find a straight line in today's new homes.Troy Sprout
"D@mn... forgot the screws."
HAHAHAHAHAAAHH....yur right.....
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Wasn't Taliesen West a treasure? You were only an hour and 1/2 away from us....We toured Taliesen 2 years ago and stayed the whole day....Husband is a big FLW fan also and a lot of his stained glass works reflect his love of Wright....I agree that you have to look past the man and his idiocyncrisies.....
Carole, i thought of you when we were there - alas, I didn't have your contact info. I have an aunt who lives in Tucson (long, sad story - will share privately if you wish) and I would have loved to visit her too - too little time, too much to do, too many planes to catch.in my earlier life as a writer, I wrote one of my all-time favourite articles comparing Taliesin West, Biosphere II, and Arcosanti, all within an hour's drive of Phoenix. Of the three, only Taliesin holds up. We re-visited Arcosanti on this trip - sad ending to what had once been a most innovative adventure in architecture and social engineering.
"Once you institutionalize thinking outside the box, it turns to dust in your hand." .
Gen. Michael Hayden
That's ok.....We've only been here 8 months....We visited Arcosanti last winter.....We have about 6 of the Solari bells and really wanted to see how the old place was doing.....You're right, it's sad what has happened to it.....Interesting story about Biosphere.....We were at a friend's house about a month ago and one of the guests was the man who engineered the Biosphere project.....He is one of the most interesting people I've talked with.....Of course, these people are all aging hippies.....:) Aren't we all!I'm glad you got to the SW......Sedona is particulary unique....The Birns fire up there was just contained last week.....We haven't been there since the fire, so I hope it isn't too bad....I would be interested in the Tucson story, if you want....
We have about 6 of the Solari bells and really wanted to see how the old place was doing.....You're right, it's sad what has happened to it.....
You and Shy agree... Been many years since I've visited. Care to share? Soleri was one of my great inspirations, much more than FLW. But more the theme of Cosanti, where I used to regularly visit as an undergrad.
We briefly considered joining Arcosanti, then realized we weren't joiners.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
It is in disrepair.....We were amazed at the young architectural students who still live there.....The road there is in disrepair and the students still live in these "hobbit" like huts.....Our guide was about 35 or so and he and his wife love this lifestyle.....The views from Arcosanti are fabulous.....I feel, and my husband could speak much more to this, that this is a dream gone away....We have never visited Cosanti, but would like to....
Thanks, I think. Rough entry road I can imagine. "hobbit" like huts..... isn't what we last saw. More like small apartments adjoining what looked like a supportive community for the arts.
My very conservative Phoenix sibling deemed it a "hippy place", which is probably why I felt comfortable. As you mentioned, the site is wonderful.
We have never visited Cosanti, but would like to....
On your Grady Gammage excursion... ASU was a wonderful place to be exposed to architecture. Prior, I knew mundane cmu, adobe, and wickiups. Not unimportant, but there's more to sample.
Hmmm... Cosanti definitely had "hobbit" like huts..... Earth-formed domes and the like. And an exquisite pool, which I never skinny-dipped in, contrary to popular belief.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
That's it, earth formed domes.....It was a cold windy day and we walked around with a young architectural student..... Made us feel old.....:)He and his wife lived there....We still have the photos.....I will attach them later......
I will attach them later......
Please do. I've got a hankerin'.
Sorry you felt old. It's all about attitude. Pretty sure we're peers, but I've got nieces and nephews who're older than I am.
And as for a young architectural student of 35, remember when you couldn't trust anybody over 30? Well...PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I've been searching through our pics......I will attach them as soon as I sort them out......I don't feel old, just that this young thing made me want to start all over....:)
I found it sad because it is almost deserted -- there were fewer than 100 residents, and everythng just looked half-done (and done half-@ssed, at that). Soleri is still wandering around, but where once he was this intimidating god-like creature, he now looks just old and resigned. It's still very much a one-man show, and my partner, who had never heard of Arcosanti, and knew nothing of its background before, commented that he felt like he had just walked into a cult -- which, in fact, we had. Soleri still runs a one-man show, and it's very much his way or the highway.My ex and I first visited Arcosanti about 12 years ago, and it was a relative hive of activity, though even then it was obvious that the place was beginning to lose its magic, though I grant the setting is one of the most spectacular I've ever seen.(BTW, Carole, the road into Arcosanti was in the same condition 12 years ago - I had the impression that it's kept that way deliberately - it keeps out the riff raff).
"Once you institutionalize thinking outside the box, it turns to dust in your hand." .
Gen. Michael Hayden
I agree with you on it's cult like status. I was there about 10 years ago and was disappointed, guess I was expecting much more.
If you were there in the 70's, it was inspiring.....With the monsoons upon us, our bells are really getting a workout!
Yeah, XDH and I were hoping for more, too. We first heard Soleri speak at a UN conference on housing back in the '70s, and Arcosanti sounded like a true Utopia. I think every architect under the age of 35 wanted to go off into the desert and build this city with him. I actually knew a few who did just that. Soleri is apparently a very hard task-master, and there's no arguing with him. We were disappointed on that first trip that everything, and I do mean everything, was slanted to get us to buy those (sorry Carole,) damned bells! Apparently that's what has been financing the effort for the past many years. This time around, even the effort to sell us anything seemed kind of half-hearted.
"Once you institutionalize thinking outside the box, it turns to dust in your hand." .
Gen. Michael Hayden
"I think every architect under the age of 35 wanted to go off into the desert and build this city with him"I actually looked into going to Arcosanti after graduation (1991). Mike Reynolds (architect who popularized rammed-earth tire houses in the southwest) graduated from our university years before, and a former roommate was going to New Mexico to build with him. It got me thinking of Arcosanti as an option.I did some research and came away with a general feeling similar to other opinions expressed here. Seemed kind of cultish and made me wonder why the photos always looked the same over the years. I wanted to get into the construction side of things though, and was sort of drawn to the strangeness of it all. Unfortunately, I also seemed to remember something about volunteers being hit up for money in addition to their time, not getting much choice in work details, and the whole thing seemed to have devolved into something touristy and cliched.Overall, going from impoverishment to indentured servitude after 8 years of college didn't seem like a good career move . . .
I think you made the wise choice. I don't know about now, but yes, volunteers had to pay some token amount to go work on Arcosanti, and in return got free room and board. Sounds fair, but the catch was that they worked brutally hard, long days, 7 days a week, and there was no questioning Soleri's authority. The first time I was there, we looked closely at the craftsmanship, and deemed it lousy. (Most of the workers, at that time, were young, unskilled kids, often just stopping off on a hitch-hiking trip around the world). I understand that the blasted ever-present bells are, in contrast, quite well made. Arcosanti makes for some very pretty postcards, but I don't think I'd actually want to live there."Once you institutionalize thinking outside the box, it turns to dust in your hand." .
Gen. Michael Hayden
Edited 7/3/2006 5:03 pm by shywoodlandcreature
"indentured servitude".....Many architects who went to Taliesen West did the same thing......FLW was a real rough task master......The architectural students had to live in the desert for a year and design their own habitat.....
That's the only thing that has kept them going......We started buying bells back in the 80's and I guess, I didn't have a problem with supporting that project.....Sort of sad to see a dream die, eh?
LOL...You're right about the road....They've been threatening to fix the road for years!It is a shadow of what it once was...Did you go into the gift shop? There are some awesome sculptures.....The bells are a little cheaper, but not much.....We drove up to Prescott after Arcosanti.....If you ever get back there, go into Prescott and Flagstaff......
Thank you for your observations. No offense intended, but your criticism strikes me as half-baked.
I've been following the progress off and on for several decades. Was quite some time ago I understood that there was essentially no business plan. I trust you're familiar with his city models.
We're talking about a guy who designed cities, without a client. Or the likelihood of one. After that, you've got one charismatic visionary without funding. Not a small problem.
everythng just looked half-done (and done half-@ssed, at that) An experimental work in progress performed by volunteers, you'd expect something else? Why?
One-man show? Well of course. What else could it be? Design by committee?
But, for me, doesn't distract from the dream. One can quibble about fees from volunteers and long work hours, but I know of several similar opportunities. Bothers me not the least. Taliensin West? Ever talk to one of the apprentices there? Like anything else in life, take the opportunity- or go elsewhere.
As Carole found, there are believers. You and she apparently feel that those are doomed to disillusionment. I don't disagree, but fail to see a problem. Living ones' dream for awhile could/should certainly be a positive experience. There's a problem?
Arcosanti is only one not-travelled path I missed. Also didn't join a group building a community on the Golan Heights. Like everybody, there are many others. You make your choices and go from there. For instance, I sincerely hope you don't regret that you have an ex. PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
You know, my husband, a frustrated wannabe architect, wanted to go to Arcosanti in the 70's.....He took a different career path, but was totally fascinated by the work that goes into creating there.......BTW, I have pics, just have to get them to you.....I haven't forgotten....
Thanks in advance.
Soleri was one of the larger influences on what I've been doing. Cosanti, more than Arcosanti obviously. Not that he'd recognize it.
Our journal here opens with a pic of the small commercial building in a Denver barrio that financed our dream, and a pic of some Soleri stairs. I'm not a wannabe archy. Working in the trades for years, one of the first things you have to learn is how to politely tell an archy that he/she doesn't know his azz from a hole in the ground when they design exploding furniture.
For my next rebirth, Felix Candela is the inspiration. But below grade for Hait's advantages. Earth-forming is in my future. This (not earth-formed) was 50 yrs ago:PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I'm a fan of Felix Candela too. I researched his work particularily for a structures project when in arch. school. Definately cool stuff. I read something a few years ago about his practice being here in NYC if IIRC.
Yeah? NYC?
He was Spanish, adopted Mexico, and, far as I know, most of his work was in Mexico. As architect/engineer/contractor.
Faber's "Candela/ The Shell Builder" is the best book I've found. I trip over the abbreviated engineering, but love the photos. The wood-forming is amazing.
Still have a trip destined for Gaudi. Not that there aren't domestic inspirations http://www.midcoast.com/~bo/index.html Bo's amazing.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Now I'm thinking maybe it was his daughter who has the firm in NYC.Anyways I visited Barcelona a few years back and did the Gaudi pilgrimmage. Pretty amazing stuff too. You should definately check it out someday.
Now I'm thinking maybe it was his daughter who has the firm in NYC.
If you got your tense correct, it ain't him. He died in '97.
Spain's on the list. Not just Gaudi. Gehry had a nice little project there (Bilbao).PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I have no problem with Soleri's dream - and evidently neither do you. I do think the whole thing tends to stall on the cult of personality. Soleri is now in his 80s - how much longer can he maintain, and who takes over after? As for half-@ssed workmanship, I find it sad - inevitable, possibly, but sad nevertheless. Solari's design is very beautiful, and very fitting for the setting - why would I not want to see it realized in the best possible manner? I also agree that long hours, little or no pay, and subsidizing the effort out of your own pocket shouldn't dissuade anyone who shares the dream and can afford the committment. Obviously, you feel called to go work there - so why not?
(BTW, did you know that Soleri studied under FLW? Left because he felt stifled by the Great Man.)
"Once you institutionalize thinking outside the box, it turns to dust in your hand." .
Gen. Michael Hayden
When I considered joining Soleri I was decades younger and didn't have confidence in forging my own way. But when examining the structure of the organization, it seemed to me unsustainable. Just as you view it. Carole mentioned that she felt "old" visiting Arcosanti. In spite of kidding her about it, I'm pretty sure I would too, but only in an older-and-wiser-than-I-once-was way. Or perhaps not, as I'm now old enough to be delighted by young folks' dreams, especially outlandish ones.
But whether or not Arcosanti survives long after Soleri doesn't concern me. Strikes me as a potentially wonderful experience for those who choose to participate. I'm also sure that a sizeable number leave disillusioned. If a core constituency can coalesce after Soleri's demise, no telling what they might accomplish. Yup, I'm rooting for them. Would certainly prefer a bequest there over the constant pleas from ASU.
You've visited twice since my last trip to Arizona so I have little idea what's going on now, why I asked. My experience was primarily Cosanti. As I'd mentioned, I've heard incredibly negative comments before from unsympathetic guests, both Cosanti and Arcosanti. Which generally only means that they couldn't see themselves fitting in. Good thing, that site/organization can only support a limited number of participants.
Obviously, you feel called to go work there - so why not?
Took me awhile to learn that I don't like participating in groups. Did a lot of reading before heading to the Golan Heights. Consensus is often very difficult, something I didn't read about. While in the area I spent time in Sinai and felt very much at home, not a sustainably viable home, but at ease.
Not unlike here on our mountaintop in Virginia. Here, we have an environment that can take care of us indefinitely. Sustainable.
Yes, I know Soleri's background. How he could have persevered all these years is beyond me, but maybe it takes that massive an ego. Wright at least had paying clients and buildable designs.
I'm quite comfortable encouraging anybody interested to volunteer for Arcosanti, or Israel, or Spain or Italy or anyplace else experimental communities exist. Staying there isn't the point. Education is.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Good post! Thanks.
<Edited to add: I fully agree about the value of dreams, and about the value of quixotic quests - especially for the young, energetic idealists among us.>"Once you institutionalize thinking outside the box, it turns to dust in your hand." .
Gen. Michael Hayden
Edited 7/4/2006 10:25 am by shywoodlandcreature
Well, thank you. Brevity, as usual, failed me. <G>
A postscript I'd like to add is an observation that almost always one regrets not what one did, but what one didn't do. PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Not surprisingly, we share philosophies. I recall shocking parents of my son's friends when they were about 16, 17 YO, by encouraging my son to drop out of high school (where he was bored, non-productive, and just this side of actually self-destructing) to go work as a roadie for a rock band. He didn't, but he has taken similar gambles, not all of which worked out well, but at least he won't wake up one morning when he's 45 and wonder why he didn't at least try...Carpe Diem!
"Once you institutionalize thinking outside the box, it turns to dust in your hand." .
Gen. Michael Hayden
Pretty radical. And you're right about me. Probably why our siblings have kept their offspring safely away. <G> Now, you'd likely have Child Protective Services after you. I'm still fond of the Arizona State prof who introduced me to Summerhill (School). Clearly, there are many paths to education. Some bumpy(ier).
We're childless by design but thought well of this Va community because, in spite of generally good public schools, pretty much every flavor of private education is well-supported here. Citizenry speaking with their checkbooks. Rather than trusting to random chance, we interviewed communities before taking the plunge. A geographically rather wide survey. Including just down the coast from you and stretching across the Atlantic.
If you live long enough, there's not much left but memories. Best to have a supply of good ones. Congrats on getting your son started. Even failures can qualify. I've got several.
Buon viaggio.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Sorry to jump in here, but I am impressed with your candor...Sounds like you knew exactly what you wanted to do....I got on the website for Arcosanti and was curious to see if they still held workshops.....They do and it looks like some building and renovation is going on....Community living is not for everyone, but these young students seem ideally suited to it.....Happy 4th, Tom....
Jump on in, the water's fine. Surely you know there's no reason to hesitate. Didn't you start this whole digression? Heck, Shy and I couldn't even find anything substantial to disagree on.
Thanks, it was a very good fourth. Looks like we arranged borrowing a Paris apt., have Erie sailing set up, and had two couples with deep pockets very interested in what I've built, not that I'm looking for clients... Great weather here (hot) to be talking about a house that's comfortable without ac.
Hope you don't get over-heated there. Spending time in abandoned desert mines was part of my education. The Pima Reservation has some nice ones.
We really had very little idea what we wanted to do, or where, but put a great deal of effort into finding out. Pretty satisfied now on (believe it or not) Israel Mountain, Va. LMAO
I was quite surprised when (on our first trip) we finally concluded (after 6 months) that community living clearly wasn't for us even though that's why we'd gone. It was partly that Sinai travel and visiting the monks at Santa Katerina there (Byzantine monastery with the world's oldest library) http://www.israelimages.com/files/11467.htm near where Moses hung out all those years. Confirmed with visiting the monasteries at Meteora (Greece) http://www.culture.gr/2/21/212/21207a/e212ga02.html .
No interest in monastic life, but the places they were built are pretty incredible. Suppose we could have waited a few years to get tuned in to Sedona, but somehow it's just not the same. Sinai has a lot in common with the Sonoran Desert, but considerably fewer people.
We believe "where" to be the most important issue.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Sounds like you had a good one....We had fajitas, flan and fireworks!Friend of ours lives right downtown and we watched the fireworks from A mountain.....Exactly at 10:00 a real heavy monsoon rain rolled in and we were out there dancing in the rain! Speaking of Erie sailing, we used to sail out of Edgewater Yacht Club in Cleveland.....I do miss that....The only sailing we see here are remote sailboats....:)We belong to the Sonoran Desert Museum and it is one of the best places we visit.....There is something about standing alone in the desert and listening and watching.....Thanks for the links.....
Sounds nice, especially the rain dancing.
Got a request to show up for a sail from Port Clinton, IIRC, to Buffalo. I'd been lobbying for the other direction, to Lake Michigan. Probably quite a little difference in sail time... Oh, Canada only requires identification/registration if you drop anchor.
Arizona has sailing, on smaller boats obviously. No idea now, but when I was growing up the per capita number of boats in Arizona was unsurpassed. Nobody I knew sailed, but we spent a lot of time on water. None around Tucson.
Glad to hear that the Sonoran Desert Museum remains a jewel. Pretty much what I hear of Arizona is the fantastic population growth there. People moving in from Cleveland even!
BTW, I haven't forgotten that pic promise from Arcosanti. Earth-forming was the mainstay at Cosanti. Unlike what they did, with my resources it makes great sense. Speaking of forming, no idea how interested you are, but your DH might find http://www.elfevents.com interesting. I didn't attend but know a few of the participants, including the castle owner/builder who also recently salvaged a horribly constructed PAHS dome.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Lots that I admire of Wright, but that looks like the crank shaft out of an inline 10 cylinder engine. <G>
BTW, Ariz. State in Tempe has a very nice Wright auditorium, Grady Gammage. http://www.asu.edu/tour/main/ggma.html Note the last line about Baghdad.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
now that you mention it.........crankshaft.......hahaha, yepBaghdad??? ain't that somehow .....iconic.
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I've been to that one too. Quite nice.
Ever caught a symphony there? Far as I know there isn't a bad seat. Not that I ever got out of the nose-bleed section.
I'm an ASU alum and they're never gonna let me forget it. Was even once invited to lecture an intro archy class. PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Another trip to add to our list!
I too am a FLW fan, and would suggest you see the Johnson bldg. in Wisconsin and Taliesin in Springfield too if you can. There is a residence close to the Johnson bldg. which is awesome too. The California textile block houses are also some of my favourites. I have a guide book that lists every project and it's address.
I'm also a big fan...his proportioning just seems so right to me. I need a dump truck, baby, to unload my head
FYI- Taliesin is in Spring Green, not Springfield. There is a Springfield in WI, however, but I wouldn't want anyone going to the wrong place.If anyone ever goes to Delavan, WI (Lake Lawn Lodge, etc), there are a bunch of Wright homes on the south end of Delavan Lake. Most of them from around the turn of the 20th century. As you drive along the road, you can see mailboxes that show some of the house's roof details and I think there are about 7 out of 10 houses on that road that were designed by Wright. There are also some Usonian houses in Milwaukee, on the South Side. IIRC, there's a single family, two duplexes and a four family in a row. There are others scattered around town and the Greek Annunciation Orthodox Church is another of his.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Edited 7/2/2006 1:41 pm by highfigh
When I was in colledge I had a co-op job in at Allis Chalmers. One weekend went out to see Taliesin, but there was nothing to see. It was closed for work.Then drove down a dusty gravel road and found this really neat house that someone had been building room by room with whatever materials that they had on hand. I remember large number of glass bottles send in concrete.It think that it was the House and the Rocks. But nothing like what it is now. That was back around 63.Unfortunately google maps does not have any close up satelite pics of the area.Edited 7/2/2006 2:36 pm by BillHartmann
Edited 7/2/2006 2:36 pm by BillHartmann
Yes of course, I stand corrected. Thanks
I have been a great fan of FLW's work for many years.
For a long time, I think the public image of his life got in the way of assessing the value of his work. Even Ken Burns, in his documentary of a couple years ago, seemed to spend as much time talking about the man's idiosyncrasies and peccadilloes as he did discussing his buildings and their impact.
But I think that is finally changing. The buildings endure, and as people walk through the two Taliesins, Falling Water, or any of the other buildings open to the public, they can take in the genius of his designs -- without getting sidetracked by the details of his personal life.
The early houses are great, but for me, his most interesting and impressive work was with the string of Usonian houses he designed in the last 20 or so years of his life.
How would you summarize what you have learned about design after your foray through Wright's work?
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"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
How would you summarize what you have learned about design after your foray through Wright's work?
I'll try. Here is just a partial list.
A building's entrance should be a hidden little thing, maybe baffled, definitely not a feature of it's facade. Frank would be disgusted with the silly crap seen as entrances to most "builder style" stuff done today.
Once inside, each room should open up as a surprise.
Passageways are tight and low-ceilinged. They are meant to take you to the next surprise.
Ceiling treatments are a huge feature of the overall design, with drops, arched vaults, trays, skylights, trim schemes, and lighting. Many of his rooms have more going on in the ceilings than in all the walls of the room combined.
Built-in seating and furniture is everywhere.
Windows are placed in regards to landscape and views so as to bring nature into the house. They are more than just viewports.
Large roof overhangs are great features, and while they might tend to make an interior seem darker, Wright brings in light with arrangements of corner windows, skylights, courtyards as light wells, and creative lighting schemes.
I just recently designed and built my own house and took some of those cues from Wright. It was really a study of proportion which Wright was a master of.
"I'll try. Here is just a partial list."
Now that is funny ... I'm not a Wright fan ... never have been. Not of what I've read of the man ... and not of what I've seen in person.
I read your list of your "likes" .... and most of your likes I'd consider "dislikes" of my own!
just struck me as funny ... maybe now I'm one step closer to knowing why "it just don't feel right" ...
Not typing this to critique Wright, or you're preference for his design ...
just shows how design and architecture is very individual and personal.
interresting.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
We have a number of Usonians here in the New London, CT area. Connecticut College has a colony of tiny ones they use for visiting faculty, etc., & there are a couple of other neighborhoods of them.
Speaking of worship and Wright, did you tour the Unity Temple in Oak Park?
It is a stunning example of Wright's design skills at their understated best. If you didn't manage to catch that one, be sure and do so the next time you are in our neck of the woods. It alone is worth the return trip.
geez pino, that's a rather long neck.......
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Just a bit of a stretchhhhh, ya think?But I've always considered myself a "Chicago guy" having lived there for a while and now in large part because so much of my work takes place there. The city is also a frequent stop for the family as we tend to go to the museums, concerts and cultural events there quit frequently. Heck, I follow Chicago and Illinois politics more closely than that of Indiana.I guess I feel like Lake and Porter counties are more like Chicago suburbs than a part of our fine state.My wife always kids me because when I say I need to run downtown for a few things she never knows if I'm talking about downtown Valparaiso or downtown Chicago.Anyhow, I'm always taking out ot town friends and family up to see the Wright works in Oak Park. Truth be told its just an excuse for me to get up and see them again and again.
Edited 7/2/2006 12:37 pm by pino
........." I guess I feel like Lake and Porter counties are more like Chicago suburbs than a part of our fine state."don't remind me....I like Chicago too....right where it is, and it's been several decades since I visited oaky parky.
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Shoot, come on up to Buffalo....lots of FLW here (the city fathers are trying to push architectural tourism, since the rest of the economy is the pits)
Lots of pretty old buildings & houses up here...& not much else, excepting Niagara Falls
you eatin' any Beef on Wick there. I sure miss it. It's one of Western NY best kept secret. We gave away the chicken wing thing, but not Beef on Wick.
Weck.....and I wasn't even born here!
Little too salty for my taste.....and while chicken wings may get made elsewhere, they most assuredly aren't Buffalo Wings...
Mind you, in a town that has so little right with it, people get crazy about the small stuff...I can stand buffalo pizza & wings about twice a year...and that's pushing it with the pizza!!
I know about the 'weck'...we called it wick. You ever go to the Roycroft? There's a beautiful example of Arts & Crafts. Buffalo has-had it's moments. It's gotta be better than the 60's & 70's when I was there. I grew up south of the city (hamburg-Eden) and I went back for my 20th highschool reunion 15 years ago and that's the last I've been.
They ever do anything with Lackawana after the Steel left?
I liked Allentown. Don't ever see myself getting back there, 'cept to visit my sister's grave, the weather was too dreary 7 months out of the year. Where are you?
Kenmore...DW moved us here to look after her mon.
Company that brought her here turned out to be in trouble....let her go after 6 months...
I'm not plugged into the local building community...it's a pretty tight bunch up here, not much room for newcomers....I miss the network I'd built up in DC
Thank God I get out on the road doing management at least part of the year, or I'd go broke or nuts....not sure which one first!
The "Dana" house in Springfield, Ill is interesting. It's close to the new Lincoln Library.
I wouldn't say it follows the "hidden entrance" theory though - it's quite a production.
He used an interesting design for the exterior made from molded plaster. It's hard to describe - really unique.
There's more than you can take in with one or two trips.
a tour of the Robie house
We have one of those, an "homage" at least. We call it the Memorial Student Center, but, it's a scaled up Robie house--you just have to know what to look for.
On some things I like FLW. Certainly the form-function thing, and his lines especially his ground breaking horizontals. His furniture lookes kind of cool but is uncomfortable as hell apparently. His work with nature is fun to see pointed out but for some reason much of his stuff leaves me a little uncomfortable. I'm more in tune with the Craft and Prairie movement even though there is a strong relationship.
Dozing in a Morris Chair in front of a large fire with all the strong earth tones painted about and the stability of all that quarter sawn well worn white oak with a copy of Jack London short stories covering my face with the faint waft of Borkim Riff Whiskey pipe smoke floating down from somewhere is my idea of heaven. It's closer to my earth.
Good thread. Even though I have an earring-stud I will only wear it when I think it appropriate. Most of the people I work for I know well enough to know that they don't mind. Besides it's a very inconspicuous little silver ball stud. I take it out if I am going to meet new customers and then sometimes will forget and leave it out for months at a time.
I don't like face piercings at all. I just don't. They get in the way when I am trying to communicate with someone and part of my communicating is to look into the face of the person I am talking to. I find it very hard to look at the acne ravaged kid at the counter at the local CVS and also see several rings through his eyebrows and one through his nose.
I would not allow an employee of mine to have face piercings if they are to meet in any way with the public. Also that person should be clean and presentable. Some of the scuzzy looking guys I have seen in our line of work would toltally turn me off If I was to be a customer. Ear studs or rings (one) I don't mind, but still would shy away from wearing when meeting the public during work hours.
Appearences are important in any knd of work .
Gene,
I did the exact same thing a year ago while visiting friends in Chicago.
This is the home I found most impressive:
http://oprf.com/flw/Moore.html
The home was Wright's first commission as an architect in his own practice. Considering the level of detail in this house, I find this incredible.
If you read the plaque in the photo, it tells the story that the house burned in a fire and the top two floors had to be removed. Wright redesigned the home to eliminate these upper floors.
Was Robie under construction when you were there ? There was talk of a $7 mill rehab project that was about to begin. We never made it to Robie while we were there.
carpenter in transition
Yes, that one was a big WOW also. But the one next door had had its roof all restored, and the way they tiered the shingles was something I had never seen.
Don't know about Robie, but since our kids live in Chicagoland and we visit often, I'll get to that one when it is available.
This one surprised me, when doing the Oak Park walkaround. The 1901 Frank W. Thomas house at 211 Forest.
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Early this year I completed a copy of a Sarah Susanka house for a client. Here is a pic of the original prototype in Stowe, VT. Many of the rooflines in the Susanka design seem to come directly from the FLW Thomas house. I was floored by the similarities.
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