I was reminded today of the elegance of Frank Lloyd Wright's solution to affordable, beautiful housing. There were about a hundred Usonians built over a 15 year period. They were meant to be easily affordable and simple enough that the owner could do a lot of the building. These homes featured underfloor hot water heating with concrete floors and lots of glass, wood and masonry. The predominant material of the house was determined by what was locally available.
Clerestory windows provided natural light in the interior of the homes and the "workspace" was open to the dining and living area so that the cook was not separated from family or guests.
Space was sometimes defined by a step up or down or a piece of built in furniture. Built in beds, seating and bookcases were common as were desks and dinning tables. The building materials--glass, concrete, wood and stone provided lots of mass and there were many windows and doors for cross ventilation. Because he was an artists, Wright's solutions were not only practical and simple; they are also beautiful.
Click on the title above to see Matt Taylor's tribute the Wright tradition and learn more about the history and development of the Usonian House..
Thursday, May 04, 2006
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