tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post6847161136925253255..comments2024-03-28T10:50:59.335-05:00Comments on Althouse: The unseen Frank Lloyd Wright house.Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-74898288588887234642014-09-20T18:16:41.643-05:002014-09-20T18:16:41.643-05:00I am a volunteer with SAMARA. The house was desig...I am a volunteer with SAMARA. The house was designed with a specific family and their needs in mind, which was met. Dr. Christian still lives in the house and continues to follow his plan of allowing visitors to see the house as Mr. Wright designed it. Many of the principles used in the house are currently seen in new construction. I would suggest reserving judgment about the house until you have experienced it as a guest that has sat on the furniture, walked on the rug, enjoyed the in-floor radiant heat and stood under the flat roof that has not leaked.ESFtesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06924314668688892442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-10549414886735518952011-12-25T13:48:57.381-06:002011-12-25T13:48:57.381-06:00Excellent Posting Good Job. By Regards Wholesale P...Excellent Posting Good Job. By Regards <a href="http://www.zooprinting.com" rel="nofollow">Wholesale Printing</a> And <a href="http://www.eoncode.com" rel="nofollow"> web to print workflow</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-12438109915938973002011-12-24T06:07:06.700-06:002011-12-24T06:07:06.700-06:00I think the Richard and Berenice Smith house built...I think the Richard and Berenice Smith house built by Wright in Jefferson in 1951 is on the same block as the parsonage where my dad and his family lived from 1929 until 1931. The circular drive entrance to the Meadow Springs Golf Club should be across the street. The golf course was built in the early 20s.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05061304265345986242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-34409363648987876952011-12-24T01:33:39.491-06:002011-12-24T01:33:39.491-06:00A 9006 hid kit will makeover your car is easy. In ...A <a href="http://www.emacromall.com/reference/car-lighting-parts.pdf" rel="nofollow">9006 hid kit</a> will makeover your car is easy. In the Department of muscle, your 9006 HID bulb was designed to cope with wear, water, and an earthquake. Section looks at the light has been tested for true color. On the speed ticker, the bulbs can respond immediately to a rapid on and off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-25163800607215932022011-12-23T23:40:15.182-06:002011-12-23T23:40:15.182-06:00As a carpenter with 30 years of experience with al...As a carpenter with 30 years of experience with all phases of construction I will say this. FLW was a wonderful designer, a fair architect and a poor engineer.<br /><br />An apocryphal story I heard about Falling Waters is that the original builder added twice as many floor joists as Wright called for in the cantilevering, and it still sagged. I do know that upkeep on it has been a nightmare.<br /><br />Another apocryphal tale told by carpenters is the way to make an architect is to take a carpenter, and beat him senseless. :-)<br /><br />True story time:<br /><br />When I was working on amusement parks, our architect would come in with a sketch that he had already "sold" the client on. He would tell us "Make it look like this." After we were done, he would come in, get all the measurements, then draw them up. He would then ship the drawings to an engineer to approve them. After approval he would show the client the plans, we would ship the building to where ever, and rebuild it in a couple of weeks.Carnifexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12561390087899686588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-51924602106740677342011-12-23T23:07:50.028-06:002011-12-23T23:07:50.028-06:00Toni, I've passed through Mason City several t...Toni, I've passed through Mason City several times on trips to Iowa (I can't stand I-35 as it is the most boring freeway in the midwest...so often take the 2 lane roads). Also have had meetings there as it is centrally located for attendees of said meetings. Finally one time I purchased a walking tour guide book of Mason City. Now I need to get back there with some free time and walk around the town. Check out more of the buildings.Chuck66https://www.blogger.com/profile/15834146425393263098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-9352077377389183652011-12-23T23:04:37.227-06:002011-12-23T23:04:37.227-06:00FLW's Usonian houses (of which he designed aro...FLW's Usonian houses (of which he designed around 100 and built around 60) were an attempt by FLW to make affordable houses and at least some of them were bought by clients of modest means (but excellent taste).<br /><br />My parents built their dream home based on a design by a student of FLW. It was extremely horizontal (including a flat roof), featured lots of glass and cantilevered architecture and a passive solar design that worked very well. My dad was the general contractor and very closely oversaw all the details of building the house. BTW, the roof never leaked a drop.Steve Kochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13077530042599697923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-33776486361177803472011-12-23T22:43:46.744-06:002011-12-23T22:43:46.744-06:00I love FLW's architecture and have bought and ...I love FLW's architecture and have bought and read a handful of books about his architecture (OK, they were mostly pictures). He created beautiful buildings and was innovative in his use of cantilever, windows, siting, concrete and concrete block, integrated design carried throughout the entire house (including furnishings), etc.<br /><br />It is true, however, that his houses' roofs tend to leak.<br /><br />Falling Water is a spectacular design but, in retrospect, was it best to build the house on top of the waterfall? Why not build it where the occupants could see the waterfall from an ideal perspective? This approach would also have tremendously reduced maintenance and made the house less vulnerable when the river flooded.<br /><br />Form may not have to follow function but form cannot be dysfunctional.Steve Kochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13077530042599697923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-52126426663585347122011-12-23T22:24:41.696-06:002011-12-23T22:24:41.696-06:00FLW is a big presence in this town (hell, I've...FLW is a big presence in this town (hell, I've lived on a street named after him) but I never understood the hype until I saw it person. His repeating motifs seemed kitchy and cheap, with the dated 70s colors - like old logos for discontinued products or styles. <br /><br />In person it's completely different. What you can't understand is the scale, <a href="http://www.arizonabiltmore.com/Photos/Original/Night_Front_of_Resort.jpg" rel="nofollow">and the texture</a>. All those jagged little surfaces invite you in - they draw you closer to pick out the patterns, you want to get close and touch them, but get too close and see how sharp they must be. The textures position you in the space - when you walk into the room, you actually relate to it, and it to you. Then I got it. <br /><br />Thanks for the video.d-dayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523674494929331191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-78251072023644302832011-12-23T21:39:00.762-06:002011-12-23T21:39:00.762-06:00FLW-bashers are an interesting lot.
The more thi...<i>FLW-bashers are an interesting lot.</i><br /><br /> <a href="http://sanrafael.patch.com/articles/the-wright-summer-of-1957" rel="nofollow">The more things change the more they stay the same</a>garage mahalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06485491995866513686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-20176653580910229392011-12-23T20:52:49.977-06:002011-12-23T20:52:49.977-06:00My home, which is a tract house built in 1954 alon...<i>My home, which is a tract house built in 1954 along with hundreds of others has some of those 1950's ideas: sliding pocket doors, a lot of built in stuff and hidden spaces. It's very dated now, a little funky, and I like it anyway.</i><br /><br />I like my dated 1970 house too. There is a pull down 8 track player and a turntable built into the wall of the kitchen along with one of those home wide intercom systems. We never use any of that, but it's sort of goofy and fun.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-55978204763261253862011-12-23T19:28:21.820-06:002011-12-23T19:28:21.820-06:00Frank Lloyd Wright, Mason City, Iowa. The historic...Frank Lloyd Wright, Mason City, Iowa. The historic Park Inn Hotel is the only Wright designed hotel left in the world. There's a nice slideshow online. We also have the Stockman house with tours.<br />Meredith Willson of "Music Man" fame grew up here in "River City". We have the Music Man Square with streetscapes where many community events are held.<br />We're quite proud to have a small claim to fame.Tonihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02236516941378266039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-17269860868004042022011-12-23T19:06:17.599-06:002011-12-23T19:06:17.599-06:00Honey, I realize we're just married and have b...Honey, I realize we're just married and have budget considerations and everything that I keep mentioning, that means not enough having money, by the way, but whatchyasay we get Frank Lloyd Wright to build us a house? Huh?Chip Ahoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12597726289890879627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-24669687742020756512011-12-23T18:59:52.832-06:002011-12-23T18:59:52.832-06:00What Pasta & the rest of us are claiming, inte...<i>What Pasta & the rest of us are claiming, inter alia, is that form should follow function</i><br /><br />Oh, really? And what universal truth supports that assertion? Form can follow anything the designer wishes. Oh, I've got it. It's an opinion.<br /><br />FLW-bashers are an interesting lot. Sort of make you think they're being contrarian. Y'know, just because everyone likes him so much. Come to think of it, they're a lot like good ol' F in that respect.Craig Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17778080830068892260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-39025945422616934092011-12-23T18:58:47.599-06:002011-12-23T18:58:47.599-06:00I loved the house! And, I loved this post. Let a...I loved the house! And, I loved this post. Let alone that you get the owner ... who is now the age Frank Lloyd Wright was when he designed this place.<br /><br />It took a lot of love.<br /><br />The video was mezmerizing! (And, at the end of it you see the living room full of school kids! No one was worried about the rugs!) Imagine what it's been like for all those lucky students. CAROLCarol_Hermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16629820011087370488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-84969441387104472412011-12-23T18:54:42.822-06:002011-12-23T18:54:42.822-06:00Make it work.Make it work.deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00305989647913371151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-41187259502422096572011-12-23T18:42:49.053-06:002011-12-23T18:42:49.053-06:00Yea, I'd like to spend my winters thinking up ...Yea, I'd like to spend my winters thinking up interesting ways for kids have fun and learn, and then spend the summers torturing them with my creations. It would be a ball, and outdoors. Outdoors is always good.bagoh20https://www.blogger.com/profile/10915174575358413637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-67554667611425290712011-12-23T18:34:45.386-06:002011-12-23T18:34:45.386-06:00lol bago, time to switch to the decaf.lol bago, time to switch to the decaf.deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00305989647913371151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-12169454887867624842011-12-23T18:33:48.198-06:002011-12-23T18:33:48.198-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.deborahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00305989647913371151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-13560116277774048992011-12-23T18:28:46.826-06:002011-12-23T18:28:46.826-06:00I'd also like to have been Jack's girlfrie...I'd also like to have been Jack's girlfriend in the movie "Titanic".bagoh20https://www.blogger.com/profile/10915174575358413637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-18759471477228574562011-12-23T18:25:29.420-06:002011-12-23T18:25:29.420-06:00I agree with what Pasta said, and I still love it....I agree with what Pasta said, and I still love it.<br /><br />My home, which is a tract house built in 1954 along with hundreds of others has some of those 1950's ideas: sliding pocket doors, a lot of built in stuff and hidden spaces. It's very dated now, a little funky, and I like it anyway. I've had to remodel most of the home just because of wear, and I wish I had taken more time to design in some more funk of my own. I did a little of that, adding one of a kind elements, but I really envy how much men like Wright accomplish in a life.<br /><br />Stuff like that is what makes me want to live forever, just to spend one life after another as a student of different endeavors: <br /><br />an architect, a musician, a writer/ traveler, a rich philanthropist, a rogue and playboy, a biologist, a doctor, a photographer, a member of the rat pack, an old style camp counselor, a navy seal, a chef, and Chuck Norris.bagoh20https://www.blogger.com/profile/10915174575358413637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-31682259982072523542011-12-23T18:00:31.637-06:002011-12-23T18:00:31.637-06:00@virgil xenophon:
I didn't know those were co...@virgil xenophon:<br /><br />I didn't know those were common characteristics of FLW buildings but you described the building I worked in exactly.<br /><br />The ceilings were very low in many parts; I'm 6'7" and I found myself instinctively ducking quite a lot. The ceilings were probably 7 to 7.5 feet high but I always felt that I was about to hit my head.<br /><br />I remember that after about a week or so the company sent an industrial hygienist to shadow me for a day. She recommended that I move to another location but I didn't want to be away from my colleagues. They ended up having to put blocks under my desk to raise it about 5 inches but the chairs were surprisingly comfortable athough they looked really weird.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07567899161777565306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-7915588132715413682011-12-23T17:57:19.673-06:002011-12-23T17:57:19.673-06:00Yes, a delightful video. Thank you.
I am a littl...Yes, a delightful video. Thank you.<br /><br />I am a little sad that no one will get to live in the house after the professor and his wife are gone. Looking at the interior is not the same as living in it. I love many things about it but would very much like to see the bedrooms. Also, that hallway looked way too narrow!<br /><br />Homes were meant to be lived on them and used. I'm dealing with a similar situation right now--trying to buy a house and farm that is currently in the owner's will to be left to the town as a nature preserve. It's a farm, has been for over 200 years, and it should be lived on and farmed. (He's afraid of developers. We just have to continue talking and convincing. One day, maybe.)<br /><br />I digress. Lovely home, lovely man.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05893841698363004399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-79924361038537185622011-12-23T17:24:48.023-06:002011-12-23T17:24:48.023-06:00I started collecting on-location pictures of FLW p...I started collecting on-location pictures of FLW properties some years ago. A fun hobby.<br /><br />We have his an FLW doctor's office and his only gas station here in Minnesota. Both are readily accessible.<br /><br />An architect friend has long admired the creativity but pointed out that most of them leak and have other practicality issues. <br /><br />And as for FLW's love of that new high-tech building material called plywood? Well ...T J Sawyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09260687428823173972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-75575552346364460212011-12-23T17:02:42.507-06:002011-12-23T17:02:42.507-06:00I think the Scott Walker commentary in this thread...I think the Scott Walker commentary in this thread is actually fitting. <br /><br />Frank Lloyd Wright is indeed a patron saint for the homes of the Madison professori. When I went to UW and we would be invited over to the profs houses, they invariably had all the Wright like trappings. <br /><br />Low ceilings, narrow hallways, the burnt yellow carpet and bonsai trees. For some reason those style homes just scream liberalism in the same way the Brookfield McMansions scream GOP.Steve Austinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17873028677110427002noreply@blogger.com