Usonian Houses; Frank Lloyd Wright at a Glance
Simon Clay (Principal photographer) London: PRC Publishing, 2002. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. The format is approximately 6.25 inches by 8.25 inches. 96 Pages. Illustrations (color). Index. DJ is price clipped. Minor sticker residue on the back. The contents include Introduction, Case Studies: Hanna House, Jacobs First Residence, Bazett House, Goetsch Winckler House, Rosenbaum House, Pope Leighey House, Walter House, Palmer House, Zimmerman House, and Hagan House. Also includes Gazetteer and Index. Frank Lloyd Wright was aware of the needs of the typical American family, particularly during the Great Depression. For them he designed the "Usonian Home" and proved that affordability and superb architecture could go hand in hand. With simple supplies and characteristic creativity, Wright devised a home that belied its modest price tag and sacrificed nothing in the way of elegance. Take a fascinating tour of the best of these homes--including the inaugural Jacobs House (1936)--each one built on the same principles, but differing, depending on the lifestyles of the occupants and local materials available. A history of the design concept combined with ten detailed case studies demonstrate Wright's incredible ability to adapt his innovative ideas and methods to the needs of ordinary American folk. Doreen Ehrlich is a professional writer and lecturer with over 25 years' experience. She has been interested in Wright's work for over a decade and has traveled extensively in the United States visiting his many buildings. Her previously published worked include many books on art and architecture in the 20th century as well as a previous book on Frank Lloyd Wright's use of glass. Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements of the twentieth century, influencing architects worldwide through his works and hundreds of apprentices in his Taliesin Fellowship. Wright believed in designing in harmony with humanity and the environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was exemplified in Fallingwater (1935), which has been called "the best all-time work of American architecture." Typically associated with modern architecture of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Usonia as a concept actually goes back to the turn of the twentieth century. Conceived by Frank Lloyd Wright around 1900, Usonia was a design philosophy that evolved over many years, coming to fruition in the 1930s. As his commissions for large, grand houses dropped off with the onset of the Great Depression, Wright looked for a way to address the need for affordable middle-class housing while employing a simple design. The result was an architecture he termed “Usonian,” which focused on the residents of a culturally reformed United States of North America. The Usonian houses were smaller than his sprawling Prairie style residences, contained little ornamentation and lacked basements or attics. These houses were arranged in zones, typically with three areas: living space, small bedrooms, and a kitchen-dining area. Built-in components and furniture allowed homeowners to appreciate the simpler, integrated space Wright intended. The idea behind Usonia was about more than just designing smaller houses. It was about planning, nature, and simple design on a human scale. Wright’s concept for Usonia came about due to his increasing focus on community, planning, and serving human needs. He was interested in setting up decentralized communities with commercial, residential, educational, industrial, cultural, and recreational facilities. While his early concepts of these communities remained just that, many of the components were applied in a handful of places across the country, though not on the scale that he originally envisioned. As Wright did with the Prairie style of his earlier fame, he also incorporated the smaller Usonian house with the site. Wright integrated the house with the landscape and nature in an attempt to get away from box-like structures. Walls extended beyond the interior to the outside, intermingling the two. Large windows brought the outside in. Natural materials blended the house with the site and warm colors on the interior further contributed to the feeling of bringing the outdoors inside. Usonian houses were quite unlike the boxy, stark International Style houses that appeared to be dropped onto, rather than a part of, their location. Also called Wrightian, the Usonian style has been adopted and adapted by numerous architects across the country. Not much is known about these houses as they are of more recent vintage and often have not been surveyed. Condition: Very good / Very good.
Keywords: Frank Lloyd Wright, Architecture, Hanna House, Jacobs First Residence, Bazett House, Goetsch Winckler House, Rosenbaum House, Pope-Leighey House, Walter House, Palmer House, Zimmerman House, Hagan House, Gazetteer
ISBN: 1856486451
[Book #86014]
Price: $175.00