Page 9 - REN_May-June 2021

The Homes of Frank Lloyd Wright

Sarah Houghton courtesy Realtor.ca
amous for pushing the architectural design envelope, Frank Lloyd Wright created some of the most important
architectural marvels of the 20th century, including New York City’s Guggenheim Museum. In his seven-decades
Flong career, Wright designed more than 1,000 architectural works, 532 of which came to life. He was heavily
sought after by the American public, who commissioned Wright to design their homes—many of which are now
preserved by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Take a closer look at some of the homes that earned Wright the title
of “greatest American architect of all time,” and even take a virtual tour through a few.
Fallingwater (pictured left)
Designed as a weekend getaway home in 1935 for a prominent Pittsburg family, the Kaufmanns, Wright wanted to
create a building that would exemplify his mission to marry art with nature. The private residence is perched atop
a tumbling waterfall deep in the heart of Bear Run Nature Reserve. Fallingwater is so deeply integrated with the
space it’s as though it was formed naturally along with the trees and rocks that surround it. Wright called it “organic
architecture.”
Inside, the floors are made up of large slabs of glazed stone, a large rock protrudes through the living room floor
to create the fireplace and mantle, and a set of stairs leads directly to the spring that flows beneath the house. The
bedrooms are small to encourage the family to spend time on the extended balconies or glass-panelled living room
overlooking the waterfall.
For more unique works of art in nature, take a peek inside Canadian artist Jay McCarten’s country home and art studio.
Laurent House

The Laurent House is Wright’s only fully-accessible house, built for Kenneth Laurent, a disabled WWII veteran. When
Wright first designed the house in 1949, the American Disabilities Act, which illustrates the guidelines of required
accessible design, did not yet exist. It wouldn’t come around until 1990. So, everything in the Laurent House was
custom built to suit Kenneth’s needs as determined by himself and Wright.

Wright designed wide hallways and open spaces so Kenneth could turn his wheelchair around with ease. The
doorknobs and light switches were also installed at a lower height to make them more easily accessible. Wright and
his apprentices even designed low custom furniture for Kenneth to use without assistance, including lowered seating
for the rest of the family.
“The perspective that the house is meant to be seen from is at Ken’s eye level,” said Jerry Heinzeroth, president of the
Laurent House Foundation Board.

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