Wright Chat

I think the term "Usonian" has been misapplied in many circumstances. The Keland House, and even Wingspread, for that matter, don't really fit the definition used by Wright. I believe the term should be applied to homes built by Wright that were modest in size, and not overly expensive. The prosperi...

Hello, the middle workspace plan is probably the closest, except for the "storage" immediately above the title "workspace" - the as-built rendition has an enormous sub-zero double refrigerator facing the peninsula, which is back to back with the bar on the other side.

I'm afraid none of the plans depict the current state of the Keland House. I believe Jack Howe and TAA designed additions and numerous alterations to the original house in 1961. The carport was converted to a bedroom, an additional bedroom was added to the west of the playroom, and the four original...

pulling the ridge of the gable inwards allows more light to enter the house at the top of the window wall - its really very effective! I'm not aware of any other house that incorporates this feature.

Aaron Green destroyed - when I first heard that Wright referred to this profession as "interior desecrators" I thought it was a little harsh, but I'm beginning to understand over time.....

I"m a little disappointed by the description of the siting of the Hickox House. If one were to visit the site, it is very clear that the axis of the three connected rooms (dining, living room and study) were placed to align with the centerline of the street directly to the east. oops.

Well, I sure regret bringing this up now! Take care Roderick- I guess we have differing opinions, and we truly are beating a very dead horse.

In response to Roderick's comments, I have the following: To say that the development of projects such as Charnley in most architectural practices is different from the norm, both historically and today, is quite speculative in its own right. Elmslie once wrote : Charnley was a good friend of Sulliv...

at the risk of starting a BIG discussion about Charnley, I believe its commonly accepted that the basic design of the house came from Sullivan. In most architectural firms, the principal (and the person responsible for bringing the job into the office) establishes the basic design parameters, and th...

I've been in the house on Asbury - well before all the "improvements". The owner at that time made the claim about Wright as well, but I believe that George Maher was responsible for the various additions and rehab in 1902.

Hans Geyer was a very talented architect from Racine - and accomplished many homes in a somewhat Usonian/international style. Never worked with Wright. This home was owned by Ray Farley, one of the only non-Johnson family members to head up Johnson Wax. We found him to be a wonderful, thoughtful cli...

the technique of sending a mouse with an attached wire through the 1-1/2" piping is feasible only if the pipes have radiused corners, which many of them do. It was first successfully used in refrigeration warehouses in california, and would certainly work on radiant heating systems as well. The insi...

radiant heating systems are wonderful when they work, disasters when they don't. The heating systems that many owners love to hate. Ultimately they are destined to fail - oxidation in piping, be it steel, wrought iron or copper will eventually cause leaks and require repair and/or replacement. There...

I wondered about that too roderick. Some kind of transition is needed at the second floor because the top plate is slightly lower than the ceiling rafters, so curved, or angled, it would have been necessary. I don't understand the curved ceiling/wall at the first floor, however, since there is no ne...

my point being that demo and carpentry work will be needed before the roofing contractor can do his thing. I"ve had good results from A.B. Edwards roofing co.