Lloyd Lewis sections
Hard to believe they haven't fixed this place yet. It's as if they're hoping we'll all go somewhere else - and it appears many have.
Docent, Hollyhock House - Hollywood, CA
Humble student of the Master
"Youth is a circumstance you can't do anything about. The trick is to grow up without getting old." - Frank Lloyd Wright
Humble student of the Master
"Youth is a circumstance you can't do anything about. The trick is to grow up without getting old." - Frank Lloyd Wright
Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
Ive started to a look at this lloyd lewis building
It seems to have changed in parts a bit from the drawings as posted.
Have a look at these 2 photos -spot the difference - one has 5 boards to the dining balcony - the other 6 boards!


the drawing (dining room section) indicates 7 boards, whereas the elevation indicates 5 boards
so I gather windows were lengthened?
It seems to have changed in parts a bit from the drawings as posted.
Have a look at these 2 photos -spot the difference - one has 5 boards to the dining balcony - the other 6 boards!


the drawing (dining room section) indicates 7 boards, whereas the elevation indicates 5 boards
so I gather windows were lengthened?
Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
I found this blueprint of the Mat, Floor and roof Framing
shame the clarity is not that good, making it difficult to read the notes.

shame the clarity is not that good, making it difficult to read the notes.

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Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
At some point close to the end of construction, Lewis complained about the balcony railing being too high, so FLW had one board removed. The above first photo may be the first ever taken of the house with the offending board still in place.
Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
I thought the offending parapet was the one outside the living room, not the little dining-room balcony.
It seems unlikely that the dining-room windows would have been altered; if so, when ? And if not, then the extra board occurs at the bottom, not the top---despite the top board being of a different color in the larger photo ?
The section drawings on the first page of this thread may be of help. If they cannot be enlarged sufficiently, I will repost them at greater size. The initial point of the thread, of course, is that there are inconsistencies between the two published sections . . .
S
It seems unlikely that the dining-room windows would have been altered; if so, when ? And if not, then the extra board occurs at the bottom, not the top---despite the top board being of a different color in the larger photo ?
The section drawings on the first page of this thread may be of help. If they cannot be enlarged sufficiently, I will repost them at greater size. The initial point of the thread, of course, is that there are inconsistencies between the two published sections . . .
S
"As a former copy editor, I always feel I am defending the person whose name is being misspelled, not attacking the person who misspells it." Ronald Alan McCrea (1943-2019)
Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
I am still unable to upload to my web host.
In Section 1, the living-room parapet is drawn at six boards (recall that the house vertical unit = 9"); its top aligns with the top of the brick pier separating the living and dining areas. The dining floor is c. 12" below that of the living room. In this drawing the dining exterior wall is 7 boards (thus, 7 units) high.
In Section 2, although large portions of the drawing are missing, it appears that the living-room parapet is now lowered by one unit; the outside face of the parapet would thus be five boards (units) high. Most of the dining-room section at upper right is missing; however we see that the bottom of the exterior wall now extends below the underside of the floor plate by two full boards.
S
In Section 1, the living-room parapet is drawn at six boards (recall that the house vertical unit = 9"); its top aligns with the top of the brick pier separating the living and dining areas. The dining floor is c. 12" below that of the living room. In this drawing the dining exterior wall is 7 boards (thus, 7 units) high.
In Section 2, although large portions of the drawing are missing, it appears that the living-room parapet is now lowered by one unit; the outside face of the parapet would thus be five boards (units) high. Most of the dining-room section at upper right is missing; however we see that the bottom of the exterior wall now extends below the underside of the floor plate by two full boards.
S
"As a former copy editor, I always feel I am defending the person whose name is being misspelled, not attacking the person who misspells it." Ronald Alan McCrea (1943-2019)
Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
looks like they constructed living balcony with 6 boards - as seen on this alama photo

this alamy photo also shows the 5 boards dining and 6 boards living to decks

where did you get Dining floor 12" below Iiv floor ?
On the revised April 1940 Living room section, looks like the dining room floor is on a unit line - which makes it 9" , which also means that the board coursing also matchs - note; the bottom of the board ( at FFL) is on the( vertical) unit line

This Getty interior shot shows internal septs - looks like 1" nosing and say 4" riser board which sorta equals 2 x 4 1/2 " risers
This photo also show the 4 boards to the inner face of the balcony balustrade
From what I can gather there is 3 brick courses / 9"unit


this alamy photo also shows the 5 boards dining and 6 boards living to decks

where did you get Dining floor 12" below Iiv floor ?
On the revised April 1940 Living room section, looks like the dining room floor is on a unit line - which makes it 9" , which also means that the board coursing also matchs - note; the bottom of the board ( at FFL) is on the( vertical) unit line

This Getty interior shot shows internal septs - looks like 1" nosing and say 4" riser board which sorta equals 2 x 4 1/2 " risers
This photo also show the 4 boards to the inner face of the balcony balustrade
From what I can gather there is 3 brick courses / 9"unit
Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
interior steps and planter box
another aspect I find a bit funny is the Entry , interior stairs, planter box, stepped wall bedroom balcony and roof over etc .
Of the photos I've seen , none really indicate how this was resolved.
a long view - can just see the entry roof - what does the balcony balustrade wall butt into?


interior view shows planter - is there a gap between the planter and the wall - what is that dark square beyond - a window, flyscreen door?
is there a step in the roof line?

another aspect I find a bit funny is the Entry , interior stairs, planter box, stepped wall bedroom balcony and roof over etc .
Of the photos I've seen , none really indicate how this was resolved.
a long view - can just see the entry roof - what does the balcony balustrade wall butt into?


interior view shows planter - is there a gap between the planter and the wall - what is that dark square beyond - a window, flyscreen door?
is there a step in the roof line?

Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
All section drawings clearly show three bricks = 9 inches. Photographs show that this was carried out---more or less. The rowlock cap course pulls the boards up from alignment, very slightly, at the living-room terrace parapet.
All photos of that parapet show six boards---don't they ? Looks like the architect won that fight, anecdotal accounts notwithstanding.
Here is a series of photos by Yukio Futagawa, published in the 1980s:






The published perspectives show six boards to the living and dining parapets:


All photos of that parapet show six boards---don't they ? Looks like the architect won that fight, anecdotal accounts notwithstanding.
Here is a series of photos by Yukio Futagawa, published in the 1980s:






The published perspectives show six boards to the living and dining parapets:


"As a former copy editor, I always feel I am defending the person whose name is being misspelled, not attacking the person who misspells it." Ronald Alan McCrea (1943-2019)
Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
Was the extension wing always part of the home, or added later?
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Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
You are right, SDR, the entry was not where the board was removed from the top, but at the bottom. The distance from the sill of the dining room window to the top of the pier is the same in both images (counting bricks), so the board had to have come off the bottom, which probably had to do with head height in the entry loggia.
My guess as to the main balcony is that it was always a 6-board height, and to accommodate Lewis, the living room floor was raised 12". That way FLW could have his cake and eat it, too.
My guess as to the main balcony is that it was always a 6-board height, and to accommodate Lewis, the living room floor was raised 12". That way FLW could have his cake and eat it, too.
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Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
Matt, the bedroom wing was always part of the plan as it was built. Lewis is an enlarged version of Willey Project #1. As wonderful as Willey is as built, FLW obviously wanted the earlier project constructed, and got it at Lewis, improved considerably.
Re: Lloyd Lewis sections
Well, that's an interesting set of circumstances. Do we take the Alamy (and Getty) black-and-white images to be early photos ? I had thought they might be recent, post-restoration shots---considering all the foliage present ? Note that, despite the view drawings which show a five-board parapet to the bedroom baclonies, they too are of six boards in those photos.
In both section drawings, the living room floor is elevated above the dining/workspace level; in the first drawing the difference is 12" (one and one-third units) while in the second it is 9" (one unit). That would account for the 4 1/2" riser estimation of G Dorn.
In the first Willey scheme the living room is elevated two or three risers above the dining/workspace floor; one might reasonably assume that this feature was a part of the Lewis design from the start ? I take the lowering of the living-room parapet by one board in Section 2 to be the solution to Lewis's complaint; that the built house apparently had 6 boards from the start suggests that he lost that argument. Do we know for a fact that Lewis got Wright to make the change ?
S
In both section drawings, the living room floor is elevated above the dining/workspace level; in the first drawing the difference is 12" (one and one-third units) while in the second it is 9" (one unit). That would account for the 4 1/2" riser estimation of G Dorn.
In the first Willey scheme the living room is elevated two or three risers above the dining/workspace floor; one might reasonably assume that this feature was a part of the Lewis design from the start ? I take the lowering of the living-room parapet by one board in Section 2 to be the solution to Lewis's complaint; that the built house apparently had 6 boards from the start suggests that he lost that argument. Do we know for a fact that Lewis got Wright to make the change ?
S
"As a former copy editor, I always feel I am defending the person whose name is being misspelled, not attacking the person who misspells it." Ronald Alan McCrea (1943-2019)