The entrance sequence to Pauson is remarkable. The carport was as Ed Jarolin noted placed to the east due to the location of the old road, (Orange?) and the gentler approach slope. In the distance to the east of the house were orange groves that later became the setting for the David Wright house about 1-2 miles away. The walk up the long entry stair and the compression through the "tunnel" terminated with a terrace view of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, its hexagonal rear oasis, and in the evening, the setting sun. A true appetizer for a guest coming to the house for drinks and dinner. Imagine the reds and purples of the light reflected off of Squaw Peak and Camelback as one entered the living room in the evening.
The Pausons built here to be close to the social life at the Biltmore in the winter season. Could this have been in Wright's mind as he "choreographed" the walk to the house?
Rose and Gertrude Pauson house
Very nice, DRN -- that puts me in the picture of the whole affair. I wasn't aware of the precise relation of Biltmore to the Pauson property (which had only
been described, by Wright/Hitchcock, as "in the grounds of" the hotel). A nice and concise description of the essence of the thing, in its place.
The "hexagonal rear oasis" might be echoed in the (unbuilt ?) hexagonal feature seen in the Hitchcock site plan at the top of the thread. . .?
I guess that the house would have been easily seen from the hotel ? Perhaps we can be glad that the earlier version of the western facade, seen in the color
rendering below, was replaced by the simpler one that was built ?
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been described, by Wright/Hitchcock, as "in the grounds of" the hotel). A nice and concise description of the essence of the thing, in its place.
The "hexagonal rear oasis" might be echoed in the (unbuilt ?) hexagonal feature seen in the Hitchcock site plan at the top of the thread. . .?
I guess that the house would have been easily seen from the hotel ? Perhaps we can be glad that the earlier version of the western facade, seen in the color
rendering below, was replaced by the simpler one that was built ?
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10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Last edited by SDR on Wed May 20, 2009 4:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SDR: The house would have been clearly visible from the hotel (see my earlier post in the thread). Given the dramatic site, the wealth and connections of the clients, and its visibility from a wintering spot for the rich and famous of the day, I suspect Wright gave this one a lot of personal attention, seeing it as a calling card or potential generator of future work. This of course does not take away from the Pauson house as the work of art and masterpiece it is/was.
Anyone interested in the Pauson house who visits the Biltmore should look for two period photos hanging, if I remember correctly, in the corridor near the coffeeshop next to Wright's. One is an aerial shot, the other, a shot looking east from the hotel toward the old Catalina pool. Both show the house in context.
Anyone interested in the Pauson house who visits the Biltmore should look for two period photos hanging, if I remember correctly, in the corridor near the coffeeshop next to Wright's. One is an aerial shot, the other, a shot looking east from the hotel toward the old Catalina pool. Both show the house in context.
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Jeff Myers
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25 The entrance gallery, a wood-enclosed form that protrudes from the west side of the house, contains four tiny windows ("portholes," in this Shiprock ?
The kitchen in this house is a "galley" -- see 4). Earlier versions of this entrance feature included perfs rather than ports (16, 28 ). Drawings 2, 6
and 25 indicate five portholes.
Note the row of little light-colored rectangles above the ports, in photos 26 and 27; by comparing photos, they appear to be painted on (?). They
also appear to have darker centers. What were those things ?
Section 16 also shows a small skylight in the gallery ceiling, which doubles as an electric light fixture. Drawing 23 indicates a row of six of these
sky/lamps. It would seem normal for Wright to align these with the similar-sized and -spaced porthole windows -- so there may have been
four of them in the house as built ?
26 (Hitchcock) (see 11, above)
27 (Monograph) (see 10. above)
Could FLLW have touched-out the little rectangles, in this photo ?
29 Goofy ship-at-sea perspective ?
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The kitchen in this house is a "galley" -- see 4). Earlier versions of this entrance feature included perfs rather than ports (16, 28 ). Drawings 2, 6
and 25 indicate five portholes.
Note the row of little light-colored rectangles above the ports, in photos 26 and 27; by comparing photos, they appear to be painted on (?). They
also appear to have darker centers. What were those things ?
Section 16 also shows a small skylight in the gallery ceiling, which doubles as an electric light fixture. Drawing 23 indicates a row of six of these
sky/lamps. It would seem normal for Wright to align these with the similar-sized and -spaced porthole windows -- so there may have been
four of them in the house as built ?
26 (Hitchcock) (see 11, above) 27 (Monograph) (see 10. above)Could FLLW have touched-out the little rectangles, in this photo ?
29 Goofy ship-at-sea perspective ? 30Pauson is one of my favorite FLW buildings. I admire the way that the building relates to the site and FLW takes the owners and visitors alike on a wonderful processional experience. The building is also tailored to the environment is a magical manner that many architects and owners seem to ignore. Altogether a truly great architectural work in my opinion.
Is the dropped roof above the living room intended to be a roof terrace?
You certainly are on to a great topic that has not been investigated in a scholarly manner. A book on this topic would be so much more fascinating than another picture book on FLW with out intellectual meat. I don't know about the Pauson sisters. but I can add this insight. The wives of FLW Prairie House clients had strong tendencies to forward thinking individuals that challenged female stereotypes of the day. FLW went to great extremes to win the endorsement of the wive when pursing new work.
IMO there is a pattern of FLW doing some of his most innovative and great works for either a pair of females or a female living alone. The following buildings immediately come to mind. Mrs. Thomas Gale House, Hollyhock House, La Miniatura, Goettsch Winkler, to name a few.
In my own personal experience as an architect, when females have assumed the lead role for the client on one of our projects, the design that was developed was always extraordinary. We were able to move well beyond banal, obvious solutions and do a project that was innovative and special. In many cases there were real budget limitations for whatever reason, but the budget did not squeeze the life out of the design. Those same clients readily embraced green design strategies. Those projects took more time and effort than normal. We rarely made much if any profit on those commissions, but the end result was an absolutely superb architectural work that the clients really appreciated.
Is the dropped roof above the living room intended to be a roof terrace?
You certainly are on to a great topic that has not been investigated in a scholarly manner. A book on this topic would be so much more fascinating than another picture book on FLW with out intellectual meat. I don't know about the Pauson sisters. but I can add this insight. The wives of FLW Prairie House clients had strong tendencies to forward thinking individuals that challenged female stereotypes of the day. FLW went to great extremes to win the endorsement of the wive when pursing new work.
IMO there is a pattern of FLW doing some of his most innovative and great works for either a pair of females or a female living alone. The following buildings immediately come to mind. Mrs. Thomas Gale House, Hollyhock House, La Miniatura, Goettsch Winkler, to name a few.
In my own personal experience as an architect, when females have assumed the lead role for the client on one of our projects, the design that was developed was always extraordinary. We were able to move well beyond banal, obvious solutions and do a project that was innovative and special. In many cases there were real budget limitations for whatever reason, but the budget did not squeeze the life out of the design. Those same clients readily embraced green design strategies. Those projects took more time and effort than normal. We rarely made much if any profit on those commissions, but the end result was an absolutely superb architectural work that the clients really appreciated.
Paul Harding FAIA Restoration Architect for FLW's 1901 E. Arthur Davenport House, 1941 Lloyd Lewis House, 1952 Glore House | www.harding.com | LinkedIn
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PrairieMod
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The dining table as executed looks way more elaborate than the one sketched out in the drawings. SDR, do you have any more images of that unique-looking furniture piece? Have you ever sketched it?
PrairieMod
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The substantial change to the dining table design does not surprise me. Dating back to the Prairie Period and likely before, FLW's construction drawings were at best were what architects today would consider a slightly enhanced version OD design development drawings. A substantial amount of refinement and additional detailing took place when the project was under construction. Some of these changes, as in the case of Davenport, were substantial.
Paul Harding FAIA Restoration Architect for FLW's 1901 E. Arthur Davenport House, 1941 Lloyd Lewis House, 1952 Glore House | www.harding.com | LinkedIn
I find no other images or references to the Pauson furniture. The table is certainly remarkable, as is that peculiar semi-symmetrical bench in front of it.
The table clearly echoes the stepped lapped-board walls that, along with some interior Usonian sunk-batten partitions, makes up the wooden fabric
of the house. The vertical coursing of these walls is about 9 3/4".
If the dropped roof over the living room was intended for use, it should have had a stair or ladder for access. None is apparent, unfortunately.
Our energetic young enthusiast, Jeff Myers, has completed a SketchUp model of the house that we'll see shortly, I expect. Despite minor flaws, it gives
an experience of the property that has been missing until now. One thing that becomes apparent is the extreme linearity of the form -- extended even
more by the low wall that trails off to the south.
SDR
The table clearly echoes the stepped lapped-board walls that, along with some interior Usonian sunk-batten partitions, makes up the wooden fabric
of the house. The vertical coursing of these walls is about 9 3/4".
If the dropped roof over the living room was intended for use, it should have had a stair or ladder for access. None is apparent, unfortunately.
Our energetic young enthusiast, Jeff Myers, has completed a SketchUp model of the house that we'll see shortly, I expect. Despite minor flaws, it gives
an experience of the property that has been missing until now. One thing that becomes apparent is the extreme linearity of the form -- extended even
more by the low wall that trails off to the south.
SDR