SAMARA- A model redone

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:59 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_m5rdEX5ms
This is not the finished project but more of a teaser. I started redoing the model on August 16 and little by little, like a puzzle, it has been worked on.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 3:06 am

Very detailed. The gate in this video is not to be missed.
I don't remember seeing the covered patio off the living room and dining room. Is that another of Christians continuing completions or has it always been there.
Love the change of levels in this house.
I prefer the copper fascia in this model to the actual one. Personally would have preferred Christian to have just left that off, but Wright was into it.

Paul Ringstrom · Post by **Paul Ringstrom** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:46 am

Tom wrote:I don't remember seeing the covered patio off the living room and dining room. Is that another of Christians continuing completions or has it always been there.

Always been there.

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 12:44 pm

Really nice work, Jeff. Thanks again for sharing what you do with us!

David

Education Professor · Post by **Education Professor** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:17 pm

Great work, Jeff! Thanks for giving us a glimpse of the virtual tour of Samara. You have a keen eye for detail, and I look forward to seeing the complete model.

EP

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:41 pm

Juicy photo of the Christian residence (labeled "Nursery facade"). It's hard to believe that Mr Wright wouldn't have been pleased with the effusive greenery,
seeking (it might seem) to challenge the boisterous copper fascia:

photo Â© Dave Anderson

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 3:02 pm

My guess is that Wright would have thought something along the lines of: "MY ARCHITECTURE FIRST! And any superfluous landscaping SHALL NOT INTERFERE!!!"

David

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 3:26 pm

Maybe. (I didn't check to see if there are windows behind that foliage !) But he relentlessly added greenery to the drawings his boys made . . .

SDR

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:34 pm

Christian refused to color the vertical mortar joints. At fist I thought this was done intentionally to mimic the sense of being in a swarm of spinning winged seeds. But when I asked him about it he said that it was his decision and that the chemistry was not there to prove a neutral (non-problematic) interaction between two different mortars.
Seeing as how Wright had been doing this his entire career one imagines that it had more to do with psychology than anything else. Christian is a very bright guy. Lifelong professor of chemistry at Purdue. Wright most likely ran right over that not acknowledging it at all. Christian's psyche had to take a stand. So he took a stand based on chemical interactions and said no to coloring the mortar joints: screw you Mr. Wright sort of thing. Pure speculation on my part of course.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:27 pm

Christian also developed a solution that would rapidly produce the "green" patina on new copper without having to wait.

Basket weave brick drive? That's not Wright is it?

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:36 pm

No windows on that wall that you see, it's the guest room. I actually had to redo the floor plan numerous times after finding out Storrer really wasn't right in many spots.

There was, however, a planned grill on the outside and fireplace inside in the master bedroom, it was taken out in the final design to be replaced by the TV cabinet.

It was a blast to add the fascia. All I have left is lights and landscaping. The fascia isn't that bright green it's more of a forest green seen on the Price Tower.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 8:34 am

Nice work, Jeff! Each model is better and more accurate than the previous...

SDR wrote:Juicy photo of the Christian residence (labeled "Nursery facade"). It's hard to believe that Mr Wright wouldn't have been pleased with the effusive greenery,
seeking (it might seem) to challenge the boisterous copper fascia:

photo Â© Dave Anderson

In 1931 Wright gave an address entitled â€œTo the Young Man in Architectureâ€� and near the end of the discourse he presented a series of fourteen pithy numbered points. Here's one of those:

"Then go as far away as possible from home to build your first buildings. The physician can bury his mistakes,â€”but the architect can only advise his client to plant vines."

I agree with David that Wright would not approve of the landscaping shown in the photo, though he probably would find the "forest" behind the house appropriate. The addition of the basket weave drive competes with the brick pattern of the house itself (especially considering that there are no colored vertical mortar joints).

I don't think that Wright made any serious mistakes in the design of Samara which would warrant hiding the house with the full beard of ivy.

Macrodex · Post by **Macrodex** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 8:00 pm

Quick question: what are the ceiling heights? And, is 7'-6" the standard Usonian ceiling height -- or is it 6'-6"?

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Sun Jan 19, 2014 10:06 pm

Everything is based around ,and multiples, of 4
Lower ceiling is 6'8", higher ceiling is 8' 8"
With a 5" thickness (as per a viable source)

John · Post by **John** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 6:31 pm

Excellent work, Jeff.
How many of Wright's buildings have you done?
When can we expect the DVD?