Wright Chat

SDR, I believe the colored rendering is an earlier version of the sheets that follow it. Compare to the southeast elevation, working drawing. Master bedroom is to the left with less glass in front, entrance in the center, and childrens' bedrooms to the right. Unsure of the mountain behind it but cou...

I think what we may have here in Palmer is an evaporative cooling system (swamp cooler) rather than a compressor system. The hot, dry desert air is drawn into the system, water is added as vapor in the air, thereby reducing air temperature. The cool air is not recycled (because it is now more humid,...

Among the interesting features of this Palmer design, the children's bedrooms are located outside of the envelope of the main house. You must go outdoors and walk under a covered terrace to reach them. I think FLW liked the idea, a way of being close to the natural environment in warm climates. Tali...

I imagine the separate ventilation system for the basement wine room allowed the Palmers to make and ferment their own wine, without the house taking up the odors.

Weinstube translated from German to English is wine room. Located in the basement, it appears to have two (intake and exhaust) of its own ventilation ducts up through the chimney mass, independent of the air conditioning. If so, I suspect the ventilation would not be used during the desert summer fo...

Wow, the detailing! And 4", 8", 12" concrete block laid up in random ashlar? Is there an air conditioning plenum running over both bedroom and living wings of the house, with louvered openings a each end? Not sure what I'm seeing? Is the air cooled, or simply ventilated throughout the...

Built in 1990, I believe this predates the Not So Big series of books. Susanka had designed other large homes at this time. This home looks and feels larger than it is. Based on a rather small two story central core, single room-width, two-story projections from the four sides of the core allow spac...

http://www.century21vista.com/listing/20-25970-513-summit-street-e-battle-lake-mn-56515/ This is in our home town and is a lovingly cared for home by the two retirees who built it. Her father built the Neils House in Minneapolis, for a Wrightian connection. There is no claim whatsoever to be by or c...

It's been a few years since we have passed through there, but you would have to squint and imagine a more lovingly cared for building site, set among some of Wright's typical landscaping in an earlier time to appreciate this structure. As we have seen it, piles of tires sit around, cars and parts, a...

We have stopped there for fuel many times. The canopy is wonderful, the conventional overhead service doors and standard gas pumps look out of place. There is a ceramic FLLW square on the building over the entrance. And a surprise in the upper lounge rest rooms, plywood stalls with perf cutouts at t...

I think most small cities are "nifty" compared to the automobile hell our large cities have become.

Matt2, specifically, what city might my two friends in Fargo move to for a better life? I'll suggest it to them.

During a mid-90's visit to Fallingwater I remember various pieces of replica Fallingwater furniture for sale in the gift shop. Beautiful and expensive for me at the time. I had an interest in the living room desk and the bedside reading lamps, but settled for two volumes of the FLW Monographs.

Would the first drawing shown here for Kaufmann Dept Store indicate the presumed location for the house by EJ or his engineer to be below the waterfall, as that area is centered in the sheet. I recall Kauffman was somewhat surprised to see FLW had sited the house over the waterfall?

The Elam house rental does not include the entire house or its living room, only the former playroom wing of the house. The Elam rental website describes the rental: "The Plunkett family resides in the main part of The Elam House. The guest rental area includes a large living room, kitchenette,...