Basements in Wright-designed homes

DRN · Post by **DRN** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 2:54 pm

The Sweeton basement is small (160 square feet) beneath the workspace only. It is accessed via an exterior stairwell with 8"deep treads and 8" high risers.

Palli · Post by **Palli** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:04 pm

It is called a basement at Staley, however it is small and the present owners usually block the door by placing the dining table differently from the plan. It is the open end of the masonry unit at the gallery entrance.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:35 pm

Ouch! That must hurt, going down that 2'-wide passage between stone walls!

Palli · Post by **Palli** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:11 pm

yes, very unpleasant!

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:59 pm

Jacob 1 basement...er..pit. It appears the stairway on the plans was actually a ladder!

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gwdan · Post by **gwdan** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 4:25 pm

The Goetsch-"Winckler house has a very small "basement".

The story goes that the only request the two women had of Wright all during the construction of the home was to have a place to "store their canned jellies and vegetables". Wright wanted nothing to do with adding the basement and continually ignored their pleas. The on-site contractor, Harold Turner, added the space without Wright's knowledge. As you might imagine, when Wright arrived and saw the basement, it also cost Turner is career.

Palli · Post by **Palli** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:57 pm

Not his career- his association with Wright.

rightwaswright · Post by **rightwaswright** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:17 am

jmcnally wrote:
Do many of Wright's homes have basements? To me, it was unusual - but again, it's not something that would be on a tour.

Fallingwater. What else would we call the small below-grade utility room accessed from the kitchen, if not a 'basement'?

outside in · Post by **outside in** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:14 am

The Jacobs House picture of Wright is a great shot - if you'll notice, the ends of his trousers are tied with strings, as he hated the feeling of air up his pant legs. Kinda nutty I think.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:21 am

I think RG mentioned that he did this in winter for warmth, that kind of makes sense, but this is summer, no?
It just occurs to me but the style is kind of Arabian.

jmcnally · Post by **jmcnally** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:30 am

Re: Wright's pants & sandals: I suppose one of the advantages of leading a community of artisans is that you can design almost anything you want, and have a pool of workers standing ready to make it reality.

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 1:23 pm

Possibly FLW didn't want dirt and sand on his dress pants. It is better to wear sandals on a job site in the summer than one's dress shoes.

Palli · Post by **Palli** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 2:12 pm

The Barton Project (Oak Shelter) T4106 has been bouncing around threads after Tom's question about louvres. Well, it has a large basement too! Outside stairs descend to the basement- the size of the living room.

Rood · Post by **Rood** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 2:40 pm

Tied pant legs are highly practical when working outdoors on a farm and in the fields. People who don't do that will come home at night with shoes and socks full of dirt, pebbles, dried grass, and sundry barbed seeds ... things a city slicker learns very quickly in the country.

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:08 pm

One reason for FLW's odd fashion sense was that he caught any bug that got near him. According to Geiger, FLW was very often sick, and pneumonia was one of the ailments he suffered most often. So better hot, sweaty and well than cool and abed with the ague.

Wright Chat

Basements in Wright-designed homes

Re: Basements in Wright-designed homes

Wright's trousers