Chahroudi / Massaro residence on Petre Island

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:10 am

So post the photos.

RJH · Post by **RJH** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:34 am

I would like to post the photos and if you see earlier posts I have attempted to do so. I even asked on the board if people can help. No response.......

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:50 am

RJH wrote:I would like to post the photos and if you see earlier posts I have attempted to do so. I even asked on the board if people can help. No response.......

photobucket.com (see reply to phardings post re: FLLW's Buffalo)

therman7g · Post by **therman7g** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 10:16 am

BUFFALO, N.Y. Ground will be broken today in Buffalo for a boathouse designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright a century ago.

The five (m) million-dollar rowing clubhouse will be built on Buffalo's Niagara River waterfront next to the West Side Rowing Club. The project is expected to be completed next summer.

WCAX TV

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S= ... v=4QcSZuDr

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:13 am

The simplicity of Yahara makes it a good choice for construction all these years after the fact. It should be possible to do the design justice without making any egregious changes. But the $5-million price tag seems ludicrous to me. Especially in a depressed area where construction costs should be down.

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:25 pm

$5,000,0000?....sounds like they're building more than the boat house. Tourist housing perhaps?

outside in · Post by **outside in** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:52 pm

His words apply to construction costs now, more than ever "a million here, a million there, pretty soon you're talking about real money!" There has been nearly a 25% increase in construction costs within the past 3 years. I'm not one to throw around cash, but 5 mil. ain't what it used to be.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:05 pm

RJH - please feel free to email me the photos you speak of: I am most happy to host them for you on my own domain.

chris*at*4sure.co.nz

I'll send you the URLs and a directory listing as soon as they are uploaded.

RJH · Post by **RJH** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:42 pm

I have some time so I am trying to post a few pics. Hope this works. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36675938@N00/

pharding · Post by **pharding** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:16 pm

Thank you for the additional photographs. The more photos that I see of that building, the more it screams of mediocrity. That building has none of the visual richness, beautiful details, and wonderful proportions of a true FLW building. If the folks at Taliesin care anything about FLW's legacy they should sue to get FLW's named removed from any association with that dog of a building.

Ed Jarolin · Post by **Ed Jarolin** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:28 pm

After seeing the recently posted photos I must say I agree with

pharding's comments. After being very enthused initially and being

impressed by the short video of the construction process, the finished

building seems very disappointing indeed.

The rocks in the rubblestone walls certainly do look pasted on and,

if earlier posts here are accurate, the use of bolts instead of paste

is only a minor technicality. It seems the closer you get the worse it

looks. The distant photos are the best, as if you squint a little it looks

pretty good.

Apologies to FLlW, but sometimes " God is in the details" to quote

Mies van der Rohe. Seems Mr. Heinz had the opportunity of a lifetime

and simply wasn't up to the task. I don't fault the attempt, I'm just

saddened by the result.

Granted I'm making these comments based on a few photos, a rather

dangerous business when judging architecture. However, I would be

quite surprised if my opinion changed upon personal inspection.

RJH · Post by **RJH** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 12:04 am

Photos compliments of www.HaynesHouseLLC.com

Some comments from my visit:

- The masonry had to be done the way you see it. I was told that an Engineer advised that if it was built as Wright wanted it done (true desert masonry) it would not support the structure. Also there is a foam core in the walls that was needed to meet R-value (building code).

- All the doors and windows are Mahogany. Better construction and quality then I

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:34 am

Perhaps future visitors to the house can compare this near miss to the masterful cottage next door to see the difference between the living and the dead. Examine the cottage in detail; it is an exquisite design with a roof that is simply amazing in its construction. It is an overlooked masterpiece. The big, expensive houses dazzle, but more often than not, FLW was better when he had strict limitations, such as Willey, Jacobs I, Sturges and Goetsch-Winkler.

Deke · Post by **Deke** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 4:04 pm

Thanks for the photos. Very interesting. Wonderful to see the cottage, whose design I've always admired. The new home seems very impressive...with the exception of the masonry. Surely they could have found some way to countersink the stones to at least give the impression of dessert rubble wall.

The wood work...a real litmus test in any usonian...looks terrific.

Construction aside, I'm not sure this is my fav FLW design. I've always liked the sleek horizontal drawings of this projects, but something is a bit lost on translation perhaps. It has the feel of his clunkier designs...like that other one...what's it called Greystone or Greycliff: Very hard and bunker like.

Is the roof copper? When that oxidizes, it may make a big difference.

DK

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:12 am

I've been spending some nice times with an aging ex apprentice near me. He had a very combative, at times, relationship with Wright. Talking with him is fascinating, especially in light of the new Fellowship book (he was "favored" for awhile, and another potential match for Iovanna). He is an interesting person. He was definitely one of the more independent thinkers there, and appears to still carry baggage from his experiences. Its odd to detect an almost hostile remembrance after so many years. Still, he was a great admirer of Wright and has no regrets for having been at Taliesin-never a pleasant place for an individual.

On his quest to balance a life outside Taliesin, he spent time in India working with Corbu on some of those monstrosities, worked on Suntop after a fire, designed houses in Usonia. He wasn't shy about asking Wright to pay him the $100 here or there he was owed, but Wright often remembered without being asked.

Anyway, to stay on topic, today he lent me a copy of his oral history that Taliesin sent him. The first date with his wife was hijacked when Wright sent him over to the island to prod the client to build the house. They had a picnic with the family near the rock, water skied, etc.

Out of the blue Chahroudi blurted out "there's no way I can afford to build this house, what can I do?" The apprentice compared his dilemna to that of Arch Oboler. Chahroudi asked how he could get something he could afford. The appentice suggested something smaller be built first (he was not sure if a guest house had already been designed), and for half the amount of his house budget. When Chahroudi mentioned that would probably not be enough money, the apprentice said, yes, but you'll end up spending your whole budget anyway! Obviously, he learned this from having supervised a number of houses.

I think he may not even be aware of the recent construction, and I will surely find out to see what he has to say all these years later.

There is just too much to go into, and this is just one apprentice talking for 5 hours...you know, these histories would make incredible books themselves. The first person recollections are priceless.

Wright Chat

Chahroudi / Massaro residence on Petre Island

Construction of Frank Lloyd Wright structure to begin...

everett dirkson