Frank Lloyd Wright’s: Falling Water Architectural Design
I have decided to design a unique architectural design that will define organic architecture in the 21st century. The building will define my love for nature by ensuring that the architectural design is unified with the natural environment. The harmony created between the natural environment and architecture displays my philosophical approach in which I will determine form by way of natural materials. The Fallingwater House will replace the deteriorating summer home for one of the wealthy Pennsylvanian family and will be located on top of a waterfall in Bear Run. I choose the Appalachian reserve because it served an ideal location. This is because my client, Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann, has always been fascinated by my inspiration by nature. Thus, I intend to share my architectural decisions and the challenges that I faced. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
I shall use cascading forms that will inspire the exterior of the home. The house shall have an organically stacked appearance in efforts to reflect stone ledges that are jutting from the fall, through that, I shall have “to cantilever the house from that rock-bank over the falling water.[1]” The cantilevered ledges are sympathetic to the with the rock strata where the stream lies, which will create a fascinating landscape that did not exist before. The façade reveals my genius approach in using materials available to me. The external walls are composed of locally available stones from quarried around Pottsville. These stones have unique qualities that will guarantee the durability of the house when reinforced with concrete. The concrete concoction will be made from river gravel, sand, and cement. The terrace appearance of the home will be coated using stucco. This is because of the inspiration by the color of ochre, which is neutral.
These are architectural aesthetic decisions that are essential in camouflaging the house. The silhouette will be stacked, have a stone exterior, and the color will be neutral. The neutral color will be receding into the wooden surrounding and will make it dominant from the waterfall. The building should dominate the environment through the neutral color theme. That makes the building to complement the environment rather than being disgraced by the environment. In case it is being complemented by the environment, it would mean that it is a disgrace.
I shall design the interior while considering nature. I shall create a centrally placed fireplace between boulders that shall not be moved. The boulder shall link the inside to the outside. I intended to have the ledge cut, but it happened to have been Kaufmann’s family’s favorite spot within the house after I explained to him the design. Hence, the heath will be left plain, which will create the impression of the rocks protruding from the stream. The accents will have a Cherokee red color. The walls will be covered with unwaxed cork while the floors will be made from waxed stone. The corner-less but large windows welcomes “the natural environment into the house as well as enticing its inhabitants out, the square footage of outdoor terraces of Fallingwater is almost the same as that of its indoor rooms.[2]”
There are small architectural settings that are reflected through small particulars. For example, no frames are linking the walls to the glass. The glass is connected to the wall through caulked recess, which makes the stones to appear free of interruption by the glazing. There will be no wall on the side of the house facing the falls. They will always catch the attention of the residents who shall always focus on the woods and horizon. There will be a stairway leading to the stream from the living room. Additionally, there shall be connecting space that links the servant quarters to the guesthouse. The bedrooms will be small, some with low lying ceilings that will require the residents to move towards the outdoors by going to the spacious balconies.
The outdoors will be brought into the inside of the house through built-in and free-standing furniture. I shall design about ten decorative pieces of art that will link the outside with the inside through feel and look. The furniture will be made from black walnut wood that has warm chocolate tones.
While making the design, one of the main challenges that I am facing is meeting the budgetary allocations. I expect the house to cost $35,000. However, I am not sure whether that budget is enough since changes may occur during the construction. Another structural issue is that the waterfall may catalyze the growth of mold within the house. Lastly, It is complicated to find the appropriate wood and sandstone that will withstand time and damage from water.
In brief, the Fallingwater house is expected to show how architecture can be harmonized with nature. The interior of the building will reflect the outside, and glass will be used liberally. All through the house, two colors will be used to paint the walls, concrete, steel structure, and glass. Only Cherokee red and light ochre are used. These colors create an aesthetic building that will remain one of its kind in the world.
Bibliography
Fallingwater. 2020. Designing Fallingwater. < https://fallingwater.org/history/about-fallingwater/designing-fallingwater>.
Jones, Jami Biles, and Lori J. Flint. 2013. The creative imperative: school librarians and teachers cultivating curiosity together. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited.
[1] Jami Biles Jones; Lori J Flint, 2013, The Creative Imperative: School Librarians and Teachers Cultivating. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited. p. 77.
[2] Fallingwater, 2020, Designing Fallingwater, < https://fallingwater.org/history/about-fallingwater/designing-fallingwater>.=