Essay, Research Paper: Organic Architecture

Worldwide notoriety is a comment that would suggest Frank Lloyd Wright and the architecture that he left behind. This legendary American architect started a style of organic structures that remains a roadmap for the people of his genera today. His greatness not only remains by the buildings that he left behind, but through his school that he along with his wife started and his philosophy about designing.
As a young child, Wright developed these characteristics that made him the artist that he was. At a young age in 1885, Wright’s parents were unhappy with their marriage so they got a divorce (turner 400). A very unusual thing for that day and time, the divorce caused much pain for the family. Wright’s mother dearly loved her only child and provided him with the characteristics necessary when approaching design with his philosophy. When asked if he knew what he wanted to be when he was younger, Wright responded by telling the man that his goal was to always be an architect ever since when at a young age he was given his first tinker toy building blocks. Even though some may chuckle at the validity of such a statement, Wright was serious and believed that through the little toys he was inspired to change a profession.
As a young man, Wright studied engineering for only two terms at the University of Wisconsin. This was the beginning of the rest of his life as an architect. He earned a position as the chief draftsmen for the Adler & Sullivan Architect Company. Losing this job due to technical contracts that forbid him to sell his own drafts outside of the company. This was a blessing in a way because of the fact that Louis Sullivan was well respected and celebrated as an architect himself. Had Wright stayed he may have been shadowed under Sullivan.
Being able to leave this shadow enabled him to create some of the greatest and most beautiful structures in the world. One of these, is the house built for the Kaufmanns family in Bear Run Pennsylvania. Properly called “Falling Water” the structure rests in the middle of the woods right on top of a stream. The amazing thing about the way that this structure was designed is that although it rests in the middle of a wooded area, the enormous house looks and feels like it belongs. Just as the large expanse of rock that the structure sits on was worn away by the water over hundreds of years, the house too by design looks to have been their for milleniums and just happened to wear away out of the earth. Through the colors and material that was used on the construction of this habitat there is no sense of out of place to go along with this house. This house fits the philosophy of the great Wright.
In architecture, it was Wright’s vision to create everything so that it went well with the natural surroundings. He called this organic architecture. This was the basis by which all of his work was done. So many people wanted to be taught in this fashion of creating things, and Wright wanted to learn from others. From this,
he created the Taliesin Fellowship. Out in the desert, a group of apprentices and he collaborated and learned from each other along with constructing all of the buildings by themselves and growing food. This institution became a community of all people with the same passion as Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1959 the aged Wright passed away at the Taliesin Fellowship headquarters. Although this was the end for the man, the reputation lives on and continues to astonish and amaze the world of architecture.


Outline

I. Life
-Early experiences
-Schooling
-Work experiences
II. Work of art
-Falling Water
A. Appearance and design
B. Surrounding environment and relationship
III. Taliesin Fellowship
-Purpose
-Philosophy
-Organic Architecture







Works Cited



Chambers, James. Ed. “The World Atlas of Architecture” Mitchell Beazley Publishing, United Kingdom 1984
Osborne, Harold Ed. “ The Oxford Companion to Art” Oxford University Press. United Kingdom 1970
Seargent, John. “Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian houses: the case for organic architecture”. Whitney Library of Design. New York 1976

Turner , Jane. Ed. “The dictionary of art”. Grove, New York 1996. 34 v.