PrairieMod

A Place Where They Don't Tear Down Trees & Name Streets After Them?

Urban Sprawl is indeed a sight for sore eyes, yet is there a better alternative? New Urbanists think so and have been working hard for the past 20 years to offer up a solution. Interestingly, the New Urbanist communities that have been popping up seem to take a cue from Frank Lloyd Wright's Broadacre City.

Marshall Erdman, who worked with Wright in the 1950's, hired Andres Duany to plan Middleton Hills near Madison, WI. Duany is a leader in the New Urbanist movement and the planning he did for Middleton Hills is most definitely intriguing. The website for this community states:

"The founder of Middleton Hills, Marshall Erdman, wanted residents of this development to rediscover the sense of community that has been lost over the last decades in the sprawl of isolated housing tracts, shopping developments and office parks. The emphasis is on people; on quality of life in a self sufficient neighborhood."

The strict architectural codes of Middleton Hills only allow for three types of architectural styles: Craftsman, Bungalow and Prairie. I guess that's not too bad of a choice, if one was forced. However, the jury is still out regarding all aspects of this planned community. Does it truly solve the problems it sets out to fix? Do the architectural styles make sense and/or are they authentic?

You can read about Marshall Erdman in his biography, Uncommon Sense.

You can also view an informative case study on Middleton Hills here.

Two other New Urbanist communities are Disney's Celebration in Florida and Westhaven in Franklin, TN.

Mile High Dreams

There's been a recent flurry of articles about the renewed quest to build the tallest building in the world. In today's Chicago Sun-Times, it was reported that the way had been cleared in zoning laws to allow a new building designed by Santiago Calatrava to potentially become the world's tallest. Another recent on-line article made mention of the height craze and also to the ultimate design for skyscrapers, Frank Lloyd Wright's Mile High Illinois building. Wright designed it in 1956 and said the technology at the time couldn't build it, but in the future it would be possible to create this architectural wonder. Who knows, with enough interest (and money) we might yet see the day when the Mile High Illinois will be built.

Mile High Illinois drawing copyright F.L. Wright Foundation 2006

Frank Lloyd Wright in Kankakee

The Frank Lloyd Wright designed, Bradley House in Kankakee, IL has been getting a bit of press this past year. Douglas Anders' FLLW Newsblog has had a handful of postings about the Bradley House. There is also an interview of the current homeowner, Gaines Hall, done by AIArchitect.

We have dug a bit deeper and found another wonderful article on the house that was published last summer in Images of the Kankakee River Valley. I was able to get a copy from the publisher and it was a treat to read the article and see the pictures. However, you can also view the information online here.

The Bradley House is currently undergoing restoration, but the finished Stable is open to the public. The Stable Shop & Musuem is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, plus Sunday from 1pm to 4pm. Their website is www.flwbradleyhouse.com.

Lincoln Park Landmark

A good friend of PrairieMod's tipped us off to a new national Historic Landmark that's practically right in our backyard. The Alfred Caldwell lily pool in the Lincoln Park section of Chicago was recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior last month.

The lily pool was given a make-over in the 1930s by Alfred Caldwell (considered by some the last great Prairie School designer) thus making it significant artistically. It had fallen into disrepair while being used as a bird sanctuary by the Lincoln Park Zoo, but funds have been raised and its restoration has begun. We at PrairieMod applaud the effort to save this important piece of Chicago's cultural history.

Photo by Nancy Hanks, 2002

Park Inn Hotel Grant

The last Frank Lloyd Wright designed hotel, the Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, Iowa, is happily in the midst of a much needed restoration. The Hotel restoration recently received a grant for $20,500 from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. read about it here.

If you're traveling through Iowa, take some time out to stop and visit the Lowell Walter house in Quasqueton. It's a beautifully intact Usonian and it's open for public tours. You'll be glad you stopped!

Park Inn Photo Courtesy of Wright in Iowa website
Walter House photo courtesy of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Forgotten Treasure Returns to Glory

On a business trip this past week, I stopped by the newly renovated Westcott House in Springfield, OH. After reading all the press surrounding this home, I was eager to see it with my own two eyes and was not disappointed one bit. From the moment I walked up to the entrance of the visitor's center, I was completely enthralled.

Prior to taking a tour of the home, a video documentary is played which shows the transformation of the home during the restoration process. You will not believe how damaged the structure was! An excerpt of the documentary can be viewed here. Also, some excellent information about the Westcott House, the family, the Foundation, etc. can be found on the website www.westcotthouse.org.

Unfortunately, none of the original furniture from the home has survived. Many built-in pieces were reproduced from drawings and installed, which look very well crafted. Also, some other pieces of furniture were built that capture the spirit of Wright's designs from that era. Interestingly, the openness of the home, uncluttered with furniture and decor, allows one to truly get a sense of how Mr. Wright designed a space.

While I visited the Westcott House at the tail end of winter, I am eager to return in the summer once all of the landscaping has awoken from it's slumber. The awning on the front of the home will be rolled out and the water in the reflecting pool will be turned back on. I sincerely recommend putting this on one's list of Wright Sites to see!

Photo courtesy of PrairieMod

Buffalo Civic Architecture Lecture

Our friends at the Larkin Company yahoo group sent us a heads-up on a lecture that will take place Saturday, March 25th in Buffalo, New York. The Lecture is titled "Frank Lloyd Wright's Civic Architecture: New Building Types in the 1920s."

It will focus on the Blue Sky Mausoleum project and the Filling Station. Apparently, both projects were originally designed for Buffalo and were not originally constructed. However, with the recent completion of the Mausoleum in Forest Lawn and the soon to-be-built Filling Station in downtown Buffalo, there is renewed interest in exploring the architectural significance of each.

Blue Sky Mausoleum drawing copyright F.L. Wright Foundation 2006

Rendering of Filling Station courtesy of The Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum

Two New FLLW Licensees

 

Here are two new licensees of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. These organizations, Copeland Furniture and Prairie Arts, are releasing some really top-notch, high-end products this year. You can read the press release for Copeland Furniture here and the press release for Prairie Arts here.

Copeland Furniture will be manufacturing entire dining room and living room sets originally designed by FLLW. This is a bit different from the old licensee of FLLW furniture, Cassina, who focused on specific pieces like the barrel chair. 

Prairie Arts has home accessory items like wall stencils, art prints and decorative screens. They are reproducing prints of the original Wasmuth Portfolio that Mr. Wright published in 1910. These are being letter-pressed and silk screened by hand. Also, there will be laser-cut screens.

Don't forget about another new licensee, Haeger Pottery. We did a post on them a few weeks back. You can view the posting here.

 

Walter Burley Griffin: In His Own Right

Walter Burley Griffin's Emery House in Elmhurst, IL is a fine example of Prairie School ideals in action. It actually was his first  independent comission and he designed it as a freelance project while under the employement of Frank Lloyd Wright. This wonderful Prairie home was fairly recently restored by John Eifler of Eifler & Associates and is also featured on an old VHS (too bad it's not on DVD) PBS documentary entitled, Walter Burley Griffin: In His Own Right. I had to pick up a copy of this at the local public library, but I believe you may purchase the cassette here.

The PBS website  for this program is a splendid supplement to the documentary, which really goes into detail regarding Griffin's life and career. There is a lot of really insightful information on this site. They even include a copy of the script!

Additionally, an excellent text to compliment your viewing of this film is Walter Burley Griffin in America, by Paul Krutty and Mati Maldre. This book was actually the inspiration behind the documentary.

Emery House photos courtesy of PrairieMod

Another New PrairieMod Friend

Much thanks to www.houseblogs.net who recently featured a post on their site about us! Houseblogs is a fascinating site dedicated to folks who are building, improving and restoring their own houses. They are online journals of the process and offer up insight and tips on restoration. Go DIY-ers!

Check out Houseblogs and see for yourself.

Other PrairieMod friends on the web are listed here.

Willey House Restoration

If you haven't visited Mark Hertzberg's wonderful website and blog "Wright in Racine", then you don't know what you are missing. He recently posted a great set of photos and comments about the ongoing restoration of the Malcolm and Nancy Willey house in Minneapolis. While you're visiting his site, take some time to read some of the past posts Mark has made about the various Frank Lloyd Wright sites in and nearby Racine. We also suggest you check out his book by the same name, "Wright in Racine: The Architect's Vision For one American City."

I also ran across another site that has more info, photos and some video clips regarding the Willey House restoration. All this interest and the ongoing work on this Wright Masterpiece is very encouraging!

Photo by Lowell Prescott

From Morris to Wright

The International Arts and Crafts exhibit is now at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. You can read about the exhibit on the Marin Independent Journal's website. If you can't experience the exhibit firsthand, we suggest grabbing a copy of the beautifully printed catalog.

What If?: Mr. Wright & American High School Architecture

If you grew up in the city of Chicago you most likely went to a school that looked like the high school to the left.

If you or your children went to a high school in the suburbs, then those structures most likely look like the high school below.

Now I'm well aware of the fact that Frank Lloyd Wright designed a decent number of educational structures. There's the Hillside School in WI, the Abraham Lincoln Center in Chicago, the Wyoming Valley Grammar School in WI, the Juvenile Cultural Center in KS, the Jiyu Gauken Girls School in Japan and even the Coonley Playhouse in IL. Yet, what if Wright designed an American High School? Would he have influenced the way high schools are built today? How would form and function play out in these structures?

My personal experience was class in a "warehouse" with minimal windows. The entire campus looked like a compound. All I can remember is thinking how nice it would be to graduate and never have to set foot inside that building again.

Don't even get me started on collegiate architecture! (Note: Wright did some interesting things at Florida Southern College).

The FLLW Companion & It's Companion

Anticipation is mounting for the revised addition of William Allin Storrer's book, The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. Spring 2006 will give us the chance to see if new photos and details will be revealed about the Muirhead Farmhouse; what sad postscript will be added about the Sullivan and Charnley Bungalows in Ocean Springs, MS; plus information about how the Mitchell House in Racine, WI was discovered.

While this book has been and will continue to be a wonderful tool in the hands of Wright aficionados, there is an additional resource that tends to be a bit more fun and easier to tote around town. It's the Frank Lloyd Wright Companion CD-ROM by Mr. Storrer and Prairie Multimedia!

This CD-ROM version of the book is extremely well designed and also carries a few extra goodies such as Quicktime videos of various homes that were taken from documentaries. There's also a map that's quite useful in searching for homes geographically, plus a splendid index that is much easier to click through than the pages of the printed version. Call or email Prairie Multimedia today to order a copy for only $59.95!

Images courtesy of www.franklloydwrightinfo.com and Prairie Multimedia

Heurtley House Video Tour

Frank Lloyd Wright's 1902 prairie masterpiece, the Arthur Heurtley House is one of the most amazing spaces ever conceived of by Wright. The PrairieMod team had the pleasure of attending a party there in 2005 and witnessed firsthand the amazing restoration job the current owners had undertaken. To get a sense of what the restored interior of the Heurtley House looks like now, watch this short video on Google. If you want to see more and learn about the painstaking restoration of the Heurtley House, we recommend that you get your hands on a copy of the DVD documentary.

P.S.: If you fall in love with the house after watching it on video and you happen to have an extra $5,750,000 burning a hole in your pocket, the Heurtley House is currently for sale.

Modernly Green

This Pacific Northwest home is a wonderful modern study in art glass, wood, and stone. I first came across exterior and interior photos of this structure via photographer Rick Keating's website and was drawn to it's use of natural materials. Mr. Keating's photographic work of this house was featured in a magazine article in the June 2004 issue of Design/Build Business magazine. I ordered a copy of a back issue for my personal archive, but you can read the article here.

The builder, CastleRock Homes, emphasizes green building practices which allow for high energy efficiency. They also make use of resource-efficient materials. You can view the plans of the home at architects Alan Mascord Design Associates website. The primary function of the home’s design is to maximize the amount of light brought into the house while enhancing the home’s green features.

While I'm not crazy about the interior design choices, I have to say that I'm impressed with the ideals of this home. It seems to fit the PrairieMod notion of incorporating the time tested principles of the Prairie School into a 21st century expression.

Photos courtesy of Rick Keating

Dana Thomas House Weathers Storm

Even though fierce storms battered Springfield, state capitol of Illinois, we are happy to report that the world famous Dana Thomas House is fine and will be open later this week for tours. For a tour schedule or more information follow this link.

Rare Louis Sullivan Treasures

Louis Sullivan's work on the Chicago Stock Exchange building of 1894 is nothing short of breathtaking. If you haven't stepped into the reconstructed Trading Room Floor at the Art Institute of Chicago, you need to place it at the top of your list of things to see....immediately.

You have a chance to get up close to some of the most marvelous stencil work in the world. There is a whole chapter with brilliant photos and wonderful facts, dedicated to this amazing stencil artwork in The Trading Room: Louis Sullivan and The Chicago Stock Exchange by John Vinci. Among other things, Mr. Vinci was the restoration architect on the reconstruction of the Trading Room Floor and Frank Lloyd Wright's Home & Studio in Oak Park, IL.

This book is a great find and a very intriguing read about an outstanding piece of architectural history. It covers the story of the building's amazing life, death and resurrection. You can probably find a copy at Prairie Avenue Bookshop. Both the reconstruction and the book are rare Louis Sullivan treasures.

Tiffany Museum

The PrairieMod Team has had the privilege to visit the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida on several occasions and all we can say is "WOW!"

This wonderful museum contains the world's most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany works including the chapel interior he designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The museum also has an extensive collection of other Arts and Crafts era pottery, furniture, lighting and works on paper.

Of course, one of the highlights for us is the amazing gift shop where you can find a large selection of Arts and Crafts Revival pottery, metal, books, etc. Make a point to visit the Morse Museum the next time you're vacationing in the Sunshine State.

A Question of Funds

An article on the State Journal Register reports that the Dana Thomas House in Springfield is earmarked to receive $3.1 million dollars from the state as part of next year's budget. This money will be used to upgrade the HVAC system and make other needed repairs. While I applaud the expenditure of money to keep this amazing house in tip-top condition, there is a Frank Lloyd Wright building that is in as much of a dire need of restoration funds.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, located in Oak Park, Illinois is quite possibly the most historically and culturally significant building he ever designed and built. It's one of the only public buildings left from his "Golden Era" and amazingly it is still being utilized for it's original purpose...it hasn't become a museum, restaurant or office building. Unfortunately, it is in need of some major restoration work. There is an ambitious plan to make use of a geothermal HVAC system making it a "green" building and a model for other restorations.

It's truly amazing that this building still stands and that we in America (and also Illinois) are lucky enough to have it around...for now. I would hope that the Illinois State Legislature would recognize and help preserve this treasure in the same way that it has recognized the wonderful Dana Thomas House.

Traditional & Contemporary

Introducing the George Chair by Prairie Loft!

Mr. Elmslie would be proud of this finely crafted "inspired" piece. I've visited the Prairie Loft showroom in St. Charles, IL and this chair stands out as something that could make a wonderful addition to any home. Prairie Loft's goal is to blend traditional design motifs with modern aesthetics. They obviously are inspired by the Prairie School.

Check them out online or in person to see if you think they're accomplishing their goal.

Can you can spot the original chair by George Grant Elmslie in the photo below?

Photos courtesy of Prairie Loft and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Edgar Tafel Remembers

Our friends at the Frank Lloyd Wright Newsblog unearthed a wonderful Quicktime interview of Edgar Tafel by author Franklin Toker (Fallingwater Rising) for WDUG Pittsburgh about that famous feat of drawing that Mr. Wright executed on the design of Fallingwater...2 hours before the client was to arrive at Taliesin. It's a wonderful story told by the last person alive to witness it.

Incidentally, you'll probably see and hear more about Fallingwater and Mr. Toker in the near future...his book is being developed into a movie...stay tuned for more info about Wright on the big screen!

What's Old is New

Tell me if this sounds familiar. "Our goal is to create beautiful, yet useful, everyday objects". Or how about this? "Designed to capture the warmth and beauty of the outside and bring it into your home".

It would seem that modern bedroom linen company, Amenity of Los Angeles, has been influenced by American Arts & Crafts and Prairie School ideals. Co-founders, Nicole Chiala and Kristina de Corpo, have put together a splendid collection of fine linens that blend striking organic imagery with both cool and warm hews, plus creamy earth tones.

This photo of the pillow caught my eye in Dwell Magazine's Feb/Mar 2006 issue because it looks very similar in character to the PrairieMod banner we designed for this weblog. Kudos to like-minded designers!

By Request: PrairieMod Email

Due to popular demand, we will be setting up a specific email link on www.prairiemod.com for our readers to send email to. If you have comments, questions, or suggestions, we'd be more than happy to hear from you. Be sure to watch for the email link later this week on either the left or right side of the weblog page. Happy reading!

Things Look Sunny For Wright

The Frank Lloyd Wright designed campus of Florida Southern College may be on the receiving end of some much needed funds to repair and restore the Esplanades that line the campus.The Ledger reports that Senator Paula Docker is:

"asking for $1.6 million in transportation and economic development funds for the Frank Lloyd Wright Esplanade Rehabilitation project at Florida Southern," she said. "We have obtained about $50,000 every year, and that will never get it completed. We need a lump sum to complete the project all at once."

Having visited Florida Southern College last year, I can speak from personal experience that this will be a much needed improvment. The Esplanades were in pretty sad shape; very shabby and generally falling apart. This money will go a long way to bring this Wright site closer to its former glory.

Chicago Style

A recent article in the Chicago Sun-Times attempts to give more of the limelight to buildings beyond the obvious architectural masterpieces that abound in the "second city." It's an interesting overview of the breadth of styles and structures that make Chicago the architectural Mecca of the United States. The article includes a virtual architectural tour of some of the different building styles and structures that make up the "Chicago Style." A special section is dedicated to Wright and his contemporaries for the Prairie Style buildings they contributed to the overall Chicago Architectural experience. If visiting the Windy City soon, make sure you take one of the many architectural tours to learn more about what makes Chicago unique amongst all other cities in the nation.

Photo caption: The Contemporaine is one of the most admired Chicago residential projects of the new century. Photo by Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Art Pottery You Should Know

If you haven't heard of Ephraim Faience Pottery, you should get out from under that rock you've been living under! They have become a very well respected studio that is consistently putting out stellar art pottery, who then retires a design after 500 pieces have been made. Their handmade, heirloom quality work has quickly become sought after collector items. Make sure that you sign-up for their newsletter and mailing list at mail@ephraimpottery.com.

Another excellent art pottery studio that's a little known jewel is Studio Work in Elizabeth, IL (just outside Galena). Adrienne Seagraves has masterfully created a style that is so elegant and unique, I've personally sunk a small fortune into collecting her work. The only place to get her one-of-a-kind pottery is at the studio, so take a day trip to see her if you live in either Illinois, Wisconsin or Iowa.

New Friends

We just want to thank three other weblogs that have mentioned us (with very kind words) recently on their sites: Hewn and Hammered, FLLW Newsblog and Curbed LA. Please go check them out, as they have great material on the Arts & Crafts style, FLLW-related News and LA-related neighborhoods, buildings and culture....respectively.

From Prairie Soil to Prairie Style

On March 7, 2006 WTTW Chicago will be airing a new program titled Chicago's Western Suburbs: From Prairie Soil to Prairie Style. It's hosted by Geoffery Baer who has produced and hosted other various Chicago area "tour" shows for WTTW. The Forest Park Review featured a brief article about the program that shares a bit more detail regarding what will air on the show. It will also be available in HDTV.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Buffalo, a 60-minute documentary

We've recently caught wind about a documentary that's been in the works on Frank Lloyd Wright and the profound impact he had on the architecture of Buffalo, NY. The Western New York Public Broadcasting Association is producing this and it's scheduled to finish production in April 2006. PBS has shown strong interest in the project and might possibly pick it up for national broadcast. That is still to be determined. If things work out (keep your fingers crossed), the national broadcast will either be in late 2006 or early 2007. Our source at WNED will keep us updated and we will certainly relay the info to you as we receive it.

Also, there are plans for a DVD release of the documentary. If so, I'll be eager to get my hands on a copy.

Details courtesy of WNY Public Broadcasting Association
Photos courtesy of Chuck LaChiusa and Buffalo Architecture and History

2 Generations from Wright: Organic Architecture & Green Building

Eric Lloyd Wright, son of Lloyd Wright and grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright, continues to further his grand-father's legacy in a manner that's relevant to the 21st century. He's taking the principles of Organic Architecture and blending them with revolutionary Green Building construction practices. Eric Lloyd Wright's design philosophy is rooted in the integration of ecology, social responsibility and beauty. This drastically sets his work apart from the hordes of developers who are currently pillaging the American landscape with McMansions.

Eric Lloyd Wright Architecture & Planning's mission is this:

We are dedicated to working with the natural environment and local communities using traditional and innovative materials and technologies that lessen the environmental impact of building construction and use. Our work emphasizes the relationship between the architecture, the client and the site. We focus on the use of natural and non-toxic materials, passive climatic considerations and alternative construction and energy systems to create architectural spaces that nourish the soul and lift the spirit while also promoting social and environmental responsibility.

Another grandchild of FLLW who is impacting 21st century architecture is Elizabeth Wright Ingraham. Her firm, Elizabeth Wright Ingraham Architects is assimilating the past into the present and it's very interesting to see the influence of her grand-father in a modern context. There is a great interview with her that was done by the Colorado Springs Independent back in 2002.

Dana-Thomas House Might Get Upgrade

According to the State Journal Register, the Dana-Thomas House may receive minor renovations in 2007 if the current State of Illinois budget proposal is approved. Read all about it here.

Fallingwater: 2-Disc Special Edition DVD

This brand new documentary is produced by Tim Sakamoto and is packed with so many features, you will not believe it! Disc one is the 60 minute documentary, while disc two is an interactive virtual tour of Fallingwater. Perhaps almost as good as being there? The documentary features Lynda Waggoner, Director of Fallingwater and acclaimed architectural historian, Richard Cleary.

The special edition DVD is going to be available at Fallingwater's online bookstore next week. I'm told that copies will be able to ship out around March 6, 2006. Call them up and get your pre-ordered copy today! You can bet I will be watching this on my 50" plasma behemoth.

Planet Architecture is the company who is releasing this product and you may want to check out some of their other titles.

On Sale Now: Wright Plus 2006 Tickets!

It's that time of year again! Spring is coming and the 32nd annual Wright Plus benefit housewalk in Oak Park, IL is Saturday May 20, 2006. Starting today, tickets can be purchased online here. This year, three very intriguing Frank Lloyd Wright homes will be open to ticket holders: the Chauncey Williams House, the Hills-DeCaro House and the Isabel Roberts House. The event is always interesting and gives the average FLLW enthusiast an opportunity to see inside privately owned homes designed by the Master architect. It's an experience quite different than going to the public museum sites. There are also other historically significant homes in the area that are open for the event and may provide some interesting browsing.

Tickets are $75 for members of the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust and $85 for non-members. Be sure to get your tickets ASAP! They go fast!

For those die-hard fans of Mr. Wright who can pony up a bit of extra cash, there is the Ultimate Wright Plus Weekend, which spans four unbelievable days. If there is such a thing, it seems to come dangerously close to an overdose of Frank Lloyd Wright related events!

Photo credit: James Caulfield