INTRODUCTION Client: Frank C Robie- A bicycle /motor manufacturer Architect :Frank Lloyd Wright Contractor: H.B Barnad company-chicago Location: 5757 south Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, Cook county, Illinois on latitude 41 47 23.4 N and longitude 87 35 45.3 W on a 0.3acres( 0.12ha) of land. Year of construction: 1908-1910 Cost of construction: USSD 58500 -land at USSD 13500,USSD 35000 on construction and USSD 10000 on furnishing and finishes. Style : PRAIRIE
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT Born in June 8,1867 and died in April 9,1959.was an American architect, designer, writer. Started organic architecturearchitectural structures in harmony with humanity and its environment i.e. falling water(1935)designed offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels and museums.
PRAIRIE STYLE A late 19 th century and early 20 th century marked by extended low buildings with shallow, clean skylines, suppressed chimneys, horizontal lines,flat,slopping or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, long low windows grouped in horizontal bands connecting interior with the outside nature,integration with the landscape, solid construction,craftmanship and discipline in the use of ornament. The horizontal lines were thought to relate to the native prairie landscape. it was an attempt of developing an indigenous North American style of
continuation architecture different from European classical architecture. Examples are :Harold C Bradley house(madison),woodbury county courthouse( Lowa )
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION plans
EXTERIOR The horizontal was of projecting cantilevered roof eaves and continuous bands of art-glass windows and exterior walls a double Wythe construction of roman brick walls.
The horizontal joints were filled with creamcolored mortar while the small vertical joints filled with brick-colored mortar to further emphasize the horizontal of the bricks. Art glass windows of abstract patterns and clear glass at angles of 30 and 60.this was to allow light but still retain privacy.
INTERIOR Plan In the plan the house is designed as two large rectangles that seem to slide by one another
Major vessel This the rectangle on the southwest portion of the site and is the principle living space. 1 st floor consists of the billiards room on the western end of it, the children s playroom on the east end. Both rooms are open through a central door on the south side of the building to an enclosed garden.
2 nd floor An entry hall at the top of the central stairway, living room on the west end, dining room on the east end. These two rooms flow into one another through a series of 12 French doors of art glass panels to an exterior balcony on the south side of the building. The west end of the living room contains the pow with art. glass windows and two art glass doors opening to the western porch beneath the cantilevered roof. He wanted users to move freely from the interior to the exterior
Minor vessel. Contains the more functional and service related rooms of the house. 1 st floor Main door and entrance hall(west end) with a stairway leading to the second floor living and dining rooms.
A half bath located at the North side of the entrance hall. Eastwards are coat closet and back stairway, the boiler room, laundry room, coal storage room, followed by a small workshop, half bath and a three car garage.western bay is the mechanics pit, eastern contains washing equipment.
2 nd floor Has a guest bedroom above the entrance hall and adjoining full bath. East of the back stairway are the kitchen and butler s pantry, and the servants sitting room. Two bedrooms and a full bathroom above the garage complete the quarters for the live-in servants..
A chimney mass containing four fireplaces-in the billiards room, playroom, living room and master bedroom-and the main stairway from the entrance hall to the 2 nd floor Living and dining rooms, rises through the centre of the house, from which the rest of the building radiates.its made of same brick and limestone as the exterior.
Lighting Hemispherical shade-like wall scones are suspended bronze fixtures throughout the house. On the 2 nd floor living and dining rooms, spherical globes with wooden squares are integrated into the ceiling trim.
Weight support Steel beams in the ceilings and floors carry most of the buildings weight to piers in the west and east ends. The exterior alls therefore have got little function and are thus filled with doors and art glass window panels. The steel structure also eliminates the need for internal structural columns and walls.
Architectural significance It is considered a measuring stick against which other prairie school building s are compared. Other projects by Frank Lloyd Wright Arthur Hartley house(oak park) Guggenheim museum imperial hotel-tokyo unity temple Ennis house falling water Larkin administration building Darwin D. Martin house(new York)
Falling water Guggenheim museum
References www.gowright.org www.greatbuildings.com www.wikipedia.com www.google.com
Presentation by : Odhiambo Stephen Okoth (B02/0904/2013)