Study Notes on Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie Style Architecture

Dan House: Represents the high point of Wright's career during a significant period.
Ladies Home Journal: Wright was commissioned to design a hypothetical house for a middle-class, affordable target audience, presented monthly by different architects.

January Design by Ralph Adams Cram
- Design: Country house at moderate cost.
- Features similar to those in the Craftsman magazine, despite appearing more grand than moderate.
February Design by Frank Lloyd Wright
- Title: Home in a prairie town, also aimed at middle-class affordability.
- Design features:
- Plan Shape: T-shaped figural plan rather than a bubble diagram.
- Rooms: Living room at the center flanked by a library and dining room.
- Asymmetry: Design incorporates asymmetrical elements, contrasting with other designs.
- Architectural Vocabulary: Consistent with Wright's earlier works, like the Winslow and Dana houses, emphasizing horizontality and sheltering roofs.

Prairie School Movement: This term refers to a collective movement in American architecture, characterized by horizontal lines and integration with the natural landscape.
Geography Influence: Inspired by the wide, flat expanses of the American prairie, emphasizing aspects of sheltering, low, horizontal designs.
Cultural Reference: Wright links the prairie style to American ideals, connecting architecture with narratives like "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Natural Beauty: Wright expressed in his 1908 essay that the prairie has a unique beauty characterized by quietness, sheltering overhangs, and horizontal lines.
Nine Points of Prairie Architecture: (Articulated by Wright in his 1931 essay)
1. Reduction of Parts: Avoidance of complexity in design.
2. Integration with Site: Building should harmonize with its surroundings.
3. Elimination of Box-Like Rooms: Form should explode beyond rectangular constraints.
4. Strong and Visible Foundations: Emphasis on structural integrity.
5. Integrated Openings: Windows should enhance the wall and not merely be added elements.
6. Monolithic Materials: Use of materials to express their own nature without superficial coverings.
7. Incorporation of Utilities: Design should include lighting, heating, and ventilation seamlessly.
8. Furnishings Integration: Built-in furniture and elements become part of the architecture.
9. Elimination of Interior Decoration: Emphasis on simplicity and the intrinsic design without conventional decoration.

Hurtley House (1901)
- Features:
- Brick exterior with varied textures and colors, creating visual interest.
- No traditional front porch, emphasizing a covered alcove.
- Windows are low and integrated into the roofline, enhancing horizontality.
- Central chimney and distinctive arch features highlight the asymmetrical design elements.
Mrs. Thomas Gale House (1909)
- Differences from Hurtley House:
- Flat roof conveys abstraction, contrasting with earlier sloped designs.
- Increased number of windows on the first floor contributing to light and openness.
- Horizontal emphasis remains, but with subtle differences in masonry.
Robie House:
- Considered the epitome of prairie style architecture.
- Commissioned by bicycle manufacturers, reflecting a time when bicycles were revolutionary.
- Design Elements:
- Long and narrow structure, defining its unique form within urban context.
- Cantilevered roofs creating dramatic silhouettes. Wright’s use of cantilevers is highly innovative despite engineering concerns.
- Emphasis on layered space: semi-basement, living areas, and upper sleeping quarters structured to enhance the character of the house.
- Design illustrates a strong inward orientation, protecting the family from the outside world while maintaining connection with nature through views.

Horizontal Orientation: A defining characteristic reminiscent of the prairie landscape, emphasizing subdued outlines and shadow play from architectural features.
Material Use: Deliberate choice of brick and craftsmanship enhances visual and structural integrity.
Inward-Focused Spaces: Design choices reflect a psychological emphasis on privacy and protection for families.

Wright’s work embodies themes of rugged individualism in response to American life, reflecting values of family strength and resilience against environmental adversities.
Architectural narratives as cultural artifacts that resonate with contemporary experiences, challenging the viewer's perspective on society and personal space.

Summary of Wright's enduring legacy in prairie architecture and insight into future discussions on related architectural movements, including Classical architecture.