Diane Maddex

Other than the terrible pun in the title, this was a pretty good book. The book is divided into two parts. The first part describes some of the techniques Wright used. The second part has a number of case studies. The degree to which you'll like this book is probably directly proportional to the degree to which you like Frank Lloyd Wright (and are not already familiar with his techniques and homes).

I list some principles from the book. Note that some are more universal than others.

Outside
- The site: Build with the land to capture light and views
- The horizontal line: Stress horizontals for a sense of spaciousness (applies indoors and out)
- Cantilevers: Design dramatic overhangs to symbolize freedom (meh)
- Roofs: Stretch the roofline parallel to the ground (really, this is just one form 'sheltering roof' can take)
- Chimneys: Avoid an undersized chimney on a big roof
- Entrance: Properly scale the entrance and add mystery (I like this one)
- Natural Materials: Tie a house to the earth with wood or masonry (this is like Alexander's 'connection to the earth' pattern)
- Walls: Use walls as screens to free outside and inside (i.e., walls are screens, not sides of a box)
- Windows: Don't simply punch holes in a wall for windows (again, related to the ideas that homes are not boxes, they are screened shelters)
- Standardized components: Economize on construction and material (good, sensible suggestion)
- Private spaces: Create a private side, away from the street (in Wright's homes, this was often take to the point where the public side of the home was almost completely closed off and the private side was almost fully open to the outdoors)
- Outdoor rooms: Bring the outside in with terraces and balconies
- Landscapes: Plant native materials to complement the house
- Carports: Build a carport to extend the line of the house (what's the best way to extend this to garages?)
- Additions: Expand when a house becomes too small

Inside
- Unity: Base the design on one central idea (good idea, but could be taken too far)
- Space: Design a house from the inside out
- Open plans: Substitute free-flowing spaces for boxy rooms (this idea was so influential that it's almost a "well, duh" at this point)
- Human scale: Size interior spaces to avoid intimidation (but make sure that the ceilings are high enough not to oppress my tall friends)
- Foyers: Create an entry to shield the living area
- Varied levels: Compress space in one area, open it in another
- Ceilings: Dramatize heights by fooling the eye ("High ceilings pull the walls in. Low ceilings push them away.")
- Walls and screens: Reconfigure walls as subtle dividers and screens (vital in open plans to provide the necessary definition of space)
- Window walls: Maximize views and access to the outdoors (I must admit that I am more a fan of 'zen view' than window walls)
- Clerestories: Place windows high up for privacy, light, and air
- Glass features: Use skylights and mitered corners to add light (mitered corner windows are awesome looking, but are they worth the added cost?)
- Fireplaces: Pivot rooms around the family hearth (yes!)
- Wood decks: Install broad ledges to make a room look wider (these are upper decks, soffit like things at the edges of rooms)
- Lighting and heating: Use indirect systems to diffuse light and heat
- Kitchens: Keep the workspace compact and within reach
- Dining areas: Set aside part of the living room for dining
- Built-ins: Build in furnishings to unify and free up space (I do love built ins!)
- Furnishings: Make furnishings part of the entire compositions
- Natural colors: Echo nature in the interior design palette
- Ornament: Integrate decoration into the architecture
- Harmony: Relate design motifs to the overall theme
- Simplicity: Simply the home to simplify life within it… (plus d'informations)

Written by an unabashed fan of Wright and all his works. I would have liked more coverage of aspects of design and construction that didn't work out as the architect hoped. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read this book. It is sensibly-organized: the first part outlines Wright's principles in attacking the challenge of building small homes at a reasonable price; the second part features many of his landmark buildings, showing these principles applied, with many photos and a basic floor-plan. We are living more than a century after Wright began articulating his vision. On the one hand, many of his innovations have passed into the public domain as common-sense solutions; yet on the other hand, it is cause for despair how many MacMansions have been built in the past few decades, flagrantly disregarding these principles and failing to enhance the lives of their owners while emptying their pocketbooks. An excellent book, recommended.… (plus d'informations)