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Design Analyses of Fallingwater:
The 1936
Kaufmann house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. |
Scope of Work -
To incorporate the 'camp and cottage feel' that the Kaufmann
family had enjoyed for many years into a new country home on their 1900 acre
site in Pennsylvania.
Design Concept -
To build a structure that appeared to be part of the natural setting, part of
the terrain, and part of the waterfall that flowed through the site. Fallingwater was placed above a
waterfall in a deep ravine and was done so in a daring manner. Its
horizontal planes of cantilevered floors and terraces were designed to soar free
without any apparent support, appearing to float above the stream and
waterfall below. The terraces jutting out over the waterfall were
literally suspended over the waterfall and were designed to be part of the living
space.
Study of
Falllingwater
| Many details were considered so that
a perfect balance with nature could be made. Very few trees were disturbed
and even some of the house beams were bent and shaped to go around trees so that
they wouldn't be lost. There is no lawn or garden at Fallingwater.
New plantings were incorporated to blend in with the surrounding forest. |
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Frank Lloyd Wright had a great appreciation
for the architecture of China and Japan, where many buildings are placed in
natural settings next to waterfalls, streams, and valleys. These settings
provide solace, in which to reflect, commune, and inspire and were made an
integral part of Fallingwater. |
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Natural stone forms the walls around the base of
the structure anchoring it into the sturdy, solid ground on the north side of
the bank. The stone shaped into consistent sizes and aligned in meticulous
yet random order rises along side of the stream in towering verticality, acting
as rooted resistance to the cantilevered terraces and the flowing stream below. |
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The
main living area and its cantilevered terrace protrudes out over the stream
below and is enveloped by the sounds of the water fall; it's as though
the house and the stream and falls are one in the same.
A
succession of windows and glass doors brings the interior space to the edge
of the exterior space so that nature is always an integral part of the
living area and interior. |
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Strong Oriental influences were incorporated throughout the interiors of
Fallingwater, echoing the overall reverence to the architecture and its
placement on the site. The furniture, bookcases, and seating are all
low and built into the perimeter. The ceiling is low with decorative
wood stripping, creating a shoji screen effect with built-in lighting panels
that filter light down onto the flagstone flooring that runs throughout.
The effect is cave-like; reinforcing the vernacular of the site.
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Wright's idea of the hearth boulder protruding
through the living room floor was one of many inventive and strong
statements of nature that underscore his commitment to the organic
architecture of Fallingwater. Wright's affection for Oriental design can be seen
in the dramatic sphere-shaped warming
kettle at the living room fireplace. |
| Hand
Renderings for Study of Fallingwater |
| South Elevation |
North Elevation |
East Elevation |
| Ground Floor/Main
Floor |
Second Floor |
 Third
Floor |
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Design Parti for Study of Fallingwater:
Exterior |
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The
horizontal planes of the house expressed in concrete cantilever out from the
house and almost seem to float, as if trying to reach out into nature and
invite it in.
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The
vertical planes of the house expressed in stone anchor the house into the
terrain uniting it with the land and show strength and permanence.
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Order
of hierarchy is expressed in amount of access or lack of access to terraces
and exterior structures.
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Order
of hierarchy expressed through relationship to major vertical plane of the
house.
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Trellis
at the entrance of the house acts to anchor it and the structure itself takes
on the shape of the cliff line. The structure connects to the land.
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Stairs
descend from the living room down to the running stream below the house,
physically connecting the structure to nature.
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The
living room or main room is expressed as the most important room in the house.
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The main
room features two significant focal points: (a) the fireplace with hearth
boulder- can be equated with the elements of fire and land and (b) the
stairs with skylights above descend to the stream below- can be equated with the
elements of air and water.
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The
living room is the largest room in the house making up most of the first floor.
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The
living room has two terraces, not just one as the other terraced rooms in the
house.
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The
living room has more windows/fenestrations than any other room.
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The second floor living space is
noticeably smaller than the main floor.
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The
master bedroom is the next important room in the house after the living room.;
the master bedroom shares vertical alignment over the living room.
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