Issue 254 May 19th 2021

The Headlines

Sandra Day O’Connor Institute Presents "Frank Lloyd Wright, Democracy, And The American Landscape"

Founded by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the mission of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute For American Democracy is to continue her distinguished legacy and lifetime work to advance American democracy through multigenerational civics education, civil discourse and civic engagement.

The O’Connor Institute recently invited Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation President & CEO Stuart Graff to speak to its Patrons Circle about Frank Lloyd Wright’s relationship with Democracy and the American landscape. You can watch the presentation by clicking here.

Frank Lloyd Wright House Set To Hit Auction Block In Glenview

The only Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Glenview will soon hit the auction block. Located at 1544 Portage Run, the Carr House's listing agent, Erica Goldman of Jameson Sotheby's International Realty, said last week the house will be auctioned in mid-July, according to Crain's Chicago Business.

The home that features Wright's Usonian style hit the market in September at a little under $1.7 million, reports Crain's. It is currently listed at Realtor.com for $1.2 million. According to Crain's, the house built in 1950 is being sold by Brian Busche, whose now-deceased parents bought it from the original owners 56 years ago.

Located on the serene and secluded Portage Run, this 2973 square foot, 4 bed/3.1 bath architectural masterpiece sits on 3 acres of land adjacent to The Grove. Carr House harmoniously blends the outdoors in and offers a floor plan suitable for entertaining. The property also features an in-ground heated pool and a shed built in the style of the home. This piece of art boasts many design features that are customary in Frank Lloyd Wright creations such as: unique pierced block windows, mitered glass angled windows, Honduran mahogany throughout. More here.

50 Lessons To Learn From Frank Lloyd Wright

Andrew Pielage is a Phoenix-based photographer who has made a name for himself working for the last decade photographing Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings. Now he’s out with a new book populated with his Wright photos called 50 Lessons To Learn From Frank Lloyd Wright.

Pielage's goal actually came from an interview five years ago on The Show, when he was asked if he was going to try to photograph every Wright property out there, and he said yes.

The Show spoke with him to learn about his book and what he's discovered along his photography journey. Click here for more.

Mexico’s Organic Architecture: Curvatures In Space And Time

The Mexico News Daily recently highlighted the country's leading organic architect, Javier Senosiain. Senosiain, 73, is especially known for his own house, known as The Casa Orgánica (Organic House) which is built in a residential neighborhood in Naucalpan de Juárez just northwest of Mexico City and was finished in 1984. Inspired by caves and igloos, the Casa Orgánica’s tunnels and curves are not only in keeping with nature but a joyful return to life’s origins. Senosiain sees it as the architectural equivalent of a mother’s embrace, or "apapacho", a word borrowed from the Aztec language, Náhuatl, meaning “shelter of the soul.”

“There are hardly any straight lines in nature,” says Senosiain, who lived in the house for a quarter of a century until his two daughters, now in their 30s, went to university. “Our natural space is curved, it’s the antithesis of the boxes we’re used to.” Read and see more here.

Rush Creek's Iconic Wakefield House For Sale

A recent article from the Columbus Dispatch highlights the Wakefield house in Rush Creek Village in Worthington, OH currently for sale for $975K.

Completed by Martha and Richard Wakefield in 1957, the home served as the inspiration for what would become Rush Creek Village in Worthington, which grew to become the nation's largest collection of homes built following the tenets of Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture.

The 2,629-square-foot Wakefield House conveys all the features that would become Rush Creek trademarks: a low profile that seems to hug the earth, exposed concrete block (outside and in), red tile floors, extensive roof overhangs, loads of built-in furniture, many floor-to-ceiling windows, unconventional room shapes, wood ceilings, a carport instead of a garage, and an angled setting well off the street.

Martha Wakefield, Rush Creek's evangelist, lived in the home until her death, at age 85, in 2007, nine years after her husband died. The home passed through a few owners before the current buyers picked it up in March 2014 for $415,000, when it was in need of attention. After extensive renovations, the home is now listed for $975,000. Read more here and check out the listing with photos here.

“Preserving What’s Wright” Virtual Benefit June 6

Join the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park (aka The Kraus House) for “Preserving What’s Wright” on Sunday, June 6, from 5 to 6 p.m. The annual benefit, which will be virtual this year, is a tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright and his lifetime of innovative architecture.

Nestled in grassy fields on 10.5 acres in Kirkwood, the 1,900-square-foot residence built for Russell and Ruth Kraus was the architect’s first building in the St. Louis area, and is one of only five Wright designs in Missouri.

For more information or event tickets, visit ebsworthpark.org/preserving-whats-wright. More here.

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