Issue Mar 6th 2024  March 6th 2024

Architectural Gem Merges Griffin's Vision With Wright's Genius In Melbourne

An architectural marvel that has drawn inspiration from both Walter Burley Griffin and Frank Lloyd Wright, is on the market for the first time.

The home at 6 The Outlook is in Heathmont, a leafy suburb in Melbourne, Australia, and Woodards selling agent Julian Badenach said the chance to buy the property, with a price guide of $1.15 million to $1.25 million, was a rare opportunity.

“Recognised as one of the most remarkable specimens of the post WW2 Wrightian style architecture in Melbourne, the property has been in the one family since its inception and now offered for sale for the first time.”

‘The Outlook’ started its life in 1958, originally conceived as a home for the architect’s ageing parents who desired a Walter Burley Griffin inspired, low-maintenance home for their retirement. Initially, it was a one-room minimalist mid-century pavilion style home, perched on a block of about 1250sq m.

In the early 1970s, the architect, David Caldwell, introduced a second building, seamlessly integrated with the original through an open bridge. Mirroring Frank Lloyd Wright’s influential style, this extension features a cantilevered balcony that hovers over an inground swimming pool, enveloped by the serene sounds and sights of its native bushland.

Both structures boast exquisite hand-crafted woodwork and a unique architectural flair, maintained in pristine and original condition.

The original building, completed between 1958 and 1959, features a diamond-shaped plan with a distinctive angled veranda and carport, all finished in Karri hardwood. Its minimalist design, characterised by a polygonal core and a low-pitched roof, comprises an expansive open-plan area that includes living, dining, and study spaces, alongside a kitchen with laundry facilities.

The home’s unique wide brick chimney serves as a focal point, while floor-to-ceiling windows ensure a year-round influx of natural light. An enclosed bridge connects to the second building, which mirrors the angular form of its predecessor and incorporates Japanese influences.

Spread over two levels, it includes two spacious bedrooms, each with direct access to an impressive cantilevered balcony—ideal for enjoying the local birdlife and natural greenery. Below, a 2m plunge pool (currently unused) adds charm to the property.

The lower level hosts a vast living area, complete with a built-in wet bar and study space, unified by slate flooring and a feature pond, alongside an additional bathroom.

This architectural gem represents a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of Melbourne’s post-war architectural heritage.

Click for more details: eliteagent.com  

Stoneflower Is Stunning AirBnb In Arkansas Designed By E. Fay Jones

If you’re from Arkansas, then you’re most likely familiar with the architect E. Fay Jones. His most well-known creation is the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs but that’s certainly not the end of his work. Take a retreat to the Stoneflower Airbnb, a stilted cottage designed by Jones, for a stunning getaway on Greers Ferry Lake in Heber Springs.

Most Arkansans recognize the name E. Fay Jones, who was born in Pine Bluff and spent most of his childhood in Little Rock and El Dorado. He was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright and one of few to earn a AIA Gold Medal (the highest honor awarded by the American Institute of Architects).

Most people recognize his designed chapels: Thornecrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, and the Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs' Garvan Woodland Gardens. However, these aren't the only places to see his work in Arkansas!

Although it's not as well-known as the chapels, there's another must-visit Jones creation in the Natural State - Stoneflower Cottage. Stoneflower, also known as the Shaheen-Goodfellow Cottage, is an unbelievably stunning retreat hiding on Greers Ferry Lake's Eden Isle.

The stilted cottage is a gorgeous multi-storied treehouse in the forest. The house has a very earthy feel to it, especially with the use of boulders and other natural stone structures. The lower level feels like a private grotto! The upper level is mostly redwood and opens into a lovely 30-ft. deck with a beautiful view of the forest.

The open-air foyer and structural system will instantly remind guests of Jones' other works. Before the Thorncrown Chapel was created, Jones designed this weekend cottage in 1965. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Fans of architecture, interior design, or just relaxation will adore this cottage! The house can comfortably sleep five adults for a weekend adventure with friends. Due to the 2nd story balcony, kids and pets are best left at home for this AirBnB. In addition to the serene surroundings and stunning house structure, amenities also include Wi-Fi, TV, and spacious kitchen.

The nature vibes of this cottage also extend into the bathroom. It's not every day you can relax under a personal waterfall! Even the cottage's bathroom will transport you to an enchanted nature retreat. This natural retreat won’t cost you too much green, either! Stays are about $154/night, so be sure to visit the Stoneflower Airbnb listing to start booking your trip.

Click for more details: onlyinyourstate.com  

What Was It Like Living At Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West?

In the late 1930s, Frank Lloyd Wright and his apprentices began painstakingly building what would eventually become Taliesin West, the architect’s winter home and studio. After a long day’s work, Wright would retreat to the Sun Trap, a small low-slung cottage that served as his temporary home, and his apprentices would make their way back to tents spread out across the Scottsdale desert.

“In the winter, there were sheepherders that would bring flocks from the north down to the warmer Arizona environment,” Fred Prozzillo, the Nord McClintock Family vice president of preservation and collections at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundations, tells Architectural Digest. While moving the animals, the sheepherders would live in pyramid-shaped tents, which offered cheap and readily available shelter. Inspired, “Wright bought a bunch of them for his apprentices to live in while they built [Taliesin West].” The architect arranged them in a series of ten sites in triangular grids with the idea that the arrangement would foster community among the fellows.

Of course, living in the desert had its challenges: It wasn’t uncommon to wake up to an animal asleep next to you or find yourself shivering on a night when it was particularly cold. So when students had free time, they’d try to improve their makeshift homes. “They’d add a concrete base to get it off the ground or maybe a roof; it would grow from this tent to a true shelter,” Prozzillo says. Overtime, what was born from a basic human need grew to become an integral part of Wright’s Taliesin fellowship. “It was learning by doing,” Niki Stewart, vice president and chief learning and engagement officer at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, says. “That was Wright’s philosophy on education.”

At the beginning of the winter season, fellows would either move in to a shelter that was started by a previous apprentice or move back into a shelter they had began working on the year before. This cycle saw the original sites developed into multiple iterations of different shelters. At the end of each season, Wright would come out and critique the apprentice’s work. “They’d have a little party,” Prozzillo says. “It was a wonderful opportunity for architects in training to figure out how to take an idea, translate it into a drawing, and figure out how to build it.”

Wright not only wanted apprentices to get hands-on experience in designing and building structures, but it also gave them unmatched opportunities to study and immerse themselves in nature, arguably the most important muse in all of Wright’s work. Prozzillo, who was an apprentice from 1997 until 2000, spent three winter seasons in the shelters. “There were times of struggle and times or real joy,” he remembers. “I definitely learned to connect more with nature.” He noticed how the stars moved across the sky, something lost in the traditional house he lives in now, and became more intimately acquainted with the moon’s cycles. Some moments were less picturesque—one morning he woke up with a family of pack rats asleep next to him—but it all greatly influenced his perspective and approach to both the built and natural environment. More importantly, it taught him how the two can exist together.

For some, these lessons could be a brutal. “Some people self-selected out and left,” Prozzillo says, but most who came to Taliesin West to learn under Wright—or through his legacy after his death—were looking for an out-of-the-box education. “Wright was espousing this new way to think about living, building, and designing for society, and these were people that were interested in that,” Prozzillo says. “He was putting forth this idea to the American people about not living in Victorian homes with a bunch of boxes as rooms, but rather creating open plans and open-space buildings that connected to nature.” Most fellows were ready for a challenge and open-minded about the ways they’d learn. “You already had an understanding that there would be some kind of connection to nature, and this was a wonderful way to make it happen,” Prozzillo adds.

Now, for the first time ever, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which operates from Taliesin West, is offering tours of the apprentice shelters to the public. These 90-minute excursions take place through the first week of April and offer visitors the chance to learn more about Wright’s education philosophies as well as peek into what life was like at the Scottsdale property. Stewart, who leads tour groups, says that many people start the journey believing they could never live immersed in nature in this way but change their minds by the end. “They think, Maybe I could do this, and that’s just after 90 minutes” she explains “Imagine what it was like as an apprentice. Maybe at the beginning of the season it didn’t sound great, but by the end it changed you.”

Click for more details: architecturaldigest.com