Issue 71 November 15th 2017

The Headlines

The Big Screen Story And Effort To Restore Wright's Bradley House

In recent years, there have been determined attempts to renovate and restore Frank Lloyd Wright's B. Harley Bradley House, helped in large part by Gaines and Sharon Hall and the craftsman they employed, Tom Knickelbine. Now, the nonprofit Wright in Kankakee, Illinois has mounted a $1.7 million "Retire the Mortgage" campaign. The Halls sold the home they restored to the nonprofit organization at zero interest for 10 years. If the campaign can raise $350,000 in cash and pledges by June 2018, that will be matched by another donor.

Helping to support this campaign, filmmaker Tom Desch created a 56-minute documentary "An American Home: Frank Lloyd Wright's B. Harley Bradley House,'' which discusses the house and its place in Kankakee and in architectural history. The Kankakee Daily Journal has an interview with Tom Desch, the filmmaker of "An American Home". Read more.

Willey House Stories Part 1: The Open Plan Kitchen

Steve Sikora via the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation's The Whirling Arrow tells us the story of the Willey House kitchen in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"The open plan kitchen long ago surpassed the living room as the most important entertaining space in a modern American life. Exactly where and when that shift began was not clear until recently.

It was Frank Lloyd Wright who re-invented domestic architecture to reflect emerging middle class ideas about leisure time, freedom, convenience, and the desire for simplicity. The kitchen, or work space was central to his re-imagining. And he didn’t do it alone. A progressive, young client in the form of Nancy Willey was the impetus required to nudge him resolutely in that direction. Together they cooked up another idea for the work space. For the first time in Wright’s career, every room in the house needed to be equally beautiful and functional, because these new, young clients would expect to live in all rooms of their house." Read more.

Departing Director Lynda Waggoner Says Fallingwater Changed Her Life

With a career that has spanned tour guide to curator and site administrator to director, departing Director Lynda Waggoner says Fallingwater changed her life. Waggoner plans to retire in February 2018 from her current position as Fallingwater Director and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy vice president.

“Lynda Waggoner has been an extraordinary director of Fallingwater and vice president of the Conservancy,” says Tom Saunders, Conservancy president and CEO, in an email. “She has brought exceptional leadership ability, expertise in early modern architecture and the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, and a lifetime of experience and familiarity with Fallingwater. She has a deep understanding and appreciation of Fallingwater in so many different respects: as a key point in early modern architecture; as one of the very most important works in the body of Frank Lloyd Wright's many projects; as a pre-eminent example of organic architecture — architecture that springs from nature and the site; as an important site in the social history of Pittsburgh and the region; and as a place of scholarship, exploration and education,” he says.

We all wish Lynda a happy and fulfilling retirement and thank her for all she's done! Read more.

The Tiny House Movement's Usonian Roots

While describing the tiny house movement, Kerrie Marzot of The Falmouth Enterprise says that "More than any other architect and visionary, Wright is responsible for what we have come to know as the “open floor plan.” The Usonian house is charming because all of the spaces work together as a whole. The idea is it is better to define a space by its use rather than by its walls. Wright also believed in honest design and construction. That is, a house should show who it is constructed for rather than pretend it is a home of a wealthy person, while still keeping a high artistic appeal. “The home should display the average man behind it.” But a home built with modest means should not be void of character and truthful materials." Read more.

Restoring A Classic San Diego Craftsman

Artist Michael Wheelden inherited a 1910 Craftsman home in 1985 from his mentor, San Diego State University art professor William Bowne, who bought the house in 1965 and had no children of his own. The beauty of the Craftsman design was hidden under layers of paint and wallpaper, added arched doorways and an enclosed porch. With an obvious love of architecture, Wheelden has meticulously restored the two-bedroom, one-bathroom, 1,200-square-foot house. Over the past 32 years, using Frank Lloyd Wright’s idea of a series of transitions that leads from the public space by the sidewalk back to the Zen garden, the art studio and the guesthouse he has also turned the rest of his property into a creative sanctuary. Read more.

Van Bergen's White House Back On The Market

Designed by notable architect John S. Van Bergen, the landmarked Harold R. White House in Evanston, Illinois is back on the market with a new, lower price. Van Bergen, who worked directly under Frank Lloyd Wright in his studio in Oak Park, completed this lakefront home in 1915. The home was last available in May of 2014 for $1.85 million before dropping to $1.75 million two months later. In 2015, it was pulled from the market to be offered as a rental property. The Harold R. White House recently returned, now seeking a cool $1.6 million.

Just steps from Lake Michigan along Evanston’s prestigious Sheridan Road, the White residence features a stucco over concrete block construction, handsome patterned leaded glass windows, and the low horizontal eaves that typify the Prairie School of architectural design. The spacious five-bedroom home also sports hardwood floors, original millwork, and a new-ish kitchen. Read more.

Frederick "Bud" Hyland: One Of Richmond’s First Modernists Attracts New Fans

Frederick "Bud" Hyland played a central role in the 1950s and 1960s, as one of the few Richmond, Virginia based architects working in the Modern style. And before that, he had served an apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright. Today, though, as Mid-century Modern is enjoying a mini-renaissance, Hyland’s reputation is growing. Increasingly, Mid-century Modern aficionados and home buyers are recognizing – and seeking – his work. Read more.

Wright Plus 2018 Tour Line Up Announced

The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust recently announced the line-up of houses that will appear on the 2018 Wright Plus Annual Housewalk, which takes place on Saturday, May 19, 2018. Wright Plus features rare interior tours of private homes and landmark buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries in historic Oak Park, Illinois.

Experience Oak Park's unique architectural history and enjoy a festive day with visitors from around the world. Trust members receive special privileges at the Housewalk, including access to a bonus building and optional early check-in on Friday, May 18. The sooner you buy, the more you save. Ticket prices increase on January 3, 2018. Read more.

Cosanti Foundation Launches Hand Of Soleri Collection

Paolo Soleri arrived in Arizona from Italy in 1948 to apprentice with Frank Lloyd Wright. In the 1950s and 1960s, Soleri's work was exhibited beside Le Corbusier, Buckminster Fuller, Louis Kahn, Charles and Ray Eames, and Wright.

"When Paolo died in 2013, he left an archive of ideas and designs. This Hand of Soleri collection is a window into Soleri's vision of natural and built environment, which was radical then and especially relevant today," said John Walsh, chairman of the board of the Cosanti Foundation. "It is the first step to introduce Paolo to a new audience and connect with his longtime admirers." Cosanti Foundation, located in Paradise Valley, Arizona, announces its first fashion and home design collection, based on original Paolo Soleri designs.

Soleri is known worldwide for hand-cast bronze and ceramic Soleri bells, which have largely financed the building of the urban laboratory Arcosanti near Cordes Junction, Arizona. "This new collection will reaffirm the influence of Paolo Soleri as a maker of things, a theorist, a visionary, and an architect," said Jeff Stein, architect and co-president of the Cosanti Foundation. Read more

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