Reading Comp. No. 1, quest.1

1) Sir Henry Wooton once said, ”In architecture… the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well. Well building hath three conditions: commodity, firmness, and delight.” I believe these three ideas are manifested within the home Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Fallingwater was completed in the year 1938 for the Kaufmann family as a place to get away from the city. Mr. Kaufmann was the owner of a prominent department store, and he and his family liked to make trips to their favorite stream near Mill Run, Pennsylvania. Little did the Kaufmanns’ know that they would have a house literally on top of their favorite get away spot.

It is for this reason, among others, that Fallingwater exudes great commodity. F.L. Wright went above and beyond the call of duty, and not only gave the Kaufmanns’ their dream vacation home at their favorite spot, but put them right on top of it. Doing this provided the client with the comfort of being on top of their favorite rocky perch, while also being very functional in that all they have to do to be in the stream is go down a flight of steps. Comfort and function can also be found in the fact that all the furnishings and interior elements make up an integrated system, and are also built to the scale of the ideal sized person (5’ 8 ½”). Thus making the entire space comfortable and accessible.

Fallingwater is also very firm in its construction. Through the use of structural stone towers, and reinforced concrete cantilevers, which are embedded in the adjacent boulders and rock faces, make Fallingwater not only a very beautiful home but a safe one as well. Which brings me to the final element of Wooton’s definition, delight.

Delight is what makes a home enjoyable or beautiful. Fallingwater is both. One can take delight in the wonderful contrast between the dark colored forest and the light colored exterior of the home. In addition, there is also great contrast to be appreciated between the two choices of building materials. The concrete cantilevers add smoothness to the building, while the ruff-stacked rock adds a naturalistic look to it. The cantilevered levels of the home also add the effect that the house is teetering in a delicate dance of balance and gravity. Finally, the fluid flow of interior space is an enjoyable aspect of Fallingwater. By using varied floor levels F.L. Wright created a feeling of spaciousness while also maintaining some separation of different areas of the home. It is Frank Lloyd Wright’s successful combination of all three parts of Wooton’s definition that Falling water is indeed an example of well building.