"To think is to deal in simples." Louis Sullivan, 1893

SAMARA is designed and built on a 4-foot by 4-foot square grid system. By looking at the floor plan and counting the number of squares on various perimeters of the building, it is easy to get a good sense of the size of the living spaces. Moreover, rooflines can be found and measured, and walls can be identified.

Even door swings can be calculated against the grid square to show how precisely Wright set the design against the grid. The assembly of 4-foot squares is not confined to the interior of the house. Terrace areas beyond the living room for example boast the same scored concrete as the interior floors.

The terrace has its outside wall sitting precisely on the perimeter of the outermost row of squares on the plan. Performing a simple calculation reveals that the terrace area wrapped around two sides of the living room is 412 square feet.

In the living room, one can see how the built-in seating is set against the grid and continues this rhythm along the solid brick wall. Even the slot windows behind the built-ins have one edge set against the grid and are aligned with the same edge of the corresponding seat back cushions of the built-in seats.

It does not take very long to see the influence of the grid on the design and construction of SAMARA and to understand its cost savings implications. This influence is found throughout the house from end to end and from top to bottom. Simplicity in design and construction led to the success of the Usonian home.

Overviews
[ Nature of Materials ]   [ Building on a Unit ]   [ The Owner's View ]   [ Building the Wright Way ]
[ Historic Perspectives ]   [ Manipulating the Space ]   [ Oriental Influence ]