"Space is the breath of art." Frank Lloyd Wright, 1906

I am the client, occupant, and owner of SAMARA, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian home located in West Lafayette, Indiana. I have lived in my house for almost 43 years and have studied and observed first hand the many construction innovations that Mr. Wright used in the design and construction of this style home.

Architectural historians have also studied SAMARA and have listed over 40 such innovations in the living room alone. In the space available for this discussion, I can only touch on a few of the highlights of construction innovations developed by Mr. Wright and used in SAMARA.

                    Elimination of the Box       Masonary Walls and Floors     Floating Beam Foundation

For this study, I will describe and illustrate three of Wright's innovations that he used in the design and construction of SAMARA. The elimination of the box gave rise to a new sense of space by bringing the outside in and taking the inside out. The way Mr. Wright designed and used masonry walls and floors contributed significantly to the relatively low cost of his Usonian homes. A highly innovative masonry foundation serves as a floating beam to support the masonry walls throughout the house.

Construction Innovations of Frank Lloyd Wright
The Owner's View
Overview | Elimination of the Box | Masonry Walls and Floors | Floating Beam Foundation
Overviews of Construction Innovations
[ Nature of Materials ]   [ Building on a Unit ]   [ The Owner's View ]   [ Building the Wright Way ]
[ Historic Perspectives ]   [ Manipulating the Space ]   [ Oriental Influence ]