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

The use of the same masonry inside as outside gave rise to a very innovative type of construction. In most other construction, the wood framing is put into place first and then the masonry is veneered to the wood.

In Mr. Wright's construction double brick walls with insulation in between go up on the foundation first, followed by the wood and steel framing which is set into the masonry.

With no basement involved in the construction of SAMARA, heating pipes made of copper tubing are layered over a bed (5-6" deep) of large (3-4" diameter) stones with a concrete pad poured 3½" thick over the stones.

The purpose of the large bed of stones is to provide for insulation and a floating foundation for the whole house. This innovative building technique serves to minimize cracking in the concrete. Further, the concrete is scored along unit lines (4' x 4') so that cracks that do form tend to follow the unit lines.

The concrete is colored by sprinkling powered iron oxide on the surface of the wet mix and trowling it permanently into the top surface. This construction innovation beautifies the living space by creating a uniform red-colored appearance throughout the house. At the same time, this construction innovation disguises the usual physical properties of concrete.

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 ]