Between Silence and Light - Opus 10

craft

The trip to Falling Water and Monticello provided many lessons in the importance of craft. First, walking through Thomas Jefferson's house gives you a sense of all the hand-crafted elements created by woodworkers, artisans, and basically everything built. The different work places for wood, gardening, kitchens etc.also help you understand that everything found there was created locally and by skilled craftsmen.



The lesson at Falling Water is all about how a revolutionary technology at the time, steel reinforced concrete, was both a failure and success. Frank Lloyd Wright believed in his design, that the physics of the structure would work. However, there have been structural improvements in years pass to raise the cantilevered terraces. Yet even though the engineering wasn't perfect, it is still one of the most important pieces of architecture in the world. This is due to the fact that it is seamlessly integrated into the natural mountain environment. It is nestled into the rocks, which are even featured in parts of the house.

public/private

This is a photo I took at Monticello that I showed in my last opus:

I'm showing it again because it perfectly exemplifies the concept of public and private space. Jefferson reorganized the typical home at that time, so that the service areas would be hidden from guest. The work stations were located in two wings on the side of the home under ground. This way guests entering the back or front of the home could not see the workers.

Public and private space is an important duality that designers need to understand. What areas in a home are appropriate for everyone to see and use, and what areas do the owners want to remain private?

technique


The technique we observed at Falling water was the cantilevered balconies, built using reinforced concrete. This is something that was not done before, especially since it was built into the rocks of the mountains over the water.
Since the initial construction wasn't perfect, this house shows that risks need to be taken in design. Frank Lloyd Wright was told not to build this structure the way he wanted, yet he did anyways. It is a continuous lesson in technique, as the new tension system create to support it has to be re-tightened every so often. This proves that there is always more to learn when it comes to ways of doing things.



language

Language is used in design to communicate a message to the observer. Sometimes it takes time to understand, but other times it's overtly clear. When you enter Thomas Jefferson's home, you are overwhelmed with all of the objects on display. This area is like his own personal museum where he can show off Native American artifacts to visitors:


This communicates to his guests that he is well-traveled, read, and studies the world around him. He also revives classic details that represents power and government, a theme found in many buildings at this time.

virtual

The word virtual suggests creating something that isn't really there. Both of these homes were retreats built to escape the real world. Therefore, they were built in places no one would have thought. Falling water was crafted into the side of a mountain over water, whereas Jefferson flattened off a tall hill in order to build Monticello. These structures are almost unreal when you visit them and truly accomplish the goal of hideaway.