Exhibition Catalog - Lawrence Technological University

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The ground already has form. Why not begin to give at once by accepting that? Why not give by accepting the gifts of nature?... Is the ground a parcel of prairie, square and flat? 11 Is the ground sunny or the shaded slope of some hill, high or low, bare or wooded, triangular or square? Has the site features, trees, rocks, stream, or a visible trend of some kind? Has it some fault or a special virtue, or several? In any and every case the character of the site is the beginning of the building that aspires to architecture. And this is true whatever the site or the building may be. 30 Gregor Affleck was aware of the Pew house, probably as a result of Wright’s showing him the project during a visit to Taliesin. In fact Wright may have proposed a similar design for the Bloomfield Hills site, judging by a letter Gregor sent to Wright in June 1940 which indicated that “the house you are building on Mendota Drive at Madison would be quite suitable for our lot.” 31 Wright continued to explore the second-floor balcony in houses for George Sturges (1939, Brentwood Heights, California) and Lloyd Lewis (1939, Libertyville, Illinois). Design Changes The existing correspondence in the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives tells the story of a very smooth design process for the Affleck house. There are no recorded disagreements between client and architect. Only a few design aspects were even altered from the original conception. For example, what appears to be the earliest floor plan does not include closets in the two smaller bedrooms. Affleck wrote to Wright specifically requesting wardrobes in these rooms, as well as suggesting they be widened (and, consequently, the entire bedroom wing of the house) by two feet. Affleck also rejected the first version of the basement utility room, claiming it was too small for his intended use. In the initial drawings, Wright imagined an axis that led from the main entry through the loggia space and straight out another door to a “garden,” with the stairs down to the garden aligned with the axis. In later versions, and as built, the stairs were shifted perpendicular to this axis to run parallel with the bulk of the house, and the single door out to the garden became a wall of French doors like those separating the living room from the outdoor terrace. Wright also modified the loggia from the original conception. The first drawings show a more formal space, with a large, square opening in its center and a short spur Photograph by Harvey Croze
wall separating it from the single entry to the garden. The opening housed a “light well” (called a “lantern” by Affleck) centered over a small pool at ground level, with operable windows that could open to allow cool air to circulate vertically from below the house; this was a smaller-scale version of an element he first used at Fallingwater. Perhaps realizing that the square light well impeded circulation through the loggia, or influenced by Affleck’s suggestion to move or eliminate it, Wright changed it to a rectangular shape and pushed it off to the side, while also removing the spur wall screening the garden entry. These gestures made the space asymmetrical but opened it to better circulation patterns. 12 Photograph by Harvey Croze Photograph by Harvey Croze Another alteration to the original plans during the design phase dealt with the relationship between the house’s public and private areas. The first plan seems to show no elevation difference between public wing and bedroom wing, while later drawings – and the house as built – depict the private bedroom wing a half-story higher than the loggia. All of the early floor plans and most other drawings also showed the loggia as a separate room, capable of being closed off from the rest of the house. No doors, however, were ever installed, and instead the loggia serves as an intermediate space for passing through rather than a room onto itself. 32 Possibly the most important modification to the original concept – and certainly the one with the biggest financial impact – concerned the nature of the materials. As cited above, as part of their “requirements” list the couple asked for “the laminated stone which is not native of Michigan, laid in the same manner of that at Fallingwater.” 33 In early August 1940, after Wright had sent the Afflecks his first drawings, they still favored stone walls but a conflict seems to have arisen between Gregor and Elizabeth. “Mrs. Affleck still thinks that she likes stone,” Gregor wrote to Wright. “Personally, I like brick and also the money that could be saved by using it.” 34 Wright’s response was equivocal. The series of elevation and perspective drawings made by Wright and his apprentices in the summer of 1940 include some that clearly anticipate stone walls and others where the material could be either stone or brick. In September Gregor continued to mention stone but at some point afterward the decision was made to switch to brick. Although the house was eventually constructed with brick walls, two aspects of the proposed stone design survived. The first was a rough stone retaining wall along the hillside that bowed out from the northeast corner of the carport to the entry drive. The second was more subtle. Gregor had added a handwritten message to a letter
Page 2 and 3: Lawrence Technological University F
Page 4 and 5: Introduction The 70th construction
Page 6 and 7: 1 History of Frank Lloyd Wright’s
Page 8 and 9: evealing, inaccurate, but compellin
Page 10 and 11: 5 The modular wall sections could b
Page 12 and 13: cross-ventilation. Combined with se
Page 14 and 15: they told Wright, “We don’t lik
Page 18 and 19: 13 to Wright in September 1940, sug
Page 20 and 21: 15 Approach The Affleck house, like
Page 22 and 23: 17 Living Room and Terrace The livi
Page 24 and 25: dining corner by locating the dinne
Page 26 and 27: 21 furniture for the Afflecks to ma
Page 28 and 29: to keep inside the house - a proble
Page 30 and 31: 25 have picnics in our living room,
Page 32: 27 wing, perhaps indicating the Aff
Page 35: Taliesin Model and Drawings 30
Page 41 and 42: NEW REFRIDGERATOR & FREEZER COMBO N
Page 43 and 44: ORIGINAL PHOTOS DISPLAYED IN THE MA
Page 45 and 46: ELEVATION 2 - I SCALE: NTS 40 ELEVA
Page 47 and 48: 42 ELEVATION 1 -A SCALE: NTS ELEVAT
Page 49 and 50: 44 Situated in two locations on the
Page 52: Assistant Professor Jim Stevens wit
Page 55 and 56: 50 Dustin Illes Erica Salucci
Page 57 and 58: 52 Cody Millinder Davide Daniles
Page 59 and 60: 54 Julian Sesi Nawfaa Al-Bahrani
Page 61 and 62: 56 Elise Torchala Amanda Curtis
Page 63 and 64: 58 Brandon Hartwick Anon.
Page 65 and 66: 60 Ryan Maynard, Kirk Stefko Ryan M
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62 Ryan Maynard, Kirk Stefko Ryan M
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81 original
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86 Victoria Bigham Michelle Danius
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Professor Steven Rost Sculpture 88
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Assistant Professor Jolanta Skorupk
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92 Balance (plan view) An overall b
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94 Structure Structure is formed by
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96 Anon. Breck Crandell
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98 Joo Younh Ham Kelsie Foster
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100 Elliot Disner Evander Kizy
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102 John Thornton Joo Younh Ham
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104 John Thornton Evander Kizy
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107 Faculty Gallery Professor Gretc
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109 Faculty Gallery Professor Steve
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Exhibition Catalog - Lawrence Technological University

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