The Wright Way

How do you create something totally new? Frank Lloyd Wright asked himself this question. Wright was an architect. At the time, American architects designed buildings in European styles. Wright created the first American style of architecture. 

Have you ever wanted to create something completely new? That was Frank Lloyd Wright’s goal. He lived at a time when many Americans turned to Europe and other places around the world for inspiration when designing new buildings. Wright was determined to develop the first style of architecture that was uniquely American.

Wright was born in Wisconsin in 1867. As a boy, he loved exploring the Wisconsin countryside. He later said, “I still feel myself as much a part of it as the trees and birds and bees are, and the red barns.” 

Connection to the surrounding environment became a founding principle of Wright’s work as an architect. Early in his career, Wright turned to the prairie of the Midwestern states for inspiration. The homes he designed, such as his 1904 Martin House Complex, above, are long and low—like the prairie—with gently angled roofs and brickwork that emphasize the horizontal feel of the exterior structure. The open design of the interior floor plans, with few walls, promotes a sense of community. This style became known as the Prairie School, and with it, Wright achieved his dream—he had created the first truly American style of architecture.

Wright was born in Wisconsin in 1867. As a kid, he explored the Wisconsin countryside. “I still feel myself as much a part of it as the trees and birds and bees are, and the red barns,” he later said. 

Early in his career, the flat prairies of the Midwest inspired Wright. His 1904 Martin House Complex, above, is long and low, like the prairie. Sloped roofs and rows of bricks show off the horizontal exterior, or the outside of the building. The interior, or inside of the building, has few walls. The open space welcomes visitors. 

This style became known as the Prairie School. Wright had succeeded in creating the first truly American style of architecture. 

For Wright, the site and surrounding landscape always provided the spark of inspiration. Niki Stewart of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation explains that “every single thing Wright designed is one of a kind that can only work right where it is.” 

For example, his 1935 Fallingwater, above, features a dramatic cantilever extending over a waterfall, creating a sense of harmony with the surrounding environment. Wright used local stones for the walls and floors. The interior and exterior freely flow together and are approximately the same square footage. This design choice emphasizes the natural environment’s importance to the space. Wright described his approach as “organic architecture.” It’s as if the home has always been part of the landscape. Can you imagine this home existing anywhere else?

“Every single thing Wright designed is one of a kind that can only work right where it is,” Niki Stewart of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation says. A building’s location was very important to Wright.

One example is Wright’s 1935 Fallingwater, above. The building is next to a stream. Part of the structure juts out over a waterfall. This creates a sense of harmony with the surrounding environment. Wright also used stones from the site for the walls and floors. 

Wright described his ideas as “organic architecture.” It’s as if the home has always been part of the landscape. Can you imagine it existing anywhere else?