Imagine: It's summertime. You're with your best friends having the best time cooling off in a waterfall. As you sun lazily on the rocks you think, "I want to live here forever..."
I'll bet that's what the Kaufman's thought when they asked the legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright to build them a vacation home in 1935. Wright designed a house to rise above their favorite waterfall where they spent many summers splashing about, the acclaimed Fallingwater located in mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Steve and I did a weekend road trip just to walk through this spectacular structure of a house that is now converted into a museum. What an inspirational visit this was.
Fallingwater exemplifies Frank Lloyd Wright's philosophy of organic architecture: the harmonious union of art and nature.
Now I want my own waterfall, too.
The only way to see the inside was on a scheduled guided tour. Our group walked through the main living and dining area, up stairways, through bedrooms, an underground tunnel, and the guest house. You can truly experience FLW's notion of compression and expansion; the flow of moving from a small space with low ceilings, like the stairs or hallway, sets the stage for a compression feeling. As you walk through a doorway you're enticed by the view through large windows and lured toward the larger area of the room with high ceilings, the expansion.
All of it is immaculately well preserved including artwork and furnishings - also designed by FLW. Too bad I have no pics of my own of the interior to share with you, photographs and video were not permitted :(
Allow me to share some links I've enjoyed on the web. Like this video (below) with an awesome computer generated imagery of Fallingwater [0:19 - 1:00]. It demonstrates how the structure was built over the waterfall, completely integrated with the landscape.
(While surfing for more videos of Fallingwater on youtube, I see that someone didn't follow the rules and posted their sneaky video of the walking tour. Tsk, tsk!)
My Favorite Part
My favorite part of the entire Fallingwater structure is something I only understood when I walked through the space. Beneath the living room floor is a magical staircase (see images below) that leads down 'below deck' onto a landing that hovers just above the water, enough to dip your toes in [2:07 - 2:15]. Steve compares it to a 'boat like' landing access to water. (I only got a glimpse down the magical steps as nobody was permitted beyond certain areas.) It's designed to take advantage of the naturally occurring cool air current emanating from the stream, channelling it up the stairs directly into their main living room, creating the best ever passive ventilation. Genius.
The Kaufman's must have loved spending their summers there. I saw something underneath the house I didn't quite understand what it was, so I went for a closer look. There's a part of the stream where they shored up a stone wall, to the side of the streams current, to create a small pool pocket for a plunge. How neat! Something I could've easily missed had I not done the guided walking tour. (You should go visit Fallingwater!)
Another feature I truly loved is a small water fountain by their entrance. It is for washing the dirt off your feet so you don't track through the house. I am so stealing that idea. I want a feet washing station in Bahay Namin.
Check out this gorgeous online gallery of the inside at iconichouses.org (way better than any snaps I could ever take from my iPhone.)
Follow the steps up to the large open-plan living area.
At the top of the magical stairs are horizontally oriented sliding glass windows, as if emerging from 'below deck' on a yacht, that provide access and ventilation to the living room.
Note how much glass FLW uses for this grand room. The floor-to-ceiling windows, the magical stairs access, the sky windows... nature is literally above, below, and all around you. If you so desire, there are walk-out balconies on all sides and all levels. Everywhere you look, and everywhere you go, you're always intimately connected with magnificent nature.
I'm in love with this one-of-a-kind fireplace in the main living room. Look at that hearth! It is exposed natural rock at the top of their waterfall, the very same rock they once stood overlooking their secret summer swimming spot. That red round kettle that has a spherical niche of its own to tuck away. Mind. Blown.
Organic Architecture: the harmonious union of art and nature.
The guided walking tour through Fallingwater was definitely worth the first hand of experience of Frank Lloyd Wright's acclaimed work. It's a truly amazing, we highly recommend it!
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