Organic Architecture

The term "Organic Architecture" was coined by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), though never well articulated by his cryptic style of writing:

"So here I stand before you preaching organic architecture: declaring organic architecture to be the modern ideal and the teaching so much needed if we are to see the whole of life, and to now serve the whole of life, holding no traditions essential to the great TRADITION. Nor cherishing any preconceived form fixing upon us either past, present or future, but instead exalting the simple laws of common sense or of super-sense if you prefer determining form by way of the nature of materials..."

- Frank Lloyd Wright, an Organic Architecture, 1939.

Organic architecture is a philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world through design approaches so sympathetic and well integrated with its site those buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of an unified, interrelated composition.

The philosophy grew from the ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor, Louis Sullivan, who believed that "form follows function", Wright argued that "form and function are one." and the Art Nouveau architects of the early twentieth century incorporated curving, plant-like shapes into their designs. But in the later half of the twentieth century, Modernist architects took the concept of organic architecture to new heights. By using new forms of concrete and cantilever trusses, architects could create swooping arches without visible beams or pillars

Organic Architecture is also translated into the all inclusive nature of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design process. Materials, motifs, and basic ordering principals continue to repeat themselves throughout the building as a whole. The idea of “Organic Architecture” refers not only to the buildings' literal relationship to the natural surroundings, but how the buildings' design is carefully thought about as if it were a unified organism. Geometries throughout Wright’s buildings build a central mood and theme. Essentially “Organic Architecture” is also the literal design of every element of a building: From the windows, to the floors, to the individual chairs intended to fill the space. Everything relates to one another, reflecting the symbiotic ordering systems of nature.

New Organic Architecture is a manifesto for building in a way that is both aesthetically pleasing and kinder to the environment. It illuminates key themes of organic architects, their sources of inspiration, the roots and concepts behind the style, and the environmental challenges to be met.

The organic approach to architecture has an illustrious history, from Celtic design, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, to the work of Antoni Gaudí and Frank Lloyd Wright. Today there is a response to a new age of information and ecology; architects are seeking to change the relationship between buildings and the natural environment. In the first part of his book, David Pearson provides a history and assessment of organic architecture. The second part comprises statements from thirty architects from around the world whose work is based on natural or curvilinear forms rather than the straight-line geometrics of modernism. Each statement is accompanied by full-color illustrations of one or several of the architects' built projects.

Falling Water : A house that straddles a waterfall.

“ Falling water is a great blessing – one of the blessings to be experienced here on earth, I think nothing yet ever equaled the coordination, sympathetic expression of the great principal of repose where forests and streams and rock and all the elements of structure are combined so quietly that really you listen not to any noise what so ever although the music of the stream is there. But you listen to Falling water the way you listen to the quiet of the country…..”

--- F . L. W.

The Falling water is renowned for its simplicity. It is not a sky scarper, it is a house situated in a remote section of Pennsylvania called Bear Run. The ingenuity of Falling water is its harmony with its surrounding natural elements, most notably the water fall.

Built for Pittsburg department store owner, Edgar J Kaufmann, whose son, Edgar Jr. was a Taliesin fellow, Falling water is dubbed as the most famous modern house in the world. A bold originator and worshipper of simplicity, Wright realized the powerful sounds of the falls, the vitality of the young forest, the dramatic rock ledges and boulders were the elements to be interwoven with serenely soaring spaces of his structures.

The view of the house is most famous of all. The house hovers right over the rushing mountain stream in perfect harmony. This house is a series of stone and concrete shelves jutting out over 30’ – 0” curtain of tumbling brook. The stream that scrambles sparkling down the path of rebellious boulders behind and above it passes the tinkling underneath.

This organically designed private residence was intended to be a nature retreat for its owners. The house is well known for its connection to the site. The Falling water thus was opened by broad bands of windows, people inside sheltered as in a deep cave, serene in the sense of hill behind them. Their attention directed towards the outside by low ceilings, the luminous textures of the woodlands, rhythmically enframed. The materials of the structure blended with the colorings of the rocks and trees, while occasional accents were provided by bright furnishings, like wild flowers or birds outside. The paths within the house, stairs and passages, meandered without formality or urgency, and the house hardly had a main entrance; there are many ways in and out. Sociability and privacy were both available, as were comforts of house and the adventures of the seasons.

Wright’s views of what would be the entry have been argued about; still, the door is tucked away in a corner and is rather small. Wright’s idea of the grand façade for his house is from the perspective of all the famous pictures of the house, looking up from the downstream, viewing the opposite corner from the main door.

On the hill side above the main house is a four –car carport (though Kaufmann had requested a garage) servants’ quarters, and a guest bed room. The attached outbuilding was built one year later using the same quality of materials and attention to detail as the main house. Just uphill from it is a small 6’ 0” deep swimming pool, continually fed by natural water, which then overflows to the river below. Through a visual trick comparing the swimming pool walls with the landscaped beyond, the swimming pool appears not to be level; it is, in fact, level. The carport was, at the direction of Kaufmann, Jr., eventually enclosed for use by Falling water visitors, who generally gather there at the end of guided tours. Kaufmann Jr., designed the interiors himself but to specifications found in other Falling water interiors designed by Wright.

Falling water’s structural system includes a bold reinforced concrete cantilevered balconies, however, the house had problems from the beginning. Sagging of the concrete cantilevers was noticed as soon as the formwork was removed at the construction stage. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy conducted an intensive program to preserve and restore the Falling water. A study indicated that the original structural design and plan preparation had been rushed and the cantilevers had significantly inadequate reinforcement. As originally designed by Wright, the cantilevers would not have hold their own weight. Given the humid environment directly over running water, the house also had a mold problem.