Falling Water, ( Pennsylvania, US), 1936-9; Organic architecture,




The Falling Water is a housing project design by architect Frank Lloyd Wright for Edgar Kaufmann’s family. The project is located 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
It is famous for its unique design concept - a house sit on above a stream and a waterfall, and the project has shown the appearance of Wright's concept "Organic Architecture": the structure has used cantilever with open plan design.
In 1996, Falling Water was designated as a National Historic Landmark. Wright used to have a conflict with the Kaufmann’s family and consultation when he was designing the project. Furthermore, he wanted to follow his design philosophy and give up the project to put pressure to the family to agree with him. Finally, they agreed and let Wright to produce amazing and stunning housing design to the world.
The driveway passes through the forest and falls to approach the project. The bridge leads visitors to arrive the entrance. The falls has set behind the house and the water flows into the river.  Bear Run is the best place for enjoy the project landscape to show the strongest vertical and horizontal shape in the site.
The first floor of the Falling Water is an open space design and the structure has been using the cantilevered beams of the reinforced concrete stretched above the waterfall. However, due the project has over extended from the site, long-term water vapor and temperature changes in winter and summer, the subsidence and seepage problems after the project complete. The structure has damaged by these conditions to make the project in the bad situation. Not only it existed moldy and decaying, the project had a chance to collapse to the fall. The housing has repair and inspection in 1988. It made the possible for the villa to stand until now.
As other project by Wright, he is not only design a house, but interior to match his design perfectly. Furthermore, he would design furniture and decorations for the house.
The ceiling has made lower the normal housing to make cozier than cramped and keep visitors eyes look outside the landscape of the site. The house windows also designed to open 90 degrees to let visitors feel that there are no limitation and blocking between outdoor and indoor by the walls.
The stone of the building was obtained from a quarry near the site. Following the "Prairie Style”, using local materials to build the house. You can feel that nature is so close in every corner of the housing. The water sounds from the fall accompanied by the sound of wind blowing through the forest is like being in the mountains. It is worth mentioning that there are two irregularly protruding boulders in front of the fireplace. This is the original boulder on the site and overhanging at the creek. Wright's design was particularly reserved and integrated into the interior. This is another example of the practice of "organic architecture."
The Kauffman family donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963. It was maintained and operated by the Cascades. The Villa opened its doors in 1964.


McCarter, Robert. Fallingwater. Frank Lloyd Wright.  Phaidon, 2002

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