Frank Lloyd Wright and the American System-Built Designs
Design B1
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American System-Built Homes - Design B1
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In the years just before World War 1, Frank Lloyd Wright’s
lifelong interest in making great design available to all people resulted in
the American System-Built Homes project. These were a catalog of home designs,
ranging in size and configuration. They included single story, two story
designs and even duplexes. All the designs were based on standardized wood
framing packages.
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Model B1 - Plan
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A business dispute between Wright and his partner in the
venture, Arthur Richards, led to the closing of the business. The expansion of
the war also meant that building materials were not available. In the end
around 25 homes are believed to have been built, with 15 known to be surviving today.
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After restoration and the removal of the terrace enclosure
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Model B1 was one of those designs that actually
got built. The Historic American Building Survey (HABS) recorded this example at 2714 West Burnham Street, Milwaukie, WI. The original design had an open terrace at the front. But at
the time of the HABS survey this terrace had been enclosed and the survey
drawings show that enclosure. Later the house was restored to its original
condition and these photos show the restoration.
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Before restoration, with terrace enclosure
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The open terrace dramatically changes how the house relates
to its surroundings, providing a more subtle and gradual transition from the
public life of the street to the private life of the home, while also providing
architectural elements, that bring the foliage of the landscape right into the
fabric of the building.
The prints below are available for purchase at my eBay store.
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Historic American Building Survey (HABS) drawings
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HABS plans and typical wall section
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The Living Room, seen from the Dining Nook. Entry at right behind fireplace.
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The Dining Nook
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The home centers around a central masonry fireplace, with a hall behind it that has a high ceiling. In winter the central fireplace is well placed to heat the entire home, while in summer the high windows in the hall can be opened to vent hot air out of the home.
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| Elevations |
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| Sections |
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| Kitchen, Dining Nook behind screen at left |
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Central Hall
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Fireplace with Entry at left and Central Hall behind
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Central Hall, looking toward Entry
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All the images
shown are from the Historic American Building Survey. I have printed
copies of the drawings, but not the photos, available at my eBay store. Please drop by and feel free to browse. In addition to Wright System-Built Homes B1 I have prints of many other historic American homes.
