Mel
The area I grew up in was full of that type of architecture in the 60's. Much of it was located in lower income areas, and the houses fell to disrepair. They require a lot of maintenance. Some were beyond repair, and had to be condemned. Now there are many preservation societies to maintain them. Back then, it was just Dad's doing the painting and preserving.
They typically weren't big houses, so maybe that is how the term "Bungalow" got attached.
My house in CT, built in 1919, is termed a "Bungalow Cape" by modern definition. My Mother in law called it a "Hillbilly Shack". She only ever came here once, so maybe I'll stick with "Hillbilly Shack" to keep the riff raff away.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
I've never heard of them (I don't get out much, AND I'm not much of a woodworker ) So I just looked at some pics--
Structural issues aside, both are pretty out-there designs to be sure. But I know this much, if I were to take the wife blindfolded into Gamble house, upon opening her eyes I know for a fact her first words would be: "Oh gawd, NO..." - She'd like the bedrooms, but not all that wood. I LOVE the wood, and I'm a huge fan of the craftsmanship it took to build the place, but I could never live there. Too monochromatic.
Now, the Falling Water house, totally different story. All that rock and stone is just amazing. With just enough wood where needed. And the water. We love water. It takes you to a whole different place in your mind. We both could, and would, live in a place like that in a heartbeat.
Oddly, to my eye, in looking at exterior pics of both houses, both of them appear-- crooked...? Not sure why...
The difference between the two, in words? --The house without the water, floats...
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ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
FOUR - CO2 lasers
THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
ONE - vinyl cutter
CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle
LOL! I don't know if it's that bad, but I definitely get where you are coming from. I think of Falling Water as part of Wrights substantial portfolio of work which includes a huge variety as diverse as the Johnson and Johnson office building and Taliesen west. Greene and Greene were much less prolific and diverse. Several other California and national architects were also doing "ultimate bungalows" at the time they developed their style. This leads me to consider FLW a genius, and Greene and Greene as overrated and arguably not even the originators of their signature style.
When you boil it down, the G&G signature style is apparently the ebony pinned cloud lift as nothing else appears to be uniquely theirs. I certainly do admire their attention to detail and their work is wonderful, but it's nowhere close to FLW. Again, only my opinion.
Never visited either, love them both. But there is just something about Falling Water that speaks to my soul. I'll get there some day.
Doug
I think I'm just sensitive to the "leaking roof thing" at this particular moment in time.
We had our roof redone about 12 years ago, and this past winter/spring it began to leak onto our porch. The leak was right in line with the dormer wall, and I had repaired this same type of leak before, on the other side of the dormer.
I ripped off the barn board and batten siding and found that the shingles weren't step flashed correctly, and that a nail had rusted and pushed out that had been hammered through the wrong edge of some corner flashing.
Everything is back together now. Re did all of the step flashing and all new barn board and batten siding was put up, so I have some painting to do later.
Older houses have their "charm", but it's a genuine pain to do any maintenance on them.
"The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)
FLW did not understand the properties of water. Falling Water had to be rebuilt because of rot. Great design, in my opinion, requires both esthetic and weather proofing. Wrights buildings were pretty but I don't think great design because of the above. Greene and Greene just happens to be my favorite, and I have been in several of their houses(including the Gamble). The only thing I didn't like (a result of the era) was the ladk of good lighting.
Bracken's Pond Woodworks[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
You are correct the Guggenheim does not leak it just condenses water on the walls that runs down to the floors. the art is mounted on brackets off the wall so it does not get too wet. Long socks of absorbent are placed at the base of the walls so water does not get on the floors and cause people to slip. No mention of how often the absorbent has to be switched out.
No mention of any roof problems on the other house.
Bill
Being consistent with the argument that FLW architecture is defective because a roof leak developed later, would require pretty much all buildings built before yesterday to be judged as subpar because they lack the utmost best materials available now. All buildings fail without maintenance, it isn't a defect. The features that make houses the most remarkable tend to also be the most demanding of maintenance. It'd be a very boring house built exclusively to eliminate potential maintenance.
FLW was also warned about engineering problems with Falling Water before they started to show. Something about big
pieces falling off.
Last edited by Mel Fulks; 05-27-2019 at 4:34 PM.