Frank Lloyd Wright and Building Technology

FAIN: FA-52006-05

Richard Louis Cleary
University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX 78712-0100)

This project examines how the architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) actually made buildings. Throughout his career, he prided himself as an innovative builder experimenting with structural and environmental control systems and construction materials. I address this topic through three lines of inquiry: 1) identification of critical technological issues in his buildings and projects; 2) assessment of his working relationships with engineers and contractors; 3) analysis of structural ideas in his theory of organic architecture. The project frames his practice within the broader culture of the building industry and offers a new perspective for evaluating his position in American architectural discourse from c. 1900-1960.