This home is clearly an adaptation
of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie Style architecture. With the signature
extensive overhang, low pitched hip roof and the high three-quarter height
stone veneer broken by tall narrow windows with transoms above, there is no
denying his influence.
When my clients approached me to design this home, they were already living
in one of similar style constructed as part of a subdivision. It was the
“Wright” influenced architecture that had led them to purchase that
particular home, and it was not until later that they realized the floor
plan did not suit their needs. Having recently bought a property they
engaged me to design them a new home, one that would not only capture the
elements they loved of their current home, but one that solved the floor
plan deficiencies.
As with many projects, the problems that are inherent to a site often are
not discovered until after a property is purchased. In this case, it was the
required setbacks on a narrow, deep lot that posed the greatest challenge.
The solution was to construct a detached garage, which is allowed to be
three feet from the property line if it is on the rear half of the property.
This compromise allowed for the great presentation the house has from the
street. Without an attached garage facing the street, the entrance becomes
the prominent feature.
It is from this entrance that the house unfolds. The porch and foyer lead
you past a living room but it is the two story high gallery, with light
streaming in from overhead, which provides the drama once you are inside. It
beckons you inward to the center of the house where you are surrounded by
the openings leading you into the music room, dining room and the nook
beyond.
As you proceed deeper into the house, you realize there is a courtyard
waiting to greet you, drawing you into the rear yard. That is, unless you
pause long enough to appreciate the kitchen and family room that flank the
nook. The courtyard masks the depth of the property. There is the illusion
that you have reached the back yard. Yet, there is still more house to
discover.
A secondary hall leads from the family room into the bedroom wing of the
house. There is a mini gallery along the hall with French doors opening up
to the courtyard. At the end of this hall is a vestibule from which you
enter the master suite. It is only now that you have reached the end of your
journey, a retreat that looks out into a private rear yard, a landscaped
buffer between you and the rest of the world.
As a designer I have always appreciated the
Prairie style, but until
this project did not have the
opportunity to design one. As with all architectural styles, from old world
European to early American Colonial, turn of the century Victorians and
Craftsman to Contemporary and Modern architecture, it is the opportunity and
challenge to produce a home of stature and integrity that fires and
fuels the soul.
Many thanks, to the Dave and Karen for trusting me with their dream home.
Special thanks to the following for their part in this project:
Todd Yoshida – Structural Engineer
--------------- - Landscape Design