What Is Organic Architecture

Dang Nguyen
ARLH 208
SCAD Fall 2013
Professor Haughey
Assignment 1: Annotated Bibliography

ABSTRACT
The influence of organic architecture in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959).
“Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain” – Frank Lloyd Wright.
Many architects, especially Frank Lloyd Wright always take nature as an inspiration. Organic architecture is not simply a building that designed in the unusual shapes. Instead, it reflects the man’s understanding of the natural environment. To Frank Lloyd Wright, he approaches the principle of organic architecture by creating the interaction and harmony between human and the natural, in which it creates the unity between his buildings and the surroundings. His design of building is based on the character of the landscape, the interaction of the important elements such as vegetation, water, and surface, in which it shows the properties of the place and made the people belong to it as an integral part of nature. It is evidenced by several buildings named Falling Water, Unity Church, and Prairie Houses…. These buildings are all very different in the look but they possess a main approach of the principle of organic architecture, in which we can see how well the structure is blended into the surrounding area by the use of natural materials most often found on site. To Frank, the architecture shouldn’t be tied into four walls and roof, it should reflect the life and life doesn’t come from outside/ landscape of the building but also come from the space within the building , in which it somehow creates the sense of freedom. So in this research paper, I aim to explain the first steps of how the architect experiences and approaches in his design as an expression of the organic ideal through these three important buildings listed above
Citation
Journal:
1. Merfyn, Davies. “The embodiment of the concept of organic expression: Frank Lloyd Wright”. Architectural History, Vol. 25, (1982), pp. 120-130+166-168
The author mainly discusses about the concept of organic architecture from Frank Lloyd Wright and his own inspiration. It is interesting to know in this journal that there is the relation to the vision of the future between Louis H. Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. Sullivan is Frank lloyd’s admiration. Wright Sullivan’s contribution is that of he translated the philosophical concept of organic expression into architectural terms, while Wright’s took the further step by translating the philosophical concept of organic expression into actual building form.
The author also mainly discusses about Wright’s early buildings, in which he believes that the early buildings will illustrate the concept of organic expression better than Wright’s later ones. These early buildings such as Unity Church, 1908 was used as examples to illustrate the application of the theory just in practice

Books:
2. Alan Hess. “Frank Lloyd Wright: Natural Design, Organic Architecture: Lessons for Building Green from an American Original”. Rizzoli Publisher. Oct 16, 2012
This book explores the lessons on how Wright takes inspiration and experiences with the environment controls’ aspect such as climate, sunlight in combination of modern technology, local materials, for excellent design, and highlights a selection

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