Previously, we shared the origin story of the art glass motif that is unique to Frank Lloyd Wrights’ Elizabeth Murphy House. In a nutshell; the design of the leading is a reflection of the facade. You are looking out of what you’re in. Simple, yet effective. Symmetric and balanced. Natural, but mathematic. Indeed, the logarithmic Fibonacci sequence leaps from the pattern.

And so yesterday I wondered; can this golden ratio (length/width ratio of 1.61) be found elsewhere in the house?

So I dropped the famous organic Fibonacci spiral on the floor-plan. I had a feeling that the long arch would follow the flow of the open living space, and it does. But to my amazement, the focus of the spiral – the balanced center of the nautilus – drops perfectly in front of the hearth, marking the place in this space where you can see in all directions, where guests instinctively go and then pause, and where sounds are clearest, the light is brightest, and friends and family surround. I called Angela and she gasped when she saw it. “It feels different here,” she said. “No wonder.”

That Wright was applying nature’s fractal geometry in his designs is not up for debate. That such principles made it into his lowly American System-Built Homes – ignored today by many Wright historians – deserves a fresh look.

We will dig into this and other examples of Wright’s enlightened forms in the American System-Built Homes – homes designed (briefly) for the masses – in the presentation “Frank Lloyd Wright Vs. Russell Barr Williamson.” We hope to see you on April 4th, 2024, at UW-Milwaukee’s Osher School of Continuing Education. Mark your calendars and check back here for registration details.