Passage V

Learning by Building

Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the twentieth century's most creative and innovative architects basing most of his designs on two theories. One is his mentor Louis Sullivan's idea; that “form follows function"—this is a building's use determines its design. Something else underlying Wright's designs is that of organic architecture and structures should appear to be an extension of their surroundings.

Students being taught these theories and their practice, Wright founded the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in 1932. The school flourishes today, with two campuses—one in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and the other near Scottsdale, Arizona, in the Sonoran Desert.

The students learning about the art and science of architecture, and they perform the school's daily maintenance tasks such as cooking, serving, and cleaning up in the school's kitchen. Those tasks are part of the school's curriculum, although Wright believed that only a person familiar with every room's function could design a well-formed house.

[1] The students also experiment with form and function by building their own shelters. [2] These examples of organic architecture turn out to be as distinctive as the students who design them. [3] The tan wood and rusted red steel of the residence—which presents an interesting sight to catch the eye—mirror the colors of the surrounding desert. [4] One student who creates a rectangular structure from donated glass, wood, and steel to span a dry riverbed. [5] Some homes are inherited and modified by other students in subsequent years. [6] Other dwellings, made of biodegradable materials, are left to decay. (74)

Since Wright's death in 1959, the school has continued to thrive thanks to its Fellowship members, former students of Wright's who now serve as teachers and mentors for others. These teachers and their students work, study, and build together, using Wright's guiding theories and the skills they've learned to create buildings that are both beautiful and functional.