Bay Area Architecture
When talking about California architecture one would surely imagine low red-tiled roofs with white stucco arches, but, in fact, Californian architecture is much more complex and diverse. A strong impact on the building up of the area had Spanish and Mexican occupation that brought in presidios, pueblos, and ranchos. In addition, Victorian tastes were introduced at the arrival of gold-seeking Easterners.
In the course of time other factors influenced the landscape of the Bay area and more and more new styles found their embodiment in this ‘alfresco museum of architecture history ’. Namely the turn of the twentieth century was marked by Morris’s idea concerning prevalence of handmade things over those machine-made and return to the Nature, as well as key principles of the Bauhaus school, which said that ‘beautiful’ stands for simple and functional.
These trends left traces on the Californian land in the form of bungalows, one- or two-storied houses with gently pitched broad gables, one large gable covering the major part of the house and often a second, lower gable, covering a porch (1). During the first half of the 20th century, many professionals left their imprint in California in form of amazing collection and mixture of different styles and designs. Among them is perhaps the most influential and mysterious architect of the last century Frank Lloyd Wright.
Remarkably, that he introduced his own commonly known as the Usonian style (named after the United States), which reflected his social ideas: “the buildings were designed for economical construction and to be energy efficient within their specific climate zone” as well as well as shows a dramatic impact of the Japanese culture (open floor plans, flowing interiors with movable screen partitions, an abundance of natural light, overhanging eaves and shallow pitch roofs, etc. ) (2). The Usonian Style is based on the concept that any architectural project should “naturally” combine its functions and stay in harmony with the site of its location.
Therefore, the Usonian style integrated some elements of the International style architecture of volume, flat roofs, etc. but unlike its prototype, the Usonian style utilizes not industrial but natural materials peculiar for each site such as stone and wood siding (3). In general, the most characteristic features of the Usonian style are: – Open plan – Large overhanging flat roofs, on occasion, low pitched gable roofs were used – Concealed front entrances – Board and Batten siding – Large floor to ceiling windows – Brick used as accent material – Banding of windows
Moreover, windows had typically individual casements, doors were simple panel and house were not typically painted but for an accent color (3). Notably that the architect experimented not only with shapes and forms of the buildings but also with colors, namely he employed purple (maroon) color and the success of such innovation can be seen on the example of his Californian work under the name of Hanna Honeycomb House. Such name is not accidental but due to the specific construction of the building. The house is patterned after the bee honeycomb and incorporates a number of six-sided figures.
The author himself gave the following comments on his work: “The dominant feeling was of wonderful, secluded shelter, with the kind of aura I knew in the big old houses of my childhood… In view of the fact that no house of my childhood was ever so casually joined to the outdoors, so profusely fenestrated and skylighted, or so varied in levels and ceiling heights, I was surprised that I was so emotionally familiar with the place. To feel so secure without the dark and gloom of restricting walls, yet I felt free.
Not the kind of airiness associated with open, glass walls, which makes me feel as though I might fall out the windows, but a feeling of having space to move around in and somewhere to go. The hexagon has been conservatively treated, however. It is allowed to appear in plan only and in the furniture, which literally rises from … the floor slab upon which the whole rests. To me, here is a lead into a new, fascinating realm of form—although it is somewhat repressed on the side of dignity and repose in this first expression of the idea” (4:32-33).
To see the realized Wright’s architectural design all you have to do is just to come to Stanford campus. The reason for such location is simple – it was designed specially for the Hannas (Paul R. and Jean), a couple of well known Stanford tutors. A first the building was intended for two of them only but as the family widens, so did the house, which was quite easy because of its honeycomb design. In general, the Hanna-Honeycomb house is a one-story building with a central wall adjoining the roof (a clerestory) and made of widespread here redwood, San Jose brick, glass and cement.
The whole design of the site comprises not only the main house, but also a guesthouse, storage, garage, as well as a garden house with a pool and a miniature artificial; waterfall. Though seriously damaged during the earthquake of 1989 Wright’s masterpiece was restored and reopened in 1999. Moreover, it is included into the list of National Historic Landmarks and what is more, the American Institute of Architects named it as one of 17 best Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings worth seeing and being preserved as a cultural legacy for next generations.
To cut the long story short, the Bay Area may be rightfully regarded the best showroom of various styles and designs, brought in by Spanish and Mexican invaders first, then left as traces of the gold-seekers, and last but not the least, owing to the fact that Californian marvelous landscapes have always attracted famous and not very architects and designers to test their knowledge and skills and to cast their names in the form of beautiful buildings which are so numerous in California.
One of them is Frank Lloyd Wright whose first trial on the Californian land proved to be successful and hence we can rest our eyes on of his Hanna-Honeycomb house, which is placed among National Historic Landmarks of the United States. Bibliography 1. Bay Area Architecture. Retrieved on December 3, 2005 from: http://www. cr. nps. gov/nr/travel/santaclara/bayareaarchitecture.
htm 2. Frank Lloyd Wright. Retrieved on December 3, 2005 from: http://www. greatbuildings. com/gbc. html 3. The Usonian Style. Retrieved on December 3, 2005 from: http://www. arapahoeacres. org/usonian_style. htm 4. John Sergeant. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian Houses: The Case for Organic Architecture. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1976. ISBN 0-8230-7178-2.
