A Usonian House

The manifestation of my desire to be as artistic as Frank Lloyd Wright.

Despite his general attitude and troubled interpersonal life, Frank Lloyd Wright was nothing short of a genius. His architectural vision peered deep into the future while he remained focused on the needs and glories of the world around him. He was an eccentric with the talent and knowledge to boot, designing for the challenge of it rather than for money or fame, providing his masterful hand to everything from internationally-renowned institutions to a young boy's dog's house. Wright saw beauty and purpose in the people whose homes he was tasked with shaping, in the landscapes his works would become part of, and in the very spirit of creation - creating something wholly new in this reconciliation of the people and the land.

Usonian design is, to me, Wright's crowning achievement. Landmark homes built for individuals and for the land on which they lived, emphasizing both in considerate, striking style. Don't get me wrong, I adore the Prairie School, I deeply appreciate Wright's grand projects (realized and not), and I so wish that the American System houses had revolutionized interwar architecture. Usonia is simply incomparable, even in all the styles it inspired throughout the 20th century and into the contemporary.

So this is my attempt at flattery. Not an exact mimicry of any one Usonian house, but an amalgam of design elements from many examples. My own take on Usonia, and surely a pale shadow thereof. I started out thinking I'd try replicating the Penfield House, but its dimensions are quite special, then began wondering if I should just do one of the American System bungalows, but of course I had already convinced myself to go Usonian. The primary reference is the Rosenbaum House, though Penfield, Weltzheimer/Johnson, and others contributed. The first Usonian I saw first-hand is the Tonkens House, but I'm not sure Paralives can convincingly simulate elements of that design, nevermind my modest skills!

2 (modest but intimate) bedrooms, 1 (amply equipped) bathroom. True to form, the main hall of the house is a massive open floorplan broken up only by supportive masonry columns and dividing panels. It's very adaptable, though in Usonian spirit I'd recommend many seating areas, loosely organized into studies, libraries, a central gathering area, and the dining space. Those massive rear windows should look out on a landscaped terrace, and the carport can (someday) shelter the parafamily car. No mods here, nor build mode oddness... alteast on my part. The carport roof has repeatedly disappeared on me, and it seems anything built with so many windows in the current state of Paralives runs the risk of turning walls wholly transparent. Weird!

At around $60,000, this is practically a steal for a Usonian. Of course, it's a WAJ rather than a FLW, but still, it's a big house in a striking, iconic style for your parafolk to call their "forever home" or whatever the kids say. It is unfurnished beyond the basic amenities - I can't bring myself to furnish such a Usonian design with fairly generic furniture - but there's plenty of potential here for the Wright enthusiast to toy with. I surely did. Sorry, Taliesin!

Oh, and of course, the roof leaks. But you already knew that.