MDA-DEVELOPMENT - Frank Lloyd Wright Influences

It should be noted that the famous American master architect Frank Lloyd Wright was very much influenced by the Asian cultures as evidenced by his works and a partial quote displayed in the auditorium at the Taliesin West architectural design school located north of Scottsdale, Arizona. The quote, "A House? Walls cut by doors and windows! Yet, its empty space makes it useful." is from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, the oldest work identified with the Chinese school called "Taoism".

"A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of a cultivated, enriched heart"..."The architect must be a prophet...a prophet in the true sense of the term...if he can't see at least ten years ahead don't call him an architect"

Japanese Architects, Arata Endo, Aisaky Hayashi and the late "Master Architect" Frank Lloyd Wright 1917 in Tokyo.

"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 was heavily influenced by Asian architectural and Feng Shui design features as evidenced by the the above noted Frank Lloyd Wright designed structures. Please note the overhanging rooflines on the Martin House and the Robie House, as these are very characteristic of his work. Then compare these principles with Asian architectural elements especially the tiered overhanging rooflines with the examples of classical Asian contained elsewhere in this website.

The Paulson Home is lesser known of Frank Lloyd Wright's structures as it burnt down in 1945 was constructed on a desert knoll just north of the fashionable Biltmore Estates in northeast Phoenix. This is a desert dwelling and is a classic example of the proper way to site a desert structure. The orientation of the structure to the land was of great importance to the late master architect Frank Lloyd Wright and is totally consistent with Asian Feng Shui design principles.

Note how well the structure is blended into the surrounding area by the use of natural materials most often found on site. Even though the structure was destroyed by fire in 1945 and never rebuilt the remnants still remain with all the native cast in place concrete rock work, now referred to as "Shiprock" due to the unique shape of the cast in place rockwork and concrete. Just to stand on the hallowed remains still today one can still feel a sense of what the late master architect was projecting to the world.

"Organic buildings are the strength and lightness of the spiders' spinning, buildings qualified by light, bred by native character to environment, married to the ground"

Frank Lloyd Wright lived long before feng shui became trendy in the United States. But fans often say that his buildings suggest feng shui ideas. Let's look at what one feng shui consultant, Master Xu Weili, has to say about the classic Frank Lloyd Wright home, Fallingwater, also known as the Kaufman House. "FLW's genius flowed from his innate understanding of Taoist principles..." --Master Xu Weili, Windhorse Feng Shui Consultants.

According to Xu Weili....With Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright accomplished the traditional Taoist objectives of meeting wind with water, or what the Chinese describe as feng shui.

Simply said, feng shui means living in balance with nature. Fallingwater represents this ideal. For the first time, an American architect understood Chinese geomancy, and put this to work in his own way. Residents of Fallingwater could dip their toes in the waters, or breath in the clean air of a pure Pennsylvania forest. The cantilevered terraces of Fallingwater recall the great homes of Egypt and Babylon, with secret waters flowing, and secret gardens flowering.

Small wonder that the original family of Fallingwater was blessed with financial offerings.

MDA-Development is not suggesting that the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright be plagiarized in any way shape or form as they are truly unique and proprietary. It is that Frank Lloyd Wright was truly a master at site presentation and certain organic appearing cast-in-place concrete, native rock construction techniques.

There are many other master builders who have utilized such techniques and principles today in all regions of our country. An example of such concrete and native rockwork technique is the "Logan's Pass" Visitors Center in Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana.

"A doctor can bury his mistakes, but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines"