Centurions, Frank Lloyd Wright
Despite being one of the most renowned names in architecture, what I have taken the most from with this documentary is how Frank Lloyd Wright more or less created himself and his styles from scratch. Having only studied engineering for a while, he taught himself to create architecture. This struck me in particular because it shows that he had a more raw knowledge of architecture.
By this I mean that his work far more informed by his own approaches than perhaps many others. He took a lot of his inspiration from nature. He was all about organic design and I love this. What he felt was that the building and the nature which it sits on should be at one with each other.
Again this approach strikes me greatly. I really like the use of nature in architecture and design. However his way of using it is not create a building that looks like nature, it is to create a building which feels natural. Taking Falling Water as a prime example, it is not especially natural in shape. However, it was made out of materials which fit the context and most importantly these natural materials work their way through the building. As the reading pointed out, Falling Water constantly reminds you that you are surrounded by nature.
Upon reflection, it is this which I have taken most from the reading. The use of specific materials and their placement, can create a much stronger connection with nature and the context of the design than perhaps the form can. I think that going forwards I will definitely consider this in my own designs. I am a big fan of combining nature with architecture, but had not really thought about this approach before, more thinking of combinations including grass roofs and walls than anything else.
I will be thinking about this reading and it's contents and the points that it makes across my own work to help inform them. I now intend to think more about the materials and how they create links and atmospheres, not just with nature but with any direction I follow in my projects.