The only adobe structure designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the late 1920s was supposed to be built in El Paso, TX. But due to circumstances — rumored to be differences of opinion between Wright and the homeowner — the project never came to be, and by the end of the 1940s, the plans were shelved.
Nearly 30 years later, Minneapolis developer Charles Klotsche inquired with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation about using the adobe plans. Working with architects who once trained alongside Wright, Klotsche produced construction plans for the design, increasing the square footage from 2,400 to 4,900.
“The floor plan was maintained essentially,” explained David Fries of Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s one of 16 houses that have been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built after his death and approved by the foundation. The architects that worked with Frank Lloyd Wright were the same ones who did the construction documents with this property.”
Construction began in 1984, and the home was completed in 1985. And even though Wright himself didn’t see the finished structure, the foundation recognizes the home as a Wright piece.
The 5-bed, 4-bath home sits on a 9-acre promontory that “really feels like you’re perched on a mountain,” Fries said. Views of Santa Fe below are visible from the half-moon pool and several of the home’s rooms.
The pool in itself is unusual; a small canal leads the swimming pool into one of the bathrooms.
Throughout the rest of the home, Wright’s trademark of combining nature with architecture is visible — from the rounded walls, large windows and central courtyard.
“It’s a piece of artwork,” Fries said. “People have said living in a Frank Lloyd Wright home will change you. The best feature of this home is just the design itself.”
List price is $4,750,000.
http://www.zillow.com/blog/2012-11-07/house-of-the-week-frank-lloyd-wrights-pottery-house/
