USONIAN ARCHITECTURE

“Usonia—a name derived from United States of North America—was the term Wright coined to describe his vision for a new affordable architecture that freed itself from European conventions and responded to the American landscape.” Usonian architecture was born as Frank Lloyd Wright strived to provide low-end housing for middle-class America after the Great Depression. Clients were no longer searching for lavish homes with spacious interiors, but needed a modest dwelling that would provide the necessities for their families under a minimal budget. In order to construct such a home, “it is necessary to consolidate and simply the three appurtenance systems - heating, lighting, and sanitation.” Wright abolished radiators by using steam or hot water piping to provide heating through the floors. Skylights and an abundance of windows provided natural light that absolved the need for extraneous artificial light. Because Wright worked to consolidate space, “Usonian homes contained little conventional furniture, as immovable pieces were all built-in”.

The Peters-Margedant house was Wright’s son in law, William Wesley Peters’ take on the iconic Usonian design. All of the minimal features from small square footage to use of natural materials can be found in the Peters-Margedant house.