From: michael.trew@att.net   
      
   On 9/3/2021 3:35 PM, Questor wrote:   
   > On Thu, 2 Sep 2021 09:25:33 -0700 (PDT), Richard Hershberger   
   > wrote:   
   >> On Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 2:39:36 PM UTC-4, Michael Trew wrote:   
   >>> On 8/30/2021 6:37 AM, Questor wrote:   
   >>>> I have fairly simple desires. For example, I'd like to live for one full   
   year,   
   >>>> -- all four seasons -- at Fallingwater.   
   >>> I've gone to tour it at least once. It is a beautiful house, and IIRC,   
   >>> was the first residential abode to make use of tube fluorescent   
   >>> lighting. I saw Frank Lloyd Wright on What's My Line (youtube), a mid   
   >>> century appearance, and he was 90+ years old. Very interesting man.   
   >>>   
   >>> That being said, you wouldn't want to own and maintain it. The way the   
   >>> house was built over the waterfall, it has mold issues, and the concrete   
   >>> and structure has been damaged over the years. I was told that it's   
   >>> quite costly to keep the structure safe and intact.   
   >>>   
   >>> The Kaufman family (Pittsburgh PA department store) were the original   
   >>> owners who had Mr. Wright build the house. I believe it was their   
   >>> vacation home. They wanted it near the waterfall, and IIRC, they   
   >>> weren't entirely happy that it was built *over* the waterfall. The   
   >>> house was somewhat damp inside, and had a lot of spiders.   
   >>   
   >> My impression is that many of his buildings, while very pretty, are not   
   actually   
   >> very practical.  This is something of a pet peeve of mine:  celebrity   
   architects   
   >> who produce artistic statements where what we need is a functional building.   
   >   
   > It's one thing if the building is inferior because of substandard materials   
   or   
   > poor workmanship.  Can we know if that's the case with the leaky FLW   
   buildings,   
   > or is due to some design flaw?   
   >   
   > Another issue is what I would call "livability."  Does the floor plan of the   
   > house ease or hinder the way its residents conduct their daily lives?  It's   
   > something I don't know much about, only that I noticed a difference when,   
   > for example, I moved from a small, cozy apartment into a ranch-style house.   
   > Previously the kitchen, entertainment center, work desk, and bathroom were   
   all   
   > within steps of each other.  Now the bedrooms and bathrooms are at one end of   
   > the house and the kitchen is at the other end, fifty feet away.  It makes a   
   > difference in how I perform everyday tasks.  So I wonder if some of these   
   > architectural wonders, while beautiful to look at, would be uncomfortable to   
   > live in?   
   >   
      
   Most likely, depending on personal preference.  I like the floor plan in   
   old homes, personally.  I like separate rooms, bedrooms being upstairs,   
   etc.  Open floor plan does not resonate with me, I'd much prefer the   
   kitchen to be closed off.  Every taste and definition of comfort and   
   workability is different from person to person.  I would be very   
   uncomfortable in a large, open house.   
      
   As I recall, Fallingwater was very spread out and lofty, and it was a   
   hike from say, the bedrooms to the living area.  It was fun to tour, but   
   I imagine that living there would be a chore, aside from the   
   aforementioned upkeep.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)