Why Frank Lloyd Wright’s windows look like this

Natural light was an obsession — and he worked hard to let it in.

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Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian homes included many distinctive features, from the brick and cedar materials to the open floor plan. But one of the most distinctive features might be the windows — which reflected his broader philosophy of natural light.

As the above video shows, Wright considered natural light an important part of the house that deserved highlighting, both in the windows used and in the way the rest of the house showcased that light. The Pope-Leighey house in Alexandria, Virginia, is a particularly good showcase of the way these windows made natural light an integral part of the home.

Further Reading:
Steven M. Reiss’s book about the Pope-Leighey House is an invaluable resource for learning about the house, but it also gives a peek into the development process of a Frank Lloyd Wright home.
https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/4293

Frank Lloyd Wright’s The Natural House details the philosophy behind his Usonian homes, as well as more about his view of organic architecture.
https://archive.org/details/naturalhouse0000wrig

John Luttropp’s model of the Pope-Leighey house is astonishingly accurate, and you can play around with it and download it for free.
https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/uce79d8fa-b770-4a8e-be4e-3deff92b3c8b/Pope-Leighey-House-1939

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