2005 recreation of
1964 Phoenix House layout
by Matt Taylor
|
| Taylor Architecture with SFIA
Architects-Master Builders is in the process of creating its first design
aimed at creating the 21st Century manifestation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s
Unsonian House concept. |
| Drawings
were scheduled to be completed mid-September of 2004 however other work in the office prevented this. A set of plans, when completed, will be offered
to owner-builders and builders with various support services related
to local adoption and ongoing refinement of the design and its building
methods. |
Recent
developments - both negative and positive - gives
credence to the idea that the timing is right to
launch an effort to reinvent the simple affordable
American
home on a philosophy-based, self-aware lifestyle
instead of blatant consumerism. Over a hundred
people a week connect to my Post Usonian Project web
page. The vast majority of these are new to my
web site and are not drawn to it from exiting relationships
or projects under way. This web page is but one
of many on the WWW about the Usonian House. This
indicates a tremendous interest in recapturing
what the approximately
100 Usonians
stood
for and accomplished in the 30s, 40s and early
50s.
|
The
working title of the first design will be Usonian
One - we refer to the overall effort as the
postUsonian Project.
These will not be the go-to-market
brand as I believe the name Usonian should
forever be associated with the original houses
designed
by
Wright. However, these names adequately capture
the spirit of the
enterprise
and serve as a working title. This web page outlines
a Business Model and Program
Statement of the project. It identifies
the scale, scope and economics/organizational requirements
of the venture. It may take a village to raise
a child; it certainly will take a ValueWeb [link] to
recreate the Usonian.
|
| What
is different about “now?” The recession
and post dot-com market-mania [link] pause,
another war fought over resources [link] in
the guise of freedom,
and
now (as
of
early 2004), an economic “recovery” very
different than people
expected
may
be creating a climate of reflection and the possibility
that
some
may
be
looking
for a values-oriented, simple, sustainable life-style
within the reach of their own effort and finances.
In addition, over 2005, the argument about global warming and its likely impacts has radically altered - it is now accepted with a few notable holdouts. The technical aspects of such efforts have been
greatly advanced over the
last 5 years; so now, energy and materials solutions
are abundant. The development of network organizational
theory and practice along with a far more practical
Internet tool-kit, creates
a means of directly reaching and supporting the “few” who
are willing to be the early adaptors in a totally
new
market creation. In short, all the elements exist for
a distributed capacity capable of producing an endless
variety of works, based on a simple grammar, anywhere
in North America and, ultimately, beyond. |
renascence_homes_b_model_offer |
| The
basic Business Model is that SFIA Architects-Master
Builders, in conjunction with MG Taylor, Taylor Architecture and AI, will
offer a postUsonian Design that is to be created
with A ValueWeb of owner/users, producers and investor/financiers.
MG Taylor will act as systems integrator [link] and
employ its proprietary process methods; SFIA - MB
will produce
the plans, specifications and Design/Build Manual,
and, offer support design and consulting services;
AI will build and ship (install if required)
the
interior
cabinetry
and
trim, as
well
as, certain
structural components. As the ValueWeb grows, other
architects, builders, shops will be included to make
a robust, distributed production system [link].
Designers and architects will be encouraged to offer
fee-based
services and contribute designs that can be sold
for which they will receive
royalties. Individual turn-key projects and developments
will be taken on where there is sufficient critical
mass and when the Investor Network members of the
ValueWeb are willing to finance. |
| The
market offering will be in four LEVELS of participation: |
Level
I:
This
level is an idea, information
and resource exchange network. It
will employ web sites, blogs, wiki
and social networking software to
facilitate a ValueWeb.
This
will be a Membership
Fee system with
levels of access determined by protocol,
user participation and contribution.
It
will be based on an “open source”
model within a selected community.
LEVEL
II:
Will
offer plans, specifications and DBU
Manual.
The
plans and specifications will constitue
a basic Design
Development Set and grant a license to build one
house
to individuals,
designers,
architects or builder/developers.
This
is anticipated to be in the one to
two thousand dollar range. The user
will have to provide or secure local
knowledge in regards, permitting,
site engineering and so on. Study
Plans without License will be in the $150
range.
The
Design/Build
Manual will be a detailed
“how-to” manual which
also includes fabracation diagrams,
quantities,
cutting tables, cost data and scheduling/sequencing
flow charts. This offering will also
provide web access to the latest
information gathered from projects
under way. The cost of this is expected
to be in the 4 to $5,000 range.
LEVEL III:
Components
and Services will be provided by
SFIA-Master Builders and AI along
with other certified providers (fabracators,
builders, architects, etc).
These
will range from interior components
and trim, to structural members and
skin panels to consulting, design
and engineering services by locally
licensed professionals.
LEVEL
IV:
Turn-Key
Projects.
Clients and buyers will be able to purchase
finished houses on landscaped lots or
commission a house to be build on a property
of their own.
These
works will be produced by teams of
Renascence
Certified Practitioners. All projects
will be surveyed and registered into
the log of Renascence Homes.
There
will be a variety of leasing and
ownership options offered including
the Renascence
Home Ownership Plan which will offer reduced cost of
ownership with a conditional profit
sharing plan if sold. |
|
|
| MG
Taylor, Taylor Architecture, SFIA-Master Builders and AI will make up
the core capability necessary to launch the project.
In time, it is expected that a true ValueWeb [link] will
emerge that will become both an enterprise and a
Market. There will be protocols in place from the
beginning for this to happen. How is happens
is dependent of who participates, when they do and
what they bring to the the venture. The organization
will not be predetermined which is always a mistake
- it will emerge like the rest: with the ValueWeb,
the products and services it offers and the scope
it achieves. If you look on the bottom of this page,
you will see that the SolutionBox [link] for
this statements is: Insight (creative process), Policy (vantage
points), Program (design formation). While
the design is firm at this iteration, it is a long
way from final. This can only be done based on experience. |
| It
is the MISSION which remains invariant:
to provide beautiful, affordable, sustainable housing
to every working person who chooses an organic life
style and who is willing to invest in its making.
To do this by means of a balanced organizational
structure that equally respects the integrity of
all involved and creates an environment that facilitates
sustained creativity for art-making and mutual wealth-building. |
|
| If
the original Usonian Houses are to be the standard
by which the postUsonian Project is to be created,
the place to start is with identifying the key principles
and characteristics of the Usonians that will form
the base line criteria of the project. These, then
have to be restated in terms of contemporary challenges,
opportunities and social context. |
|
| In April, 2006, Taylor Architecture with SFIA Architects-Master Builders started design of a “postUsonian” guest house (800 sq; ft.) and studio (400 sq. ft.) for Stan Leopard to be built in 2007 [link: leopard residence additions]. The shell of these two buildings will be field built and will reflect Bay Area Style traditions. The interiors will be shop built by AI and will be the first prototype of a new postUsonian grammar. This system will be designed to be useful both with in structural shells design by us and for remodeling and insertion into existing housing stock. There is a vast number of post WWII housing which can be adapted to a modern, organic life-style without the necessity of a complete teardown and rebuild which is capital extensive and ecologically expensive. This interior system will be the same as required by the Snowflake Project [link: nashville snowflake compound]. |
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| Return
To postUsonian Index |
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|
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| Return
To Post Usonian Project |
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|
Matt
Taylor
Nashville
September 30, 2002 |
|
SolutionBox
voice of this document:
INSIGHT • POLICY • PROGRAM
|
posted
September 30, 2002
revised
April 17, 2006
•
20020930.124155.mt • 20040316.300981.mt •
• 20040304.222200.mt • 20040523.568891.mt •
• 20060417.455551.mt •
(note:
this document is about 45% finished)
Copyright© 1999,
2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 Matt Taylor
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