Smith, Melvyn Maxwell and Sara Stein, House

The Melvyn Maxwell and Sara Smith Home is a prime example of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian design philosophy for housing the 'common' man. This home is a prime example of how Wright used site orientation to capture the sun's warmth in the winter while providing shade in the summer. The use of natural and basic building materials in such a way as to convey their innate characteristics, the basis for Wright's concept of organic architecture. The roof has never leaked, which is remarkable for a Wright home with a flat roof.

The Melvyn Maxwell and Sara Smith Home is an unassuming one story home characterizing many of Frank Lloyd Wright's design characteristics. These characteristics include strong horizontal cantilever roof planes, ingenious building techniques, free flowing interior spaces exploding to the outdoors, as well as an 'organic' relationship to the site. The home is basically 'L' shaped in plan with its major living areas oriented to the south-southwest. The home is situated in such a manner as to provide privacy from the street while allowing the living areas to experience the openness and true beauty of the site. The home's low horizontal profile is unassuming from the street and appears to be part of the site. The carport with its dramatic roof cantilever along with the strong horizontal planes of the living room lower and upper sections are the first noticeable elements of the home. These two horizontal elements are anchored by the kitchen and chimney brick mass which provide a degree of verticality and contrast. The basic construction is made up of load bearing solid brick walls, sandwich walls made up of a 3/4" plywood core covered with cypress boards and reverse battens, plate glass and a radiant heat colored concrete floor. The interim space has flowing open living and dining areas with a private bedroom wing and small study on the east portion of the plan. The 'work space' (kitchen) and fireplace brick mass anchor the entire plan. The home is a one story structure of approximately 1,800 square feet incorporating Wright's design principles by 'organically' blending with the site and surroundings, the emphasis of strong horizontal roof planes and cantilevers to emphasize this relationship to site. The basic construction techniques and use of materials were to be of a simple and honest nature.