This is the first-hand account of a young couple who in 1936 challenged Wright to produce a decent house for $5,000. Wright responded with the innovations—floor heating, flat roof, concrete floor, solid walls, grouping of utilities, carport, seclusion from the street but openness to a garden through banks of door windows—that made their house the revolutionary “Usonia Number One.”
Within five years the Jacobs moved to the country, where Wright designed the “Solar Hemicycle,” which featured a windfoil design and the passive solar construction that became the prototype for such buildings. The 89 illustrations show the construction and important details of both houses.
“It’s an experience to read this fascinating book, rare in itself in that it is a client’s full report on a genius.”—American Institute of Architects Journal
About the Author
Herbert Jacobs is a retired reporter, photographer, and editor for the Milwaukee Journal and the Madison Capital Times. He was also an instructor in journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.
Katherine Wescott Jacobs, sister of writer Glenway Wescott and articulate advocate of Frank Lloyd Wright, is a professional sculptor.
Product Details
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press; 1st edition (May 23, 1986)
4.0 out of 5 starsBreaking Architectural Rules - Building Usonia 1 !, June 23, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Building with Frank Lloyd Wright: An Illustrated Memoir (Paperback)
This personal memoir of building two Frank Lloyd Wright houses is intriguing. Herbert and Katherine Jacobs offer a frank, honest account of their experiences. I have read this book twice. I think the glimpse of the personality of Frank Lloyd Wright is the most fascinating part of this book. You comprehend what a "pain" he was to work with and then you realize that he had the big picture and was trying to create a "timeless work of art" and the Jacobs' were just "not getting it". They didn't seem to understand that to make things work out correctly they needed to follow the details of the plans. Parts of the book, including chapters 18 and 19 are a trip down memory lane for them and offer the reader little information about their building experience. The black and white photos which illustrate this book were shot from 1936 to 1959. This is not a coffee table book like 50 Favorite Furnishings by Frank Lloyd Wright , and 50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright by Diane Maddex. This book makes me curious about the famous architect whose style is timeless. An architect who could design a house of beauty and style for the common man -"the Usonia".
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5.0 out of 5 starsBuilding with Frank Lloyd Wrigth - an illustrated memoir, June 22, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Building with Frank Lloyd Wright: An Illustrated Memoir (Paperback)
This is an an excellent book, written by the owners on the construction of their two Wright house designs - Jacob I & Jacobs II Solar Hemicycle. Each chapter outlines the process of design, construction drawings , materials selection and construction itself, Owner built by the owners - to save money- it is full of b & w photos of each stage, and some of the plans. The book illustrates how the simple plans are put into action and reveal the intricate structural solutions that Wright developed. For the architect in you, you will mullover the photos and plans working out in you own mind how this was put together. Both extraordinary designs for their time, this book will inspire you to have a home like them.
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4.0 out of 5 starsBreaking architectural rules - Building Usonia 1 !, June 23, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Building with Frank Lloyd Wright: An Illustrated Memoir (Paperback)
This personal memoir of building two Frank Lloyd Wright houses is intriguing. Herbert and Katherine Jacobs offer a frank, honest account of their experiences. I have read this book twice. I think the glimpse of the personality of Frank Lloyd Wright is the most fascinating part of this book. You comprehend what a "pain" he was to work with and then you realize that he had the big picture and was trying to create a "timeless work of art" and the Jacobs' were just "not getting it". They didn't seem to understand that to make things work out correctly they needed to follow the details of the plans. Parts of the book, including chapters 18 and 19 are a trip down memory lane for them and offer the reader little information about their building experience. The black and white photos which illustrate this book were shot from 1936 to 1959. This is not a coffee table book like 50 Favorite Furnishings by Frank Lloyd Wright , and 50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright by Diane Maddex. This book makes me curious about the famous architect whose style is timeless. An architect who could design a house of beauty and style for the common man -"the Usonia".
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
