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Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian Houses: Designs for Moderate Cost One-Family Homes Paperback – March 1, 1984

by John Sergeant (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 50 ratings
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Looks at the last period in Wright's career, reassessing his Usonian houses, his Taliesin working communities, and his plan for Broadacre City
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  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Watson-Guptill
  4. Publication date
    March 1, 1984
  5. Dimensions
    9.25 x 0.75 x 10.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0823071782
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0823071784
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Watson-Guptill; First Edition (March 1, 1984)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0823071782
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0823071784
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.25 x 0.75 x 10.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 50 ratings

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
50 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book well worth the investment and has plenty of substance. They say the chapters contain much food for thought and are worth keeping. Readers also appreciate the perceptive and subtle interpretations of Wright's Broadacre City.

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5 customers mention "Value for money"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth the investment for those interested in uniquely designed homes by FLW. They also appreciate the good delivery and value.

"Price was fair, book was as advertised, and it came when they said it would. What more could be expected?" Read more

"...I've owned it in the past so I knew the contents. Well worth the investment for those interested in uniquely designed homes by FLW. (& associates)" Read more

"Good delivery and value" Read more

"...He wanted these homes to be affordable, clean, efficient dwellings that reflected his streamlined view of America...." Read more

3 customers mention "Content quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the content quality of the book to be good. They mention the chapters contain much food for thought and are worth keeping. Readers also appreciate the perceptive and subtle interpretations of Wright's Broadacre City.

"...contained in the last three chapters, which furnish perceptive and subtle interpretations of Wright's Broadacre City precepts and their basis in..." Read more

"...A little dirtier than expected and described. Contents are worth keeping. Great Book!" Read more

"...Otherwise, plenty of substance." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Mortone
5.0 out of 5 stars The book to get if you are interested in Unonian houses
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is the book to get if you want to see most of the moderate cost one-family homes Frank Lloyd Wright designed call Usonian Houses. A good use copy cost under twenty and has as many images and floor plans of his major dwelling designs from the depression till his death in the fifties. The only way to get more info on Unsonians is to buy four books in an extremely expensive and now out of print collection of eighteen to twenty books series at a hundred dollars each. No I do not have the entire collection, but I bought the four books when they first came out. This book and the F.L.Wright Companion are the two books to get if you want to know about Usonian houses.
8 people found this helpful
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satisfied customer
5.0 out of 5 stars All good.
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2019
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Price was fair, book was as advertised, and it came when they said it would. What more could be expected?
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Ronald Bown
5.0 out of 5 stars Iin process of planning on a Usonian style residence and ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2015
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Iin process of planning on a Usonian style residence and wanted this resource. I've owned it in the past so I knew the contents. Well worth the investment for those interested in uniquely designed homes by FLW. (& associates)
2 people found this helpful
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Fred McGhee
4.0 out of 5 stars Perceptive and Still Relevant
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2012
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John Sergeant (now Professor Emeritus of Architecture at Cambridge University) wrote this book in the mid 1970's (published 1976) after visiting every Usonian, interviewing many of the homeowners (most of whom were still occupying their homes in the early 1970's when Sergeant interviewed them), and conducting archival research at Taliesin and many other places. Sergeant also conducted first hand interviews with many others; of particular note are his interviews with Harold Turner, one of Wright's favorite master craftsmen who built many pre World War II Usonians and Stuart Richardson of the Richardson House in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, whose photographs and descriptions form the core of Sergeant's discussion of Wright's construction methods. Sergeant makes clear that many Usonians were built by their owners with assistance from Wright or his students.

Does this mean that you can buy this book for plans? The answer is no, you cannot. The plans in the book are mostly accurate, but the originals and reproductions in this book are mostly for purposes of appreciation. Sergeant says you should not rely on this book for plans in his introduction. You can find more accurate reproductions of Wright's plans elsewhere, particularly the Storrer books. However even these are are not going to be sufficient for those interested in building one of Wright's designs. My advice: hire a local licensed architect to help you out if you are interested in building a Usonian.

While the book's description and history of Wright's Usonian houses contained in the first three chapters is solid, the best parts of the book are contained in the last three chapters, which furnish perceptive and subtle interpretations of Wright's Broadacre City precepts and their basis in Wright's philosophies of organic architecture. These chapters contain much food for thought, particularly for planners. Sergeant makes clear that Wright eschewed the architectural determinism of his time--which unfortunately continues in our present time, particularly in New Urbanist public housing schemes (where would New Urbanism be without the public housing petri dish?)--and understood the relationships between culture, democracy and architecture. Wright's philosophies of urban decentralization are found in his books "The Disappearing City" (1932), "Architecture and Modern Life" (1938), "When Democracy Builds" (1945), and finally in "The Living City" (1958).

Students and practitioners of sustainability or neighborhood development will find much of value in Sergeant's insightful discussion of Wright's thoughts on these matters. I think one can say with some degree of assurance that Wright would find many things awry with current fads such as LEED-ND and aspects of New Urbanism. Read this book to find out what Wright's criticisms would probably have been.
13 people found this helpful
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Roxie,Sebring,FL
5.0 out of 5 stars Frank Lloyd Wright the name says it all!!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2017
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Bought this book used. A little dirtier than expected and described. Contents are worth keeping. Great Book!
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Dale T Griep
2.0 out of 5 stars Not a good reference book.
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2017
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Lots of writing, not very important.
A bunch of cluttered, small blueprint plans that were reduced in size to fit the page. A few photos. Not much of a reference for anyone. Seems like a vanity book, probably published by the author to cash in on the Wright craze. Amazon doesn't present books well. Amazon doesn't tell you basic information. Things like number of illustrations is important. Color or black & white photos, number of pages etc.
5 people found this helpful
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d.white
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2015
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Good delivery and value
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PaulN
5.0 out of 5 stars same book as 1976 hardcover (with title change)
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2013
(This is meant as a cautionary note if you're seeking out useful books on the Usonian house design.)

This book (a paperback published in 1984) is the same as the hardcover titled 'Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian Houses: The Case for Organic Architecture' published in 1976.

Due to the fact that the two have slightly different titles (the hardcover edition from 1976 concludes its title with 'The Case for Organic Architecture' while the paperback version from 1984 concludes its title with 'Designs for Moderate Cost One-Family Homes') I originally thought that they might be two different ways of viewing the Usonian design (i.e. not the same book) but then I noticed that they had exactly the same number of pages and that made me suspicious.

I recently purchased the paperback (published in 1984) and yesterday (as I write this) came across the 1976 hardcover edition in a local used book store (quickly noting the indexed chapters). That is why I can now say that even thought the titles differ somewhat the two editions are the same book.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

don clark
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on April 14, 2015
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