Organic architecture is a philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world. This is achieved through design approaches that aim to be sympathetic and well-integrated with a site, so buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of a unified, interrelated composition.
The term "organic architecture" was coined by Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959); it was a continuation of the principles of his master, Louis Sullivan, whose slogan "form follows function" became contemporary architecture's watchwords. Wright altered the statement to "form and function are one," citing nature as the clearest illustration of such integration. A consistent thread runs across his whole body of work, which the architect refers to as 'Organic Architecture'. In this situation, some people view the term 'organic' as a synonym for 'natural,' connecting Organic Architecture with the use of curved and free forms, replicating natural shapes, or using environmentally friendly materials. This is to misinterpret the term. While natural materials are frequently used in Organic Architecture to strengthen the link between the interior and the outside world, this is a result rather than a philosophy. In actuality, Organic Architecture is not a stylistic or aesthetic movement, but rather a specific technique or, more accurately, a philosophy.
Wright created the ultimate masterpiece of organic architecture, Fallingwater, which best demonstrates his organic architecture philosophy: the harmonious union of art and nature. Fallingwater [1] is the residence Wright designed for the Kaufmann family in rural Pennsylvania. Wright had many choices to locate a home on this large site but chose to place the home directly over the waterfall and creek creating a close, clamorous dialog with the rushing water and the steep site. The horizontal striations of stone masonry with daring cantilevers of colored beige concrete blend with native rock outcroppings and the wooded environment.
The primary components of organic architecture, which result in the inner harmony of an architectural building, are paradigmatic for Japanese architecture. Throughout history, those values have been defined and positioned at the forefront of total harmony, which has become the essence of Japanese culture. Using Japanese architecture as an example, Wright was able to verify the validity and solidity of his organic architecture ideas. Wright believed that traditional Japanese architecture embodied many of his theory's 'organic' qualities. When Wright created his designs in Japan, he attracted pupils and admirers, and his influence on the development of Japanese architecture is still felt today. [2]
Rudolph Steiner, a philosopher, social reformer, architect, and natural scientist, is also a significant player in organic architecture history. He is best known today for the Steiner concept of education or Waldorf schools, as well as being the father of the biodynamic approach to agriculture, but he also created a number of structures in the early 1900s and introduced his ideas about transformation into architecture. The original Goetheanum [3] he constructed was an early example of organic architecture; but, due to fire, it was redesigned and replaced by the second, concrete and organically formed Goetheanum building, a cultural and spiritual center for the artists. [4]
Other modernist architects in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere held complementarily and often competing views of how architecture could best emulate nature. Key figures in the U.S. included Louis Sullivan, Claude Bragdon, Eugene Tsui and Paul Laffoley while among European modernists Hugo Häring, Arthur Dyson, Hans Scharoun, and Rudolf Steiner [5] stand out. Following World War II, organic architecture often reflected cybernetic and informatics models of life, as is reflected in the later work of futurist architect Buckminster Fuller.
In his book The Breaking Wave: New Organic Architecture, Architect and planner- David Pearson created the Gaia Charter, a set of rules for organic architecture. Pearson draws inspiration from various movements, including Celtic design, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, and Antoni Gaudí's work.
"Let the design:
There are contemporary creations of organic architecture. The definition of 'organic' has dramatically changed during recent times. Avoiding materials of construction that require more embodied energy to build and sustain it, when the building blends naturally and sits seamlessly to its surroundings, reflecting cultural continuity, it is 'organic' and is idealistic. Examples include leaving natural material, such as bedrock, exposed and unsculptured, such as the underground Rådhuset metro station in Stockholm, which appears to occupy a natural cave system.
Building and Site- The site is earth but raw; it has its own form and structure (flat or contour); trees and other plantations are part of the landform. The nature of the land influences the form of the building to some extent or completely. Buildings, like plants, emerge naturally from the landscape.
Material- The material or skin of a building that attractively displays its texture, color, and strength. Organic architecture uses minimal materials.
Shelter- The structure should give a sense of shelter and safety, and it should never be left unprotected or without privacy.
Space- Space is the core of structure; it may be seen when walls, floors, and roofs are packed together, but it is invisible when it is free. He states: "The reality of the building does not consist of the roof and the walls but the space within to be lived in" . An Area can only be completely appreciated when viewed from one point to another as you move from one space to another.
Proportion and Scale- Nature has its own proportions and scales, and changing them would result in ludicrous or illogical shapes. According to Wright, "Integral harmony of proportion to the human figure to have all details so designed as to make the human relationship to architecture not only convenient but charming" .
Nature- Nature is an instructor for everyone, including architects, artists, engineers, and doctors. Nature taught us how to build and occupy space. Organic design requires that buildings mirror nature, be a part of nature, and not look out of place.
Repose- Creating an appropriate setting for human life. Uncluttered areas and the use of non-natural materials that have a harmful influence on the environment are not accepted in organic architecture.
Taliesin West (1937): This Arizona home was Wright's winter residence. The walls are covered in desert rocks, and the colors throughout the house—greys, tawny yellows, and reds—reflect the colors of the surrounding natural world. The property also has a pavilion with a translucent roof that welcomes sunshine and highlights the open Arizona sky.
Rådhuset metro station (1975): Designed by Sigvard Olsson, Rådhuset station in central Stockholm has uncovered and unsculpted bedrock, highlighting the cave-like elements of this metro stop.
Tampere Central Library (1986): The main municipal library in Tampere, Finland, was built by architects Reima and Raili Pietilä. This example of organic building makes use of the Finnish rock Rapakivi granite and includes animal shapes and glacial patterns.
Cloud Art Museum (2020) : This museum takes its cues from the meandering river and undulating hills on its site. Curving and transparent glass walls support a cloud-shaped roof that seemingly floats above the picturesque setting of the Qingshen Wetland Park. While flowing architectural lines allow the buildings to better integrate with their environment, clouds are also an auspicious symbol in traditional Chinese culture [7]
The Mushroom - a wood house in the forest (2020): Located in a misty pine forest, the architects used a commission for a modest hotel to experiment with novel natural-architecture interactions. The end result was two simple volumes in the shape of a mushroom stem and cap. [8]
The House of Three Trees (2018) [9]
Breakwater (2019) [10]
Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements of the twentieth century, influencing architects worldwide through his works and mentoring hundreds of apprentices in his Taliesin Fellowship. Wright believed in designing in harmony with humanity and the environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was exemplified in Fallingwater (1935), which has been called "the best all-time work of American architecture".
Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, was an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architecture was based upon new and innovative technologies of construction ; the principle functionalism ; an embrace of minimalism; and a rejection of ornament.
Japanese architecture has been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors (fusuma) and other traditional partitions were used in place of walls, allowing the internal configuration of a space to be customized for different occasions. People usually sat on cushions or otherwise on the floor, traditionally; chairs and high tables were not widely used until the 20th century. Since the 19th century, however, Japan has incorporated much of Western, modern, and post-modern architecture into construction and design, and is today a leader in cutting-edge architectural design and technology.
Fallingwater is a house designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935. Situated in the Mill Run section of Stewart township, in the Laurel Highlands of southwest Pennsylvania, about 70 miles (110 km) southeast of Pittsburgh in the United States, it is built partly over a waterfall on the Bear Run river. The house was designed to serve as a weekend retreat for Liliane and Edgar J. Kaufmann, the owner of Pittsburgh's Kaufmann's Department Store.
The year 1928 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.
Unity Temple is a Unitarian Universalist church in Oak Park, Illinois, and the home of the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. It was designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and built between 1905 and 1908. Unity Temple is considered to be one of Wright's most important structures dating from the first decade of the twentieth century. Because of its consolidation of aesthetic intent and structure through use of a single material, reinforced concrete, Unity Temple is considered by many architects to be the first modern building in the world. This idea became of central importance to the modern architects who followed Wright, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and even the post-modernists, such as Frank Gehry. In 2019, along with seven other buildings designed by Wright in the 20th century, Unity Temple was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Goetheanum, located in Dornach, in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland, is the world center for the anthroposophical movement.
Expressionist architecture was an architectural movement in Europe during the first decades of the 20th century in parallel with the expressionist visual and performing arts that especially developed and dominated in Germany. Brick Expressionism is a special variant of this movement in western and northern Germany, as well as in the Netherlands.
The Pope–Leighey House, formerly known as the Loren Pope Residence, is a suburban home in Virginia designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The house, which belongs to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has been relocated twice and sits on the grounds of Woodlawn Plantation, Alexandria, Virginia. Along with the Andrew B. Cooke House and the Luis Marden House, it is one of the three homes in Virginia designed by Wright.
Javier Senosiain is a Mexican architect known to be one of the first architects to design organic architecture in Mexico. He is a graduate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and has served as an architecture professor at the university. Throughout his career he has worked with different areas of architecture, but he specialized in Organic Architecture. He is the founder of the Organic Architecture firm in Mexico City, which has been responsible for designing offices, houses, factories, and co-ops. He is also the author of two books called Bioarquitectura and Arquitectura Organica.
The Charles L. and Dorothy Manson home is a single-family house located at 1224 Highland Park Boulevard in Wausau, Wisconsin. Designated a National Historic Landmark, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 5, 2016, reference Number, 16000149.
The Melvyn Maxwell Smith and Sara Stein Smith House, also known as MyHaven, is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Usonian home that was constructed in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1949 and 1950. The owners were two public school teachers living on a tight budget. The 1957 landscape design is by Thomas Dolliver Church. The home is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Site-specific architecture (SSA) is architecture which is of its time and of its place. It is designed to respond to both its physical context, and the metaphysical context within which it has been conceived and executed. The physical context will include its location, local materials, planning framework, building codes, whilst the metaphysical context will include the client's aspirations, community values, and architects ideas about the building type, client, location, building use, etc.
Charles Allan Haertling was an American architect, whose works often combined elements of modernism and organic architecture. He is best known for his distinctive residential projects in and around Boulder and Denver, Colorado.
Chancellor and Patrick was a Melbourne based architecture firm, formed in 1953 and dissolved in 1981, is best known for their numerous houses from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s, designed in their signature dynamic, expressive take on 'organic' architecture.
The Riverview Terrace Restaurant, also known as The Spring Green Restaurant, is a building designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1953 near his Taliesin estate in Wisconsin. He purchased the land on which to build the restaurant as, "a wayside for tourists with a balcony over the river." Construction began the next year, with the roof being added by 1957. The building was incomplete when he died in 1959, but was purchased in 1966 by the Wisconsin River Development Corporation and completed the next year as The Spring Green restaurant. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2024.
Contextual architecture, also known as Contextualism is a philosophical approach in architectural theory that refers to the designing of a structure in response to the literal and abstract characteristics of the environment in which it is built. Contextual architecture contrasts modernist architecture, which value the imposition of their own characteristics and values upon the built environment.
The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright is a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of a selection of eight buildings across the United States that were designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. These sites demonstrate his philosophy of organic architecture, designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment. Wright's work had an international influence on the development of architecture in the 20th century.
High Sunderland is a Modernist house built in woodland in the grounds of the 19th-century Sunderland Hall, between Selkirk and Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. It was designed in 1957 by Peter Womersley for the textile artist Bernat Klein and his wife Peggy, and completed in 1958. The interior was decorated with exotic woods, and with fabrics specially designed by Klein. The house, with its clear and coloured panes of glass within a wooden structure, and its woodland setting, has been described as like "a Mondrian set within a Klimt".
John Henry Howe (1913–1997) was an American architect who started as an apprentice in 1932 under American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Wright's Taliesin Fellowship. He was Wright's head draftsman from the late 1930s until Wright's death in 1959, left the Taliesin Fellowship in 1964, and, beginning in 1967, opened an architectural practice in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died in California in 1997.
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