A Desert Retreat, by Carrie Benuska, San Marino Real Estate
The San Marino Real Estate Report, as seen weekly in the San Marino Tribune
A Desert Retreat, by Carrie Benuska, San Marino Real Estate
Although vacation is an ideal time to rest, relax, and refresh, I also love to spend time exploring housing and architecture in cities that I visit. As a Realtor, it is great for me to grasp housing prices in other regions of the country, and I find comparing home values in different communities quite interesting. Above and beyond a professional interest lies a deep love of great architecture and interior design. I never tire of touring great homes, especially when they were designed by a famous architect.
My taste in architecture was formed at a young age. I grew up in a Northern California neighborhood filled with interesting early 20th Century architectural homes of various styles. The lots featured structured green lawns, beds filled with flowering plants, and ample mature trees. The streets I roamed as a child had a classic and enduring quality. Amplified by my experience living in the greater Pasadena area, I still love these types of neighborhoods.
As a youngster, my best friend lived several miles away from me in a tract of homes built by the architect, Joseph Eichler. Her neighborhood was completely foreign to me, with simple homes of post-and-beam construction and low-maintenance gardens of rocks and drought-resistant plants. Her home had many walls of glass, straight lines throughout, and an open floorplan. I never did grow accustomed to her modern neighborhood, where every home looked almost identical. It was clearly out of my comfort zone.
As my experience in touring homes has increased, I have learned to expand my architectural interests beyond my familiar genre. For example, I have grown to appreciate the simplicity and clean lines of Mid-Century Modern architecture and simple landscape designs, featuring less grass and the use of desert plants.
On a recent trip down to Scottsdale, Arizona, I had the extreme pleasure of visiting “Taliesin West,” the winter retreat of the famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. In the late 1930‘s, Wright purchased this large plot of land in the Arizona desert and built a compound of extraordinary brilliance. The design, which incorporates eclectic elements and odd angles, was revolutionary for the time.
The structures were built utilizing desert materials, allowing the compound to blend into the surrounding environment. Many of the buildings have a roof which consists of translucent panels of canvas, supported by a frame. This system provides perfect filtered light and creates the feeling of being in a tent. Although Wright incorporated an ingenious gutter system into the roof, his wife was frequently distraught at the leaking water that landed on her carpet. The structures were designed to create a unity between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Many of the buildings have walls that do not extend all the way to the ceiling, allowing fresh air to flow through the interior space. There are also ample floor-to-ceiling windows and folding walls of glass which give gorgeous vistas of the outdoors.
Not only did the Wright family live at “Taliesin West” during the winter, but the compound also housed students from the “Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.” While charging fees in excess of the tuition for a Harvard education, Wright taught his pupils his theories of architecture and worked side-by-side with them on actual building designs. Wright also designed lighting and furniture for his creations.
“Taliesin West” has stunning views of greater Phoenix and is perfectly sited on the land to optimize natural lighting. When Wright built his masterpiece, he was surrounded by nothing but desert. At some point during his residence at Taliesin West, power lines were erected on wooden poles, disrupting his perfect view of the desert. This angered him so much that he altered the design of the house to minimize the view in that direction.
My visit to “Taliesin West” has further widened my taste in architecture. Although it is unconventional, eclectic, and even a bit odd, I appreciated the genius of the design and enjoyed every moment of the tour. I was happy to return to my traditional neighborhood, but I gained an appreciation for a style so different from my own.
Carrie Benuska, Teles Properties, 210 S. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena
