Usonia (/juːˈsoʊni.ə/) is a term that was used by the American architectFrank Lloyd Wright to refer to theUnited States in general (in preference overAmerica), and more specifically to his vision for the landscape of the country, including theplanning of cities and the architecture of buildings. Wright proposed the use of the adjectiveUsonian, coined by a Scottish writer in the early 20th century, to describe the particularNew World character of the American landscape as distinct and free of previous architectural conventions. The term also refers to an architectural style shared by a group of approximately 60 middle-income family homes designed by Wright based in 1934.
"Usonian" usually refers to a style shared by approximately 60 middle-income family homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. TheWilley House, built in 1934, may have been the first Usonian house;[1] theHerbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, built 1937, is often considered to be the first true "Usonian".[2] The "Usonian Homes" are typically small, single-story dwellings without a garage or much storage. They are often L-shaped to fit around a garden terrace on unusual and inexpensive sites. They are characterized by native materials; flat roofs and largecantilevered overhangs for passivesolar heating and natural cooling; natural lighting withclerestory windows; andradiant-floor heating. Another distinctive feature is that they typically have little exposure to the front/'public' side, while the rear/'private' sides open expansively to their view. This strong visual connection between the interior and exterior spaces is an important characteristic of all Usonian homes. The wordcarport was coined by Wright to describe an overhang for sheltering a parked vehicle.
After designing the Jacobs First House, Wright ultimately designed dozens of similar Usonian homes across the U.S.[3][4] The Usonian design is considered among the aesthetic origins of theranch-style house popular in the American west of the 1950s.[5][6]
TheFlorida Southern College campus features a collection of thirteen Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, known asChild of the Sun. The most recent, referred to as the "Usonian House", was constructed in 2013 according to a 1939 Wright design for one of twenty faculty housing units.[verification needed] The 1,700 sq ft (160 m2) building includestextile-block construction and colored glass in perforated concrete blocks, and features furniture also designed by Wright. It is home to theSharp Family Tourism and Education Center, a visitor center for guests visiting campus to see the Wright buildings, and includes Wright photographs and a documentary film about the architect's work at the school.[7]
The wordUsonian appears to have been coined by James Duff Law, a Scottish[8] writer born in 1865. In a miscellaneous collection,Here and There in Two Hemispheres (1903), Law quoted a letter of his own (dated June 18, 1903) that begins "We of the United States, in justice to Canadians and Mexicans, have no right to use the title 'Americans' when referring to matters pertaining exclusively to ourselves." He went on to acknowledge that some author had proposed "Usona" (United States of North America), but that he preferred the form "Usonia" (United States of North Independent America).[9] Perhaps the earliest published use by Wright was in 1927:
But why this term "America" has become representative as the name of these United States at home and abroad is past recall.Samuel Butler fitted us with a good name. He called us Usonians, and our Nation of combined States, Usonia.
Author Miguel Torres-Castro uses the termUsonian to refer to the origin of theAtlantic puffin used in the children's bookJupu the Puffin: A Usonian Story. The bird is a puffin fromMaine, US.[12]
TheMalcolm Willey House, a precursor to the UsoniansJacobs I, exterior, front. Widely considered to be the first true Usonian house.Hanna–Honeycomb House, view of front exteriorGoetsch–Winckler House, exterior, view of carport and entryBernard Schwartz House, one of only a few 2-story Usonians designed and builtView of the rear/private side of theLaurent House. This house is a "hemicycle" Usonian, rather than the more typical L-shaped variants. It is also the only house Wright designed for a physically disabled client.
Street-side view of theRosenbaum House. The two, long, cantilevered, roofs pictured are a signature feature of Usonian houses, and serve to emphasize the horizontal.
The Usonian Automatic houses were made with concrete blocks. An attempt on the part of Wright to further lower the cost of housing, the clients could actually be involved in the creation of the blocks and thus the construction of the building (such as in theTracy House).
^The Peters-Margedant house was not designed by Wright, but rather, one of his apprentices,William Wesley "Wes" Peters. Many of its features were later incorporated into the Usonians.[13]
^McCrea, Ron (May 7, 2005). "Wright Times Three; Celebration Set Today for National Landmarks".Madison Capital Times. p. 1A.ProQuest395295490.
^Gould, Whitney (June 1, 2003). "In the Wright place Retired UW professor loves the calming effect of an architectural legend".Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 7N.ProQuest261759988.
^Clark, Clifford Edward, Jr.The American Family Home, 1800-1960. Chapel Hill. University of North Carolina Press, 1986. pp. 193-201.ISBN978-0807841518
^Wright, Gwendolyn.Building the Dream: A Social History of Housing in America. Cambridge, MIT Press. 1983. pp. 253-262.ISBN9780262730648
