Frank Lloyd Wright, Hanna House, Stanford, USA, 1962 ( View in Google Maps )

The Hanna–Honeycomb House, also known as the Hanna House, located on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, California, USA. It was his first work with non-rectangular structures.
This is the first and best example of Wright’s innovative hexagonal design. Patterned after the honeycomb of a bee, the house incorporates six-sided figures with 120-degree angles in its plan, in its numerous tiled terraces, and even in built-in furnishings.  The hexagonal modules of the floor plan gave the appearance of a honeycomb.

The construction process was difficult. Wright’s initial plans called for flat terrain, but the lot the Hannas purchased was hilly.  Unfortunately, the home was severely damaged by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Although that branch of the fault was inactive during the quake, the foundation and chimney were essentially unreinforced and likely would have collapsed if the earthquake had lasted longer.

The house is one level high with a central clerestory (an outside wall of a room or building that rises above an adjoining roof and contains windows) and is constructed of native redwood board and batten, San Jose brick, cement and plate glass. The house clings to and completes the hillside on which it was built as the floor and courtyard levels conform to the slope of this one and one-half acre site. The entire site includes the main house, a guesthouse, hobby shop, storage building, double garage, carport, breezeway, and garden house with pools and water cascade.
It is now owned by Stanford, and is a private residence, occasionally used for university functions such as seminars and receptions.

References:

http://hannahousetours.stanford.edu/

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt238nf217/

http://wright-up.blogspot.it/2013/11/the-paul-and-jean-hanna-house-stanford.html

Reviewed by:

Alexandra Niedermayr, Alexandre Maurel, Martin Charachon, Sonja Schneider (March 2017)