Frank Lloyd Wright, Herbert and Katherine Jacobs Second House, Madison, USA, 1944

Frank Lloyd Wright, Herbert and Katherine Jacobs Second House, Madison, USA, 1944

Frank Lloyd Wright, Herbert and Katherine Jacobs Second House, Madison, USA, 1944 ( View in Google Maps )

Herbert and Katherine Jacobs Second House is a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1944 in Madison, Wisconsin. It was called the “Solar Hemicycle” due to its semicircular layout and use of natural materials to conserve solar energy. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 2003

The simplicity of soft curving forms, low profile and use of natural materials and detailing provide a quiet, elegant statement that defers to the presence of several majestic oaks. We positioned and shaped the house to form a barrier to adverse climate and take advantage of solar conditions, creating a glass courtyard that provides privacy, openness and a sense of freedom. Of the site, not on the site.

GNH – the combination of sustainable and cultural development should create and foster a regional language of architecture. Learning from the vernacular means:
Further development of building typology and construction elements;  Fostering of local craftspeople and professionals; Intelligent combination of traditional and new materials; Preservation and protection of selected buildings; Use of renewable energy and an aspiration for energy efficiency.

Selected links:

Frank Lloyd Wright and the “Solar Hemicycle” (Jacobs II)

  • https://www.nps.gov/nhl/find/statelists/wi/Jacobs2.pdf
  • http://www.solarhemicyclo.org/
  • http://www.news.wisc.edu/1119

 

Reviewed by :

Rémi Farwati, Elena Giannitsopoulos, Nadir Bouchene, Adela Plasilova, March 2017

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