Observations, photographs, and video of the construction of a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house which serves as the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center on the campus of Florida Southern College, located in the South Lake Morton Historic District of Lakeland, Florida. Follow this link for visitor information.

The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists.  |   G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
Latest | Admin Login
Block by block, a vision becomes a wall
By Michael Maguire | September 01, 2011 at 09:42 AM EDT | 7 comments

September Gallery
September is off to a great start! The wraps are off several pallets as the various blocks are needed for specific locations. The masonry men are smoothing and grinding a little to get a perfect fit. It won't be fast (or furious) but it will be quite a sight (and site) to see as progress continues.

See more in the September Gallery

7 comments | Add a New Comment
1. Tom | September 01, 2011 at 10:07 PM EDT

Mike, it just hit me but the aluminum frames have got to be window wall mullions. The wood will be routed around the assembly. Still, some of the spacing I don't understand, but am now going directly to find a plan.

2. Tom | September 01, 2011 at 10:12 PM EDT

Yep, they're mullions alright. The odd spacing at the ends are \"sidelights\" with a horizontal stack of mullions that match block height.

3. Michael | September 02, 2011 at 03:19 PM EDT

Thanks for working it out. Where did you find a plan? Can we use it?

4. Robi | September 02, 2011 at 05:14 PM EDT

Great pictures. My nephew in North Brookfield,Ma is helping make these blocks. He appreciates being able to check out the work.

5. Tom | September 03, 2011 at 09:43 AM EDT

This link should get you to the plan. It's from a thread on 'Wright Chat'. You'll need to wait a couple of seconds for the images to load and then scroll down a little bit to find them:

http://www.savewright.org/wright_chat/viewtopic.php?t=5639&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

6. Tom | September 03, 2011 at 05:20 PM EDT

Mike,

If the link doesn't work then the name of the thread on Wright Chat is \"Florida Southern's new Visitors Center\" Search that and it should take you to the plans.

7. Michael | September 04, 2011 at 08:55 AM EDT

Tom,

Thanks. The link works fine. Should have told you I was successful.

Thanks

Add a New Comment

(Enter the numbers shown in the above image)

... more Wright stuff

Artsy features the world’s leading galleries, museum collections, foundations, artist estates, art fairs, and benefit auctions, all in one place. Our growing database of 250,000 images of art, architecture, and design by 40,000 artists spans historical, modern, and contemporary works, and includes the largest online database of contemporary art. Artsy is used by art lovers, museum-goers, patrons, collectors, students, and educators to discover, learn about, and collect art.
Wizard
in Wood
Craftsman earns national reputation 
for work on Florida Southern project
 
The whole world is watching! 

More than 50,000 people from 155 countries have visited the site nearly 68,000 times and racked up more than 153,000
page views. 
We are re-telling the story of the project on our facebook page. If you "Like" it, you'll always know what's what as soon as we do!
Traffic Operations sign technician Gary Griffith installs one of the new Frank Lloyd Wright Way street signs at Success Avenue and the former McDonald Street. The address of the house itself is now:
Our Video makeover is complete! Choose the main Video page, or any of the "year" pages to watch all of the project action in full HD. Also see The Blocks, The Glass, The Wood, The Fountain, and 3D Animation in crisp, clear high defintion.
 
With so much happening at once during the final month, we thought you might find it helpful to have these links to our most recent blog posts. Just click the headline to go directly to the post. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's in all the papers! 
 
And online, TV, and radio. Check out
the News page for more.

And see ...
 
the last 30 Days
in just 30 seconds

Click here for that
and all the October videos
 
The Premiere of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian House took place October 31st. Dignitaries from the city, the county, and the college joined the donors, craftsmen, and professionals who made it all possible.

Watch our interview with Ken Berman who installed the glass inserts, and see how all of the 10,000 board feet of southern cypress was turned into ceilings, walls, shelves, and doors. 
Click here for the video.

Take a look at the last frenetic month in the October Gallery.
On May 20, 2010, Dr. Anne Kerr announced Florida Southern College's plans to construct a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed "Usonian House" which will serve as a new education and tourism center.

Click here for a slideshow of the announcement posted on flickr in the  fsc.mocs photostream.
The site of Florida Southern College's latest addition to its Frank Lloyd Wright collection - the largest in the world in a single location - is on McDonald Street between Johnson and College Avenues in one of Lakeland, Florida's oldest historic neighborhoods.
2011 Headlines
 
Click an item to read the blog entry
* Denotes entries with comments

April
 
 
May
 

June
 

 July
 
 
September