The architectural institution is a profound society that provides the abstract course to what a person can bring to reality. This makes it the most sophisticated form of art that prompts me to believe that my work as an architect gives me the zeal to capture what nature wants to be. To this concerto, I present Fallingwater’s state of the art, which would be the first-ever manifestation of green architecture. This would be a residential home envisioned to be built, perched above a mountain cataract on the rocky hillside deep in the jagged woodland of South Pennsylvania.
When my client first approached me, they assumed that I would build the house below cataracts, but I thought the building would be more appealing if I would raise it on higher ground. Therefore, making the house is the best option to satisfy this by basing its foundation on the cataract. However, the goals of my client are about to be met spectacularly. This structure would be a landmark in architecture with its mechanism behind its elegance and posterity becoming perfect harmony with nature.
I would admit, that my piece of architecture was inspired by my admiration for Japanese architecture as it will be manifested. Like a Japanese architect, I aspired to design a residential home that would come into an ecological coexistence with man. Therefore, the integration of this house with a waterfall to this work would be a successful application. This architectural piece is unique from my past works since I plan to introduce using irregular stones. The house is designed to have three compartments; the base, the first floor, and the second floor.
The site is to be complemented by the residents while competing with the liveliness of the waterfall stretching with infinite sounds of the throbbing water. The energy the waterfall possesses is excellent enough to be felt in all the house compartments. This would outrun the monotony of silence, complimenting the comfort the house would be offering. I am confident that water is life, and it running below the structure would be an important symbol of life within the home. It is the waterfall that will get to satisfy the integrative factor of life and nature.
I have revolved my architectural piece around the fireplace. I find it a particular component of the living room where the family regroups for physical bonding, making it the home’s hearth. However, you should note the extent to which I would like to extend the chimney by making it the house’s highest point. A rock is intended to cut into the fireplace, paving the way for the waterfall to pass into the house. On the other hand, one can assess the water below through steps in the living room. The building would be constructed using ferroconcrete on its cantilevers to support the long suspended balconies.
I find the mobility of dwellers in the house necessary, which would be solved by adopting dark and narrow ways. I intend to allow the dwellers to experience the compression feeling compared to that of expansion the closer they would be outside the house. There would be some variations regarding the ceiling. For example, the top of some rooms will be as low as 6’4″ in some areas directing the viewers’ eyes horizontally in looking outside; thus, the appreciation of nature would originate from the inside the house too.
I expect the terraces to form a complex that would override the horizontal force with their protrusions delivering space by rising the planes parallel to the bed level. However, to support the terraces, there would be the application of reinforced concrete structures. I do not doubt reinforced concrete since it will help the building achieve extraordinary tensile strength when reinforced with steel. However, it would be easy to cast reinforced concrete, an aspect of flexibility it has. The application of the reinforced concrete will enable the house to take a distinct form of masonry to relate to the site.
As you could notice, I have maximized the natural lighting of the house by designing the home to have more enormous windows with a door made of glass. This would be essential for air circulation from nature, allowing the house not to be stuffy, especially during warm temperatures. However, the windows around the frontage will be specially placed whereby they would open at their corners towards the extensive site. The exterior of the house would have a horizontal configuration built on bricks and expansive balconies.
I cannot wait to see the commencement and completion of the Fallingwater project. I project the house to be one of the most outstanding achievements in architecture and a stepping stone in going against all odds by redefining architectural creativity. Through the challenges faced in actualizing this idea, I feel humbled to notice the essence of my work ethic and morals as per the architectural standards. I bet we are about to make history in building the first eco-friendly home conducive for residence.
Reference
Zheng, Z. (2020). Water-infused design: Two contemporary projects. English Language Institute. Web.