Roots-
Beautiful large trees were abundant at Monticello and in exploring Monticello we were able to see how most of the house's sustenance lay in its roots. The slaves and their workspace were placed in basement like structures underneath the main house. Because Jefferson did not want guests to come into contact with the slaves a single butler (perhaps white) waited on guests by bringing up food, clothing and other goods produced underneath. The Baths of Diocletian are similar to Monticello's roots in that below the baths would be slaves maintaining fires and steam for the different bathing rooms above (McManus). The baths not only had roots below but in the far reaching aqueducts that fed them water. Fallingwater was literally rooted into the rock and surrounding environment building itself in rather than on the environment. In the hallway pictured below small openings in the wall allow water to trickle down the rock pictured at the end of the hallway. Hallways, door frames, and stairs are often very narrow and shallow in height so that rooms seem to open up once entered. In some ways this series of narrow passages opening to larger ones relates to the pyramids of Giza. These small passages seemed to enhance the notion of privacy for the pharaoh (as well as deter and trap thieves) just as well as for the Kaufman's at Fallingwater (Blakemore 1-25).
Compression/Release-
The whole Fallingwater house screamed compression and release and at times compression to compression. The feeling of compression and release was also evident at Monticello most notably with Jefferson's bed. The two main skylights in their deep depression into the ceilings were also compressed as the shaft became narrower as it gets to the glass. The light coming through the glass seems to be released into the room as it seemingly showers light into the room below.
Congruence-
Jefferson in designing Monticello seemed to find a congruence between his work space and his bed room in placing his bed in the wall that joins the two. The joining of the two is also enhanced by the lighting situation above in that the skylight seems to shower light into the workroom through the three holes above Jefferson's bed. It may be said as well that there is a meeting of Meeting of similar parts is the meaning of congruence which seems to work with the joining of Jefferson's bedroom and workroom.
Materiality-
Both Fallingwater and Monticello were congruent in their materials-from-the-site materiality over imported materials. Both reach to and link to their surroundings as well. Monticello is rooted deep into the ground like the large trees that surround just like Fallingwater rooted and made of the rock.
Materiality says a lot about a time period or statement of a structure. Unlike the Greek temples and ancient pyramids of Giza the McMansions rising up today are made of cheap materials and often construction, perhaps labeling our period as being about the here and now rather than standing the test of time.
Concept-
Well designed things always have a concept because if the design follows the concept it will be cohesive and successful. For our current studio project we are to place window treatment/light effects in the windows of the 3rd floor of Gatewood. I wanted to think about Fallingwater and the idea of creating the illusion of three-dimensionality. As my first sketch model (below) I made cut outs featuring the water elements as well as the fractured elements of rock. A concept really helps me to design because although I know this first idea isn't "quite there yet" extending it with the "story" of my concept will help me so that I can find the general area of what it is I want to do and why.
Citations-
McManus, Barbara (2003, July). Roman Baths and Bathing. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from vroma.org Web site: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/baths.html
Wukitsch, Dean (2004, October). Baths of Diocletian. Retrieved February 21, 2009, from mmdktw.org Web site: http://www.mmdtkw.org/RT04-BathsDiocletian.html
Roth, Leland (2007). Understanding Architecture. Westview Press.
Blakemore, R. G. (2006). History of Interior Design and Furniture. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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