When Frank Lloyd Wright turns his attention to one of the most important personal problems now facing practically everyone in our society - it is a time for rejoicing. The world's greatest architect here meets the urgent problem of suitable shelter for The Family in a democracy, in a magnificent and - as was to be expected - challenging book. Here, presented at last in full detail, is the natural house. The moderate cost houses described in this book and profusely illustrated with 116 photographs, plans and drawings, are houses - of infinite variety for people of limited means - in which living has become for their owners a purposeful new adventure in freedom and dignity. Mr. Wright tells the story of the world famous "Usonian" houses, so that we now see, in text and illustrations, how they have evolved from original conception to final execution. He has also written a step-by-step description of the "Usonion Automatic," explaining just how that remarkable house is built - a simplified method of construction so devised that the owners themselves can build it with great economy and beauty. For this purpose, there are, in addition to Mr. Wright's text, special photographs and drawings of the method and materials, showing clearly how the Usonion Automatic is built.

Featuring specific "how-to" projects written by specialists, as well as an index organized by city and region, this book is a natural for home builders, renovators, decorators, and fixer-uppers who cherish the environment now--and want to preserve it for future generations. 91 photos, 16 in color.

Explains a modular system for designing houses and includes tips on energy efficiency and low-cost design

Gathers ideas and advice on building, decorating, furnishing, and living with a toxin-free home built from natural materials.

A seductive, stylish, compelling, and authoritative assembly of vanguard small-scale houses that tread very lightly in nature, leading the way for architects, homeowners, and dreamers to rethink ways we can live, reside, and flourish. Architects have sought more and more to integrate residences into their settings minimally disturbing nature, with houses that float on the water or up in the trees. This book reveals 51 designs that bring their residences into nature, even allowing the natural setting to enter the very walls, with priority given to sustainability and carbon footprint. Each of the book’s homes is carefully chosen for its innovative and seductive design, approachable scale, and stunning location, whether cocooned within the earth itself or soaring high amongst the treetops, surrounded by cooling waters, or resisting the desert heat. Considerations of energy consumption can dictate a green roof in some cases, while blending ever more fully into the environment gives the satisfaction of not existing in contradiction with the world, a kind of escape to the original garden, or more precisely, a return to fundamental, incontrovertible values. The book’s collection spans the globe—from a remote bay on Bruny Island (Tasmania) to an isolated beach in Nicaragua or cabin perched above a fjord in Norway. Today’s architectural vanguard is represented, as well as established firms working at the forefront of twenty-first-century design, such as Tom Kundig of the Seattle practice Olson Kundig and Snøhetta from Oslo. With a wealth of photographs showcasing each house inside and out, plus plans, Houses Natural/Natural Houses offers inspiration—and tranquility.

A guide to ecological renovation that explains simple steps people can take to make their homes more ecologically friendly and offers practical suggestions for project planning.