1. Cheah Teck Wei 0315215 Architecture Culture and History 2 10/6/2015
Individual Analytical Essay –Robie House andFarnsworthHouse
Introduction
There are a few of master architects that had bring the modernism of
architecture to a new level during the twentieth century, such as Frank Lloyd Wright,
Mies Van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and etcetera. Each of them brings
a strong idea in their concept and design that had already became a significance of
architectural styles such as the Prairie Style from Frank Lloyd Wright. Besides that,
their philosophy in designing had also influenced many of other architects later on.
There are two modern masters of architect that I admire the most, which is
Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies Van der Rohe, although they has a different concept
and philosophy in designing. Wright has bring in a new philosophy in architecture
which is the "organic" architecture. Although the word ‘organic’ in common usage
refers to something which has the characteristics of animals or plants, Wright’s
organic architecture takes on a new meaning. He claims that the building should not
something that is a copy of the nature. Instead, organic architecture is a
reinterpretation of nature’s principles. With the philosophy, Wright designs his
building in a way that the design of building is defined by the nature by creating a
harmonious relationship between the form, design and the function of the building
according to the site context and properties of material of the structure. One good
example representing the Organic Architecture from Wright is the Robie House that
he designed.
Mies Van der Rohe is another modern masters of architecture that I admire
the most. The main philosophy he uses while designing is the word "less is more"

2. Cheah Teck Wei 0315215 Architecture Culture and History 2 10/6/2015
Individual Analytical Essay –Robie House andFarnsworthHouse
where his design were reduced to its most clearest and elemental as he feel that
simplicity and clarity lead to a good design. He carefully considered the rationalism
of synthesis between science and technology, between culture and aesthetic as from
what he said: “I don’t want to be interesting, I want to be good." The characteristics
of his design is more to simple rectangular forms with open, flexible and multi-
functional spaces. He also implemented the use of glazed glass and mastered the
steel and glass construction in designing. One of the great example of his design is
the Farnsworth House.
Relationship to the surrounding
Both of them were iconic buildings during that time. Both of them have a
strong concept and idea in designing that is common, which they think that a building
should fit to the nature instead of being an individual structure laying in the nature.
Although they have the common thinking, but both of them had achieved it by their
own style and ways.
Robie House was designed for Frederick C. Robie, a bicycle manufacturer
who did not want a typical Victorian style home. He wanted a fire-proof house that
has a garage and a playroom for children. The site was in the neighbourhood of
Hyde Park in Chicago, with a flat Mediterranean landscape. Hence, Wright had
designed the Robie House based on the site with his idea in organic architecture.
With the long and flat plain of the site, Wright had designed the house in two
symmetrical rectangular form that is arranged asymmetrically with lower proportion
walls and ceiling to create a sense of flatness in relation to the site. Besides that, the
main material that used to construct the house is also considered in Wright’s design,
which is the roman bricks that is longer than standard bricks. This specific selection

3. Cheah Teck Wei 0315215 Architecture Culture and History 2 10/6/2015
Individual Analytical Essay –Robie House andFarnsworthHouse
of bricks is to create a horizontal and flat visual effect of the building. To further
enhance that, Wright had designed into details like to enhance the horizontal visual
effect, the horizontal joints of the bricks were filled with a cream-coloured mortar and
the small vertical joints were filled with brick-coloured mortar. This is a complex and
expensive brickwork technique called tuck-pointing technique, creating an
impression of continuous lines of horizontal colour were created and yet the
appearance of individual bricks were minimized. Other that the horizontal exterior
visual effect created by the roman bricks, the structure made by bricks gave a
secured and solid feeling to the user, which is also insisted by the owner of the
house as one of the requirement. In addition, there are some planes that extended
out from the building itself that forms a cantilevered roof. This had also gave a flat
feeling to the whole building and yet providing protection from sunlight and privacy to
the resident inside. Other than the exterior appearance, the planning of spaces were
considered by Wright when designing as the building were located in a
neighbourhood, such as the public spaces were mostly placed at the frontal part of
the building facing the road opposite the house and the private spaces placed
behind, which is not able to view from outside. Thus the whole building were
designed based on the site context around it, achieved with the requirement of his
client.
Mies had a same thinking as Wright, which is a building should fit to the
nature instead of being another individual being apart from it, but yet they had a
different way to express it out through their design. Mies said: "We should attempt to
bring nature, houses, and the human being to a higher unity". He always believed
that individual can and should bring a harmony between the culture and nature.

4. Cheah Teck Wei 0315215 Architecture Culture and History 2 10/6/2015
Individual Analytical Essay –Robie House andFarnsworthHouse
Hence, with the use of modern technologies and patience in researching on how to
do it, Mies finally came out with the design of Farnsworth House mainly constructed
with steel framework structure to provide a small structure with high structural
strength that can reduce the opaque exterior walls to a minimum, two distinctly
expressed horizontal slabs which forms the roof and floor, the space between floor
and ceiling were constructed with glazed glasses entirely, which is basically a
sandwich where the slabs were acting as the bread and glasses as the filling. From
this design of Mies for the Farnsworth House, one of the most significant building of
Mies, the user will have the most interaction with the nature with the highly exposure
of interior spaces to the outside spaces created by the glazed glasses with an open
floor plan, creating an unobstructed view from the inside to outside. To allow the
structure to be elevated from a flood plain for 1.60m, eight wide flange steel columns
were attached to the sides of the floor and ceiling slabs and also the slab’s end
extend beyond the column support that created cantilevers. The house was built on
a vast meadow with a diversity of trees along the Fox River. It is not a building that
lives up to a common communal principles of inhabitable architecture. When Mies
designed the house, he took in everything that is essential for the living and the
principles of proportion and nature. The house was created in order to let its dwellers
to experience the rural ambience and the passing of the seasons. It begins unfolding
and communicating itself to the outside only with the change of the seasons. With
the extensive usage of glazed glasses, the unobstructed views from all sides of the
buildings to the trees and other bank of Fox River allowed the communication
between dweller in the living space and natural surroundings to happen in a
harmony. The house stands independently as a masterpiece. Where the interior
blends into the exterior, the gentleness of nature flows into the softness of the space,

5. Cheah Teck Wei 0315215 Architecture Culture and History 2 10/6/2015
Individual Analytical Essay –Robie House andFarnsworthHouse
and light creates a subtle modulation within. Both characteristics create an aura that
coagulates sensibly where the inner and outer worlds meet. There is no garden, no
pathways, beds or flowers. A large maple tree protects the raised travertine marble
terrace. The distinct white of the steel construction and the transparent glass panels
make the house almost invisible. All of these combines and forms the most
harmonious relationship between the human, building and the nature of Farnsworth
House.
As conclusion, both of the buildings were beautifully designed with a strong
concept and meaning beneath it. Both of them had used their own ways in
translating their concepts relating the building with the nature. Wright’s design were
more likely designed for the user’s requirement, the current site context of the site
with different elements to make the building as part of the landscape itself. Whereas
for Mies, what he does is more to the user, building and nature’s feeling by using
modern techniques and materials. He maximizes the communication of user’s feeling
to the natural surroundings of the building. Both of the buildings were designed in
relate to their philosophies as Wright designs building that fits to the nature with all
the details well designed and yet Mies designs building that fits to the nature but
using the simplest way and elements following his own philosophy “less is more”.
(1468 words)

6. Cheah Teck Wei 0315215 Architecture Culture and History 2 10/6/2015
Individual Analytical Essay –Robie House andFarnsworthHouse
Reference
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2. AD Classics:FrederickC.Robie House /FrankLloydWright.(2010, May 16). RetrievedJune8,
2015, fromhttp://www.archdaily.com/60246/ad-classics-frederick-c-robie-house-frank-
lloyd-wright/
3. The FarnsworthHouse.(n.d.).RetrievedJune 6,2015, from
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsapp/BT/GATEWAY/FARNSWTH/farnswth.html
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http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0327.html
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http://www.designboom.com/portrait/mies/bg.html
6. Spotlight:MiesvanderRohe.(2015, March 27). RetrievedJune 9,2015, from
http://www.archdaily.com/350573/happy-127th-birthday-mies-van-der-rohe/
7. Vandenberg,M.(2003). FarnsworthHouse:LudwigMiesvander Rohe.London:Phaidon
Press.
8. Connors,J.(1984). The Robie House of Frank LloydWright.Chicago:Universityof Chicago
Press.