We don’t think of concrete as an organic material, yet it originates from the earth and undergoes minimal processing. By recognizing its natural origins, we can explore fresh aesthetic possibilities beyond its industrial connotations. What if concrete, known for its affordability, efficiency, and industrial strength, could also evoke a sense of lightness, floral motifs, and cozy atmosphere in residential designs?
In the vibrant scene of 1920s Los Angeles, Frank Lloyd Wright, a prolific American architect, initiated a radical shift in the use of concrete for construction. Breaking free from the stereotype of concrete as bulky and unattractive, Wright imagined a new narrative—one centered on delicacy and harmony with nature.
Drawing inspiration from the earthy textures of traditional dwellings in southern America, Wright experimented with methods to eliminate finishes and decorations and reveal the true essence of the material. This led to the development of the “textile block” technique, which involved casting perforated concrete blocks and assembling them into intricate patterns like a woven fabric.
Wright’s approach not only reflected his belief that architecture should echo nature but also resonated with the spirit of the time, with the emergence of the International Style in Europe and the Art Deco movement celebrating industrial techniques in unique ways.
The nature of materials: The concrete debate
Concrete has a reputation of being cold and uninspiring, making architects reluctant to use it for houses. Le Corbusier and other modernists of the time were the first to use concrete in residential projects, exposing its austerity in its pure form as a statement. But Wright sought an alternative that would bring dignity and aesthetic to homes.
Concrete offers many advantages: it’s affordable, fire resistant, malleable, it can be molded, pre-cast, reinforced with steel, or pre-stressed. It’s the modern child of the ancient practice of building shelters with earth material.
Using earth as a construction material has minimal impact on the land’s topography and consumes little energy as it doesn’t require heat or extensive industrial transformation. To make concrete manageable and prevent shrinkage, the proportion of clay is limited to 20%, unlike brick and terra-cotta, which require fire to stabilize their high clay content.
However, the conventional way of using concrete, whether precast or cast-in-place, didn’t satisfy Wright. Either approach lacked standardization and modular consistency, unlike brick or wood, making it impossible to create regular patterns or rhythms or use the units as a shaping and dimensional tools.
What about the concrete block? It was the cheapest and ugliest thing in the building world. It lived mostly in the architectural gutter as an imitation of rock-faced stone. Why not see what could be done with that gutter rat? Steel rods cast inside the joints of the blocks themselves and the whole brought into some broad, practical scheme of general treatment, why would it not be fit for a new phase of our modern architecture? It might be permanent, noble, beautiful.
F. L. Wright
Toward a new solution
A discussion was held on the impact of modern construction on artistic forms during the 6th International Congress of Architects, held in 1904. In an effort to promote an architecture that celebrates the construction process, the congress adopted the following resolutions:
- Decoration should highlight a building’s construction and be in harmony with the material’s inherent qualities.
- Among modern means of construction, reinforced concrete stands out for its versatility, yet finding its artistic form remains a challenge.
- Good and aesthetically pleasing architecture requires that the artistic form arise from the material’s properties, tailored to its intended purpose.
- A new architectural style must emerge from a novel construction principle and a unique application of this principle.
- Reasoning and emotional expression can coexist in architecture, and every artistic form must be logical.
To bring handcrafted quality to modern construction, Wright proposed an innovative solution:
Refine the concrete block and knit it together with steel in the joints and construct the joins so they could be poured full of concrete after they were set up. The walls would thus become thin but solid reinforced slabs and yield to any desire imaginable. We would make the walls double, of course, one wall facing inside and the other wall facing outside, thus getting continual hollow spaces between, so the house would be cool in summer, warm in winter and dry always.
F. L. Wright
The textile block principle
Textile blocks were formed by packing concrete into wood or metal moulds, with one internal face embossed with patterns the other coffered for lightness. However, to achieve thin, mosaic-like walls with textile blocks, structural members had to be concealed.
An evolution in this technique consisted in integrating glass corners into the joints between the blocks. This innovation resulted in a seamless transition between contrasting materials, clearly separating the inner concrete armature from the outer membrane and enhancing the interplay between the structural and surface elements.
Later on, larger blocks were used as columns to save on labour time, creating an alternating pattern of solid and void. These hollow columns doubled as conduits for ventilation and services.
The construction steps
Wright’s own book “The natural house” provided a construction procedure for textile-block houses:
- Vertical reinforcing bars are set on unit intervals in slab or in footing which is to receive the block-wall construction.
- The blocks are set between these rods so that one vertical rod falls in the cylindrical groove of each two blocks.
- Grout, formed of one part cement and two parts sand, is then poured into the vertical groove at joints, running into the horizontal groove at joints locking all into a solid mass. Thus, there is no visible mortar line as with brick or stone.
- Horizontal rods are laid in horizontal grooves as the courses are laid up.
- If double walls are planned, galvanized u-shaped wall tie rods are set at each joint to anchor outer and inner block-walls to each other.
- Special monolithic corner blocks are used; in the case of double walls inside and outside corner blocks become necessary.
- Some blocks can feature patterned holes where glass can be inserted. Typically, about nine different block types are required to complete the house.
Wright got the chance to test his new concept in 1923, thanks to a widowed woman running a rare book and antique business.
La Miniatura was the second house commissioned by Alice Millard. The house was placed to overlook a ravine at the back of an inexpensive site. This implantation allowed for the main entrance to be located on the back of the house on the second floor, so as to give the living and dining areas uninterrupted views of the ravine and pond below.
The house’s plan consisted of two rectangles positioned perpendicularly to each other, connecting at one corner to form a simple yet dynamic base. This layout maximized sun exposure, with the main rooms receiving western afternoon sunlight and the later sunset, while the bedrooms and studio enjoyed the morning light. A central core housing a staircase and fireplace separated the public and private spaces, a characteristic seen in Wright’s earlier work.
Material dictate space: compact and cubic
Building materials play a pivotal role in a house’s final character and should be taken into consideration at the beginning of the process.
While wood construction imparts a sense of lightness, ideal for large, sloping overhangs in northern dwelling, concrete embodies a robustness and opacity well-suited for the hot and arid climate of California.
The 16-inch square block served as the foundation for the grid system used in the house design. Both the window’s mullions and the cross-shaped perforation of the block were adhered to the 16-inch grid, creating a play between negative and positive space.
Although this square grid may seem restrictive, a square grid and plan is constricting, the historical evolution of square plans presents many design possibilities.
The traditional American house plan respects the classical rigidity of the four-quadrant division, with the entrance and main staircase in the center. However, in the early 1900s, Wright introduced flexibility by shifting the entrance and porch on the side, creating an uninterrupted window wall for the living room, with the staircase, corridor, and fireplace running parallel to the façade.
Le Corbusier further altered the square plan by elevating the living floor above ground, allowing for a courtyard and porch on the ground level. In the postmodern era, Mario Botta departed from conventional floor stacking, opting instead to sculpt the entire cubic volume for a unique architectural statement.
Typical American house (1845): The entrance and porch are at the centre of the facade, and the circulation core (staircase, hall, and corridors) runs perpendicularly to the façade. Fireplaces are used to separate the lateral spaces into rooms, while the bedrooms are located upstairs.
Wright’s typical square plan (Hunt house, 1907): The entrance, porch, and courtyard are placed on the side of the house with the core, containing the staircase, circulation, and fireplace, running parallel to the façade.
Le Corbusier modernist plan (Maison Cook, 1926): The houses appear to have minimal contact with the ground, placing the main living space on the upper level for uninterrupted views.
Mario Botta’s post-modern cube (Bianchi house, 1972): The entrance is on the top floor with the main living space below. A central staircase defines the core. Interior courts occupy the opposite corners.
La Miniatura and Le Corbusier’s style both reflect the modernist ideas of their time, but in different ways.
Le Corbusier’s principles to a functional house are expressed as follows:
- A raised living floor to free up the space on the ground level.
- A flat roof to create a private garden with panoramic views, refreshing breeze, and plenty of sun.
- An open floor plan to accommodate flexible layouts, with non-structural walls dividing each room as needed.
- An unobstructed façade with long horizontal windows to maximize natural light and ventilation.
La Miniatura features a raised living space that offers uninterrupted views, complemented by a flat roof ideal for California’s climate. However, these similarities are where the comparison ends. Unlike Le Corbusier’s open, horizontal, and flexible approach, La Miniatura’s plan is defined by massive walls with vertically cut openings, creating a more constrained spatial arrangement.
When machine meets art
La Miniatura represents a ceremonial take of modernism, blending traditional architectural influences. It highlights the idea that architecture isn’t solely functional but also an artistic expression, conveying something beyond a mere machine to live in.
Frank Lloyd Wright took a poetic stance toward industrial processes, in contrast to his European peers who focused on its practical virtues.
The machine, by its wonderful cutting, shaping, smoothing and repetitive capacity, has made it possible to use it without waste that the poor as well as rich may enjoy today beautiful surface treatments of clean, strong forms that the branch veneers of Chippendale only hinted at with extravagance, and which the middle ages utterly ignored.
F. L. Wright
The Art Deco style also bridges industry and art by exploring the creative potential of the simple repetition and combination of geometrical forms.
This aesthetic approach is clearly reflected in the block pattern of La Miniatura and the three other houses designed by Wright, collectively known as the Californian textile houses. These designs feature interconnected geometric patterns that incorporate embossing and perforations, evolving from simple cross shapes to more intricate geometries.
Conclusion
The textile block technique allowed Frank Lloyd Wright to craft a house that appears to emerge organically from the earth, like a crystalline structure with a texture reminiscent of tree bark amidst lush vegetation. This imagery evokes Mayan temples or pueblo dwellings, blending ancient influences with modern architectural innovation.
Beyond its visual appeal, the solid wall construction of the house offers practical advantages over a glass structure. It allows the architect to manipulate the interplay of light and shadows within the house by adjusting the size, shape, and distribution of openings. This results in a captivating fusion interplay of light and space, reminiscent of natural environments.
The Millard house illustrates a harmonious blend of engineering and artistry, where the construction method seamlessly integrates decorative elements, and the form reflects both the surroundings and the client’s unique personality.
However, the innovative textile block technique was only repeated a few more times before giving way to the more pragmatic Usonian style, primarily due to economic challenges during the Great Depression. This period required a more down-to-earth approach to residential design, which contrasted sharply with the romantic expression of Art Deco.
Nevertheless, the Usonian style further refined the economy and comfort provided by concrete, utilizing its thermal mass to moderate temperature extremes for both the structure and its occupants.