Frank Lloyd Wright, the Gordon House, and the Usonian Style

In 1936 Frank Lloyd Wright designed his first Usonian-style house in Wisconsin as a response to the needs of the growing middle-class in America. Fast forward to 1956 when Conrad ‘Ed’ and Evelyn Gordon, a farming couple from Oregon, met Wright at his studio in Taliesin West outside of Scottsdale, AZ to talk about a design for their farmhouse on the banks of the Willamette River near Wilsonville. The result of that collaboration, the Usonian-style Gordon House, stands as the only Wright-designed structure in Oregon. Kathryn Burton, director of the Gordon House, joins us to reveal the meaning of the term ‘Usonian,’ the philosophy behind the style and its architectural characteristics using the Gordon House as a case study. Does a Usonian-based design philosophy stand up in today’s building practices? Come join the discussion and find out!

This lecture program is held at the Architectural Heritage Center - 701 SE Grand Avenue

Seating is Limited. Pre-Registration is Highly Recommended.

Parking is on-street (free on Saturdays) or in the parking lot on the west side of Grand Avenue between SE Yamhill and Belmont Streets - just to the north of the Urbanite. Thank you to Bolliger and Sons Insurance for sharing their lot with us for our evening and Saturday education programs.

Photo: The Gordon House. Courtesy of Kathryn Burton.