Bachman-Wilson House Clerestory Panel

Usonian is a term that Frank Lloyd Wright coined to describe something that was made for the people of the United States. He created this style of affordable home for the middle class in the era of the Great Depression.

Wright’s Usonian Bachman-Wilson House was originally constructed along the Millstone River in New Jersey in 1954 for Gloria Bachman and Abraham Wilson. Pairing innovation with basic owner-builder construction materials and techniques, the concepts of organic architecture evolved into these Usonian characteristics: a flowing floor plan with distinct public and private areas; concrete, grid patterned, slab floor with radiant heat; flat roof and cantilevered carport; masonry fireplace mass; board and batten walls with simple built-in furniture; and tall glass walls and doors opening to the landscape. The home was disassembled piece by piece and reconstructed at Crystal Bridges Museum of American, Bentonville, Arkansas in 2013 where it is now on view.

This panel design is from the perforated clerestory boards in the house which infuse the house with individuality, allow in light, and create interesting shadows and light patterns in the interior of the house which change as the sun moves across the sky without the expense of art glass. These boards are a typical ornamentation of Wright’s Usonian homes.