The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright

The Jacobs House is the primary illustration in the series of how this architecture addressed changing modes of domestic living in the 20th century.

This is the first of Wright’s Usonian houses, an artistic design for a family of modest means and without servants. Built during the Depression years in the 1930s, it responded to the housing needs of ordinary Americans with a detached, single-family suburban home. Innovative in organization, plan and construction, it reflected the increasing informality in society in the mid-20th century and supported
the viability of houses for the middle class.

Usonia 1 is one of eight Frank Lloyd Wright sites inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019.

8 buildings make up one World Heritage Site called The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, which span 50-years of Wright’s career between 1909 – 1959, exemplifying his artistic genius and extraordinary contributions to modern architecture and culture. His work has inspired architects and designers throughout the 20th century and continues to do so today.

The World Heritage List celebrates the most exceptional and irreplaceable cultural and natural sites on earth. With more than 1,000 sites worldwide, The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright is the 24th World Heritage site in the US and the first modern architecture inscription for the US.

The buildings represent Wright’s concept of “organic architecture,” design inspired by nature’s forms and principles with an integral relationship to nature—often featuring open plans, a blurring of boundaries between exterior and interior, and the novel use of materials such as steel and concrete.