Taliesin West

Frank Lloyd Wright built Taliesin West, which is now a National Historic Landmark, between 1937 and 1959. It was not designed to contemporary standards. He played with having the building be a part of its surroundings using only building materials from the area, mostly rock and sand for cement. 

Wright purchased over 600 acres of land in the Arizonan Foothills, north east of Scottsdale for $3.50 per acre, but spent $10,000 to dig a well!  He enlisted the support of 24 'boys' (apprentices) who built the house mostly using hand tools. 

The walls were made with forms that held large boulders, rocks and cement and blend in with the surroundings. The walls are very short and the ceilings are 'tiled' with canvas to diffuse the harsh Arizonan sun. 

The site is now a working university housing students working on their masters in architecture. A total of 16 students are chosen out of a short list if 500 applications. These 'lucky' few then pay to attend the school and are expected to live in tents in the desert while studying so they can understand the environment and learn from it. 

It was a very interesting tour!