Inspired by the design of a traditional Japanese house, BIG‘s NOT A HOTEL Setouchi merges Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetics. Located on Sagi Island, the firm's vision brings three villas and a restaurant to the island's southwestern cape.

BIG's plan prioritizes the natural landscape, offering sweeping views of the sea and restoring the undulating landscape. Olive trees, lemon trees, and other native vegetation will be reintroduced to enhance the island's natural beauty.

“Our design approach for NOT A HOTEL Setouchi wasn’t about imposing our ideas on the site; instead, it involved exploring, observing, and understanding the landscape,” explains Bjarke Ingels, BIG Founder and Creative Director. “We envisioned how to best leverage this distinctive and remarkable terrain and fixed upon a design that mirrors the elegance of traditional Japanese architecture.”

The three villas are angled at 180°, 270°, and 360° to correspond with the views they provide and are spread across different levels. The round 360° villa is situated at the highest level and offers a central courtyard for privacy. The 270° villa has a corresponding panorama and features bathing spaces arranged like floating islands around a pool, as well as a sauna and fire pit.

Poised at the tip of the peninsula, the 180° villa takes advantage of its position with its curved design that hugs the coastal landscape. With mossy pathways and trees that change color, it's an immersive experience with nature.

These single-story dwellings are an homage to Japanese craftsmanship. The floors, walls, roofs, and façades respect traditional Japanese architectural elements while reimagining them for modern times. For instance, the glass façades are a modern interpretation of shoji screens, and the natural slate floors form patterns reminiscent of tatami mats.

Sustainability is also important to the design. The curved clay walls are formed using a traditional rammed earth technique with soil collected on-site. In addition, all of the roofs are covered with solar tiles, and rainwater collected from the roof will be used to irrigate the landscaping.

“Japan is one of the cultures in the world where commitment to craft and care for quality remains intact,” shares Ingels. “The honesty and simplicity of the structure and careful choice of materials can be said to have greatly influenced the traditional architecture of Japan and the modern architecture of Denmark. Maybe that's why when I go to Japan, I always feel like I'm coming home.

“NOT A HOTEL Setouchi will be an experiment in what happens when the sensibilities of both countries come together–the Danish desire for simplicity and the care and perfection of Japan.”

The site, which is spread across nearly 7.5 acres, will break ground later this year.

NOT A HOTEL Setouchi is a new project by BIG on a remote island in Japan.

Render: LIT

The resort is comprised of three villas and a restaurant set into the undulating landscape of Sagi Island.

Render: LIT

The three villas are angled at 180°, 270°, and 360° to correspond with the views they provide.

Each dwelling is an homage to Japanese craftsmanship.

“NOT A HOTEL Setouchi will be an experiment in what happens when the sensibilities of both countries come together–the Danish desire for simplicity and the care and perfection of Japan.”

Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG): Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn

All renders by MIR except where noted. My Modern Met granted permission to feature renders by Bjarke Ingels Group.

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READ: Remote Island Transformed Into Tranquil Resort Merging Japanese and Danish Design

An uninhabited island in South Korea will be transformed into a lush public park under the guidance of Heatherwick Studio. The renowned architecture firm won a global competition to design Seoul's Nodeul Island with a project called Soundscape.

Drawing inspiration from Seoul's mountainous terrain and the patterns created by soundwaves, the project uses different levels to host musical performances and artistic installations across a biodiverse landscape. At ground level, a public beach and arts center will welcome the public while the existing artificial landscape will be enhanced with plantings going down to the riverbank.

One of the most dramatic elements is the skywalk that rises up and connects to an events podium. Stretching three-quarters of a mile, the trail is composed of suspended islets that will act as rest stops and provide sweeping views of the environment.

“We’ve been really intrigued by how new interventions can really bring Nodeul Island to life,” shares Neil Hubbard, group leader and partner at Heatherwick Studio. “Its not just about an exciting new aerial canopy, but developing a whole creative ecosystem, where spaces above and below the floating landscape are buzzing with activity. Upon first discovering a serene, restful island where the landscape focuses on native flora and fauna the visitors will then wander up from the water’s edge to experience drama and harmonies in the sky. Soundscape will be a gateway and a getaway worthy of the energy and life of Seoul.”

Nodeul Island is Heatherwick Studio's first project in South Korea to go into construction and should be finished by 2027.

Heatherwick Studio won a global competition to design Seoul's Nodeul Island.

This abandoned island will be transformed into a tiered public park that focuses on music, art, and biodiversity.

Heatherwick Studio: Website | Instagram

All renders via MIR. My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Heatherwick Studio.

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While most architecture sits still, silently watching the passage of time, there are other, more playful types of structures that draw from nature to change with the seasons. A beautiful example of this is Emerald Screen Pergola, a dragon-shaped 3,937-foot-long pathway designed by Wutopia Lab and built on Bogong Island in Wuxi, China. Marrying the ancient traditions of Chinese architecture with a modern building approach, this striking pergola elevates a regular park into an opulent leisurely space for everyone to enjoy.

The winding white pergola or “flower house” draws from those structures found in classic Chinese gardens. Built either out of wood or bamboo, they were transformed by climbing plants and flowers. “There is a precedent in ancient China for using fresh flowers to construct houses, and the inspiration for the flower house comes from this,” says Yu Ting, founder and chief architect of Wutopia Lab. “We are now using steel trusses to shape the framework of the flower house. In the future, green plants will climb the entire pergola and bloom into magnificent flowers, creating a marvelous scene of ‘contemporarizing traditional Chinese culture,' showcasing the spectacle of cultural revival.”

Unlike many park structures, the Emerald Screen Pergola has a playful feel to it due to the different size of its composing elements as well as the spacing between them. “The deficiency of traditional pergolas and the ones we see in today’s parks is that they are always the same (shape) from the beginning to the end, and we tried to break this monotony,” explains Yu. To achieve this, the structures open, close, stand alone, overlap, and even seem to disappear.

The pergola is made out of steel panels that have been covered in mesh to foster the wisteria to grow. “When we began to design the Emerald Screen Pergola, we needed to find a suitable element of expression. After discussion, we realized that if we abstracted the leaf into a feather-like image, not only would it be simple to shape and make the construction easier, but it could cascade into various enclosures. The feather-like form has a close visual character to the arch,” Yu says. While they were painted white for the first phase of the project, they will soon will be bustling with color.

“If we go back to traditional Chinese paintings, we will find that the flower corridor combines with the solid walls, the stones, mountains, and water in the classical gardens to create different changes in light and shadow,” he continues. “We began to think that this feather-like unit could be closed, unfolded, and disappeared so that it would form a non-dull change of light and shadow on the road, and make the Emerald Screen Pergola vivid. It is precisely this vividness that makes people think it is ‘a wandering dragon.’”

While the dragon motif wasn't in the architect's mind at the beginning of the project, it became a symbol of how nature informs the structure. After noting the winding path of the pergola, as well as the crowning structure at the end, a team member brought up the similarities to these legendary creatures. “A curator thought that it was particularly like a dragon, so in the end we defined it as a wandering dragon-like Emerald Screen Pergola,” Yu recalls.

In the end, to the architect, the pergola represents both a connection to the past and an opportunity to lasso it into the future. “I am particularly looking forward to this pergola being filled with flowers because it will be a dramatic presentation of the modernization of classical poetry and have the characteristics of a mini-epic,” Yu concludes. “In that way, I will feel that tradition is still alive in our modern life.”

Emerald Screen Pergola is a dragon-shaped 3,937-foot-long pathway designed by Wutopia Lab and built on Bogong Island in Wuxi, China.

Marrying the ancient traditions of Chinese architecture with a modern building approach, this striking pergola elevates a regular park into an opulent leisure space for everyone to enjoy.

The winding white pergola or “flower house” draws from those structures found in classic Chinese gardens. Built either out of wood or bamboo, they were transformed by climbing plants and flowers.

“There is a precedent in ancient China for using fresh flowers to construct houses, and the inspiration for the flower house comes from this,” says Yu Ting, founder and chief architect of Wutopia Lab.

“We are now using steel trusses to shape the framework of the flower house. In the future, green plants will climb the entire pergola and bloom into magnificent flowers.”

Unlike many park structures, the Emerald Screen Pergola has a playful feel to it due to the different size of its composing elements as well as the spacing between them.

The pergola is made out of steel panels that have been covered in mesh to foster the wisteria to grow.

“The deficiency of traditional pergolas and the ones we see in today’s parks is that they are always the same (shape) from the beginning to the end, and we tried to break this monotony,” explains Yu.

“It is precisely this vividness that makes people think it is ‘a wandering dragon.'”

The pergola represents both a connection to the past and an opportunity to lasso it into the future.

“I am particularly looking forward to this pergola being filled with flowers because it will be a dramatic presentation of the modernization of classical poetry and have the characteristics of a mini-epic.”

Wutopia Lab: Website

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Wutopia Lab. Quotes have been edited for clarity.

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Barcelona-based architecture firm ON-A is offering an innovative look at what cities of the future might look like by combining architecture, engineering, and biotechnology. Its Biotech City is a self-contained structure that revolutionizes urban design. Under the circular dome, people will enjoy a sustainable living environment that “charts a path towards a greener, more resilient world.”

The raised dome, based on a hexagonal and pentagonal grid, was inspired by the protection that nature provides. The dome's thickness actually allows it to become a functional building, blurring the lines between architecture and engineering. The grid helps define areas, connecting infrastructure and green spaces.

The open grid also allows for ventilation and natural light and helps shape the streets and plazas. Intended to be versatile, the firm notes that it can be adjusted to suit different climatic extremes. Solar panels lining the top of the dome will help power the city, which also includes wind turbines for further energy generation.

While the design is unique, Biotech City will include all the basic services that one would expect in an urban setting. This includes commercial and office space, healthcare, educational buildings, and much more. These spaces, along with housing, would be nestled into the dome itself, while the open area below the structure is designated as a community square. Filled with greenery, it provides a connection with nature as well as serves the need for a gathering space.

“In the planning of the Biotech City, nature blends harmoniously with the urban environment,” shares the firm. “Here, lush vegetation, interactive landscapes, and living elements coexist in perfect symbiosis, creating an urban living experience that establishes an unparalleled connection with the natural world.”

Though, at the moment, Biotech City is simply a concept, the design is a refreshing take on urban living. And by incorporating biotechnology that provides systems for improved air quality and wellness, ON-A is showing that it's more than possible to take a well-rounded approach to urbanism.

Biotech City is an innovative urban design that harmonizes city living and sustainability.

The dome's thick geometric grid allows for the structure to become a functional building.

The flexible design can be modified for different climates.

Under the dome, a large community plaza filled with greenery provides a gathering space, as well as a connection with nature.

The design “charts a path towards a greener, more resilient world.”

ON-A: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Visualizations via Play-Time. My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by ON-A.

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Khan Palace. (Photo: UNITED24)

LEGO bricks have long inspired architecture fans to recreate their favorite buildings from around the world. And while popular monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and the Statute of Liberty are more common among builders, there are more obscure jewels worth being celebrated. UNITED24, a charitable organization raising money in support of Ukraine, has teamed up with LEGO builders from four countries to create models of five iconic Ukrainian landmarks for a project titled #UKRAINEinLEGObricks.

The buildings featured in this collection are the Golden Gate, Khan Palace, Pidhirtsi Castle, Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, and Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory. All of them are intricate works that showcase the unique styles and character of Ukrainian architecture. The LEGO creators in charge of these models are Eric Law and Mark Segedie from the U.S., Daniel Seidl from Germany, Maciej Kocot from Poland, and Alexander Yermolaev from Ukraine.

“Despite the fact that some of them had never been to Ukraine, everyone managed to recreate each of the five landmarks in great detail,” says Yaroslava Gres, UNITED24 coordinator. Thanks to the versatility of the building blocks, the creators were able to replicate some of the most interesting features of these landmarks, like the way sunlight bounces off the slanted roof of Khan Palace, or the ornate façade of Kyiv's Golden Gate.

While LEGO itself is not affiliated with this campaign, there is hope for those who'd like to have one of these models at home. The best part? It benefits a good cause. Rather than being sold directly, you can win one by making a $24 donation towards the reconstruction of a school in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which was hit by a Russian missile on October 11, 2022. In total, 15 sets, three of each type, will be raffled off. You have until June 20, 224 to enter the drawing.

UNITED24, a charitable organization raising money in support of Ukraine, has teamed up with LEGO builders from four countries to create models of five iconic landmarks of Ukraine.

Golden Gate. (Photo: UNITED24)

The buildings featured in this collection are the Golden Gate, Khan Palace, Pidhirtsi Castle, Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, and Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory.

Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory. (Photo: UNITED24)

“Despite the fact that some of them had never been to Ukraine, everyone managed to recreate each of the five landmarks in great detail,” said Yaroslava Gres, UNITED24 Coordinator, in a statement.

Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. (Photo: UNITED24)

Rather than being sold directly, you can win one by making a $24 donation towards the reconstruction of a school.

Pidhirtsi Castle. (Photo: UNITED24)

UNITED24: Website

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by UNITED24.

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Los Angeles is famous for its broad, congested highways full of cars inching bumper to bumper through traffic. These legendary many-lane highways teeming with vehicles are annoying to commuters, but they're deadly to local wildlife who can end up as roadkill. Highway 101 runs through Los Angeles County, dividing the habitats of the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills in the Santa Susana range. This has particularly created extra problems for mountain lions—with the population in the Santa Monica Mountains running into dangerous inbreeding that’s bad for the species. Wildlife bridges are a solution. In late May 2024, the final horizontal girders were added to a wildlife bridge over Highway 101, completing an important phase in the construction.

The project began in 2022 as a collaboration between private organizations and governmental institutions. It is to be known as the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, and construction is anticipated to be completed in late 2025 or early 2026. But getting the girders laid, and creating the base structure of the bridge, is a critical step. The first girder was laid on April 15, 2024. Crews worked hard each night, closing lanes of the highway to lay over 80 concrete masses weighing from 126 to 140 tons each. Now spanning eight lanes of road, the girders will support continuing work to build a concrete floor and then cover the bridge in native plant life.

Wildlife will be funneled over the bridge by fences that channel their migration. Cougars, snakes, coyotes, deer, and even insects will be able to roam freely into previously difficult to access regions. The hope is this will prevent the sort of injuries discovered on P-22, the famous mountain lion of Griffith Park. When he was sadly euthanized, examination of his organs and bones indicated he'd likely been hit by a car before.  The bridge will also allow the mountain lions to range freely, finding new genetics to mate with and strengthening the species.

For updates as the work on the bridge continues, you can follow along with announcements on the bridge's website.

The last horizontal concrete girder was lowered into place in an exciting step forward in the years-long mission to build the world's largest wildlife crossing over Highway 101 in California.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Annenberg Foundation (@annenbergfdn)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine, ABC7]

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Una publicación compartida por Angel Muñiz (@areasvellas)

Ellis Island is a symbol of one of the most poignant chapters in U.S. history. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 million immigrants arrived and were processed there. While it is now home to the National Museum of Immigration, it could have looked much different than it does today. After it was decommissioned 70 years ago, many ideas of what to do with the island emerged—and one of them was designed by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright.

After the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) opened the site to developers, companies pitched a wide array of ideas, like a resort, a prison, a nursing home, a World Trade Center, and even a “College of the Future.” According to Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, the highest bid came from Damon Doudt Corporation, headed by NBC radio and television announcer Jerry Damon and television director Elwood Doudt. With this, they aimed to build Wright's “completely self-contained city of the future.”

Wright’s design was named Key Project, as a tribute to Ellis Island's legacy of being a “key to a land of freedom and opportunity.” It was estimated to cost $93 million, bringing the twenty-seven-and-a-half-acre site back to life with a plan that would “promote casual, inspired living, minus the usual big-city clamor.” Wright was profoundly excited about the design, which he worked on in early 1959. “Your Ellis Island project is virtually made to order for me,” he told Doudt and Damon after they reached out to him.

The project boasted a circular podium superimposed on the rectangular island, from which a unique living compound would sprout. “Sitting on that base would be apartments for 7,500 residents, rising like a stack of offset, alternating dishes,” write Lubell and Goldin. “Above these dwelling floors, and separated by sundecks, would be a crescent of seven corrugated, candlestick-shaped towers containing more apartments and a 500-room hotel. Suspended in the center of the undulating mass was a huge globe, seemingly pockmarked by eons of meteor collisions, and held aloft by plastic canopies protecting the plazas below.”

To make it a truly self-contained city, the Key Project would have theaters, hospitals, churches, schools, a library, and even a sports arena housed in circular marble-like structures along the edge. Moving pavements would replace cars, but a yacht basin below would accommodate 450 boats. With these choices, the area would be free of congestion and noise, a striking contrast to the neighboring Manhattan.

Sadly, the project didn't come to fruition. Wright died on April 9, 1959, having formulated the concept for the island but only producing an abstract drawing on a napkin. While William Wesley Peters, Wright’s son-in-law, and the promoters later generated a complete set of drawings for the “Key Project,” the GSA eventually rejected it, along with all other projects.

In 1963, New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner stepped in to propose that Ellis Island be preserved as a museum park and memorial. Two years later, it was incorporated as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, with the museum on the site opening in 1990. While Wright's futuristic vision didn't come true, he added his unique vision to the New York City landscape via his last major work—the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which opened in October 1959.

After Ellis Island was decommissioned 70 years ago, many plans on what to do with the island emerged—and one of them was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Photo: New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer: Al Ravenna via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

The project would have had apartments for 7,500 residents, along with theaters, hospitals, churches, schools, a library, and even a sports arena.

h/t: [Open Culture]

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Illustration of Archaeopteryx (Photo: Ville Sinkonnen © Field Museum)

One of the best specimens of the Archaeopteryx is now on display at Chicago's Field Museum. The discovery of the first Archaeopteryx fossil in 1861 was integral in confirming Darwin's theory of evolution, as it helped prove that birds are the closest living relatives to dinosaurs. No other museum in a major city in the Western hemisphere has an Archaeopteryx, a dinosaur that roamed what is now Europe, making this a unique opportunity for American science lovers.

It might seem strange that baby ducklings are related to T. Rex, but Archaeopteryx helped scientists understand this leap, as the creature marks a key evolutionary step.

“Archaeopteryx is arguably the most important fossil ever discovered,” shares Field Museum CEO and President Dr. Julian Siggers. “This is the Field Museum’s most  significant fossil acquisition since SUE the T. rex, and we’re thrilled to be able to study ‘the Chicago Archaeopteryx’ and to share it with our visitors.”

While the Archaeopteryx (Greek for “ancient wing”) has a snout with sharp teeth, claws on its wings, and a long bony tail more evocative of dragons than a sparrow, it also shares defining features of birds. Firstly, the dinosaur is small in size. Chicago's specimen is about the size of a pigeon, but they could grow up to 20 inches long. It also has hollow bones, including a wishbone, and its feathers are asymmetrical.

Only a dozen other fossils of this late Jurassic critter have been discovered, all in Europe. Like most of those fossils, the Chicago specimen was found in Germany at the Solnhofen limestone deposit. Private fossil collectors first found it in 1990 and held onto it until the Field Museum was able to purchase it in 2022.

In a twist of good luck for scientists, when the museum received the fossil, it was still mostly encased in a layer of rock. The Field’s associate curator of fossil reptiles, Dr. Jingmai O’Connor, explains, “When a fossil is prepared for the commercial fossil industry, sometimes the physical beauty of the specimen is prioritized over the scientific details. But since the Field Museum’s fossil preparators Akiko Shinya and Connie Van Beek led the project, they preserved all sorts of fine details that are invaluable to scientists using this fossil for research.”

After 1300 hours of museum workers' efforts, the public can view the Archaeopteryx in a temporary exhibit that is open until June 7, 2024. If you can't visit our fossilized feathered friend soon, don't worry. Starting in September, it will be on permanent exhibition at the Field Museum.

The Archaeopteryx is a bird-like dinosaur that lived 150 million years ago in what is now Europe.

Photo: Adrienne Stroup © Field Museum

Chicago's Field Museum is the only museum in a major city in the Western Hemisphere to own one of its fossils.

Photo: Delaney Drummond © Field Museum

Photo: Delaney Drummond © Field Museum

After X-raying the stone slab it had received, the museum was thrilled to discover that the specimen was nearly 100% complete.

Field Museum staff, including assistant curator Jing Mai O'Conner, PhD., opening up the Archaeopteryx fossil they just received. (Photo:© Field Museum)

The dinosaur helps prove Darwin's theory of evolution and is now on display in the museum.

Archaeopteryx fossil slab (Photo: Delaney Drummond © Field Museum)

Field Museum: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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In a move to integrate ecological preservation with urban development, Dubai-based urban planning firm URB has created Dubai Mangroves. The initiative calls for the planting of more than 100 million mangrove trees over nearly 50 miles, as well as a botanical museum, conservation center, and visitor hub. By balancing the needs of the planet with the needs of humans, URB is hoping to demonstrate that urban growth and environmental responsibility can work hand in hand.

Mangroves are the perfect choice for the project, as these plants are known for their ability to capture carbon, help prevent coastal erosion, and provide food and shelter for marine life. URB estimates that the planted mangroves will be able to absorb 1.23 million tonnes of CO2 annually, calling it “the equivalent of removing the CO2 emitted by more than 260,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the roads each year.”

Several structures will also support the environment by providing public education opportunities. The Mangrove Visitor Hub will not only teach the community about the importance of mangroves, but it will also focus on broader environmental challenges. The Botanical Museum and the Nature Reserve Conservation Center will also serve as important platforms for research, education, and advocacy.

“Dubai mangroves is a testament of how urban and environmental innovation can work in harmony as a model for cities worldwide, demonstrating the transformative power of integrating ecological preservation with urban growth,” says Baharash Bagherian, CEO of URB. “Yet this project is much more than coastal regeneration or resilience; it’s about setting a global standard for how cities can balance the needs of the planet with the needs of the people.”

The project is currently in the search stage and has selected six beaches to test the best methods for mangrove restoration. URB will also introduce various facilities to these areas, such as beach sports facilities, habitats for wildlife, areas dedicated to biosaline agriculture practices, and integrated running and cycling tracks. They will then study how these diversified offerings can work in harmony with the mangroves to create an area where ecology, recreation, and leisure can co-exist in harmony.

The entire project is in line with the Dubai 2040 Master Plan, which focuses on urban resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable planning. If executed successfully, Dubai Mangroves would be the largest coastal regeneration project of its kind and could provide a blueprint for future redevelopment.

URB plans to plant 100 million mangrove trees as part of the world's largest coastal regeneration project.

It's estimated that the trees will absorb 1.23 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

Dubai Mangroves will also incorporate learning and research opportunities as a visitor center, museum, and research hub.

“This project is much more than coastal regeneration or resilience; it’s about setting a global standard for how cities can balance the needs of the planet with the needs of the people.”

URB: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by URB.

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Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright is best remembered from his landmark projects like the Guggenheim Museum in New York City and Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. However, the brilliance of his work can also be seen in the dozens of breathtaking houses he designed. One of these residences was for his own son, David Samuel Wright. In an effort to share the beauty of this building with the world, Architectural Digest has released a video tour of the David and Gladys Wright House, led by Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation president and CEO Stuart Graff.

Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the David and Gladys Wright House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. While the younger Wright and his wife didn't move in until they were well into their middle age, they lived there until their deaths at age 102 and 104, respectively. Although the building faced neglect and the prospect of demolition at some point, the future of the David and Gladys Wright House is now secure, and works are being done to return it to its former glory.

Wright's son was a Phoenix-based building products representative and had some input in the house's construction and design. “David Wright worked for the Besser Manufacturing Company, and they made concrete block molds,” explains Graff. “David insisted that his company’s molds and concrete block be used for the construction and design of this house.”

His familial connection to the iconic architect allowed him to give feedback in a way few dared. The younger Wright said, “Dad, can the house be only 90 percent Frank Lloyd Wright and 10 percent David and Gladys Wright?” To which the architect replied, “You’re making your poor old father tired.” Eventually, though, he obliged.

Today, the house is being restored by yet another father-and-child pair, architects Bing and Amanda Hu, who also co-own the house. Restoring a Frank Lloyd Wright house is no easy feat, as the architect imbued his style into every element of the residence, from the doors to the trash cans. And since all of the wood elements are created from a species that can no longer be sourced, the work is slow and deliberate. Still, the experience has been rewarding. Hu says, “Embarking on this journey, it felt like we were able to uncover history of the past that wasn't written.”

“At the end of the day, what we see between them is the exchange of gifts reflected in correspondence,” says Graff. Ultimately, the same can be said about its restorers.

“It is been a really interesting experience, and cherished experience, working with my dad,” shares Amanda Hu. “I feel like I've learned so much about him, and it's explained just seeing him at work and how he makes his decisions.” Eventually, the older Hu hopes to turn the home into his personal studio, allowing him to welcome others into this piece of American architectural history.

h/t: [Open Culture]

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3D Renderings of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unbuilt Architecture Celebrate His Creative Genius

The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright: 10 Historic Buildings by the Legendary American Architect

READ: Take a Video Tour of the Breathtaking Home Frank Lloyd Wright Designed for His Son