Me and Wright

Last week I had the unique opportunity to visit the Martin House in Buffalo New York. Designed by Frank Loyd Wright in the early 1900's it is one of the famous examples of American architecture of the period. My tour guide was the construction manager at risk whose firm is responsible for overseeing the $26,000,000 restoration/reconstruction. When completed the project will be fully modern using geothermal heating/cooling, fiber optic, LED lighting, and updated enveloped - yet it has been thoughtfully considered so that the unknowing visitor would not even have clue to the modern interventions. Standing there surrounded by piles of reproduction construction materials and tradesmen using historically accurate techniques with the walls stripped to framing -I could almost see Wright standing with a roll of drawings next to the iconic sunburst circular fireplace mantel ranting at someone about something or other. Neat!