Placed on both the Michigan and National Registers of Historic Places, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gregor S. and Elizabeth B. Affleck House has been recognized by many architectural scholars and historians as one of Michigan’s most significant structures.
Completed in 1941, Affleck House has been described as “…both a unique item among Wright’s architectural output, and an important representative of a particular line of developmental thought”. (Storrer, 2006)
Through the efforts of dedicated alumni, faculty, staff and students, and in conjunction with community, business and foundation partners, restoration begun in 2012 has made significant progress. This work has been both aesthetic – e.g., redesigning the front berm, as well as functional – e.g., replacement of the skylights.
Today, LTU and the College of Architecture and Design use the home as an educational resource, to inspire new generations of architects, and offer seasonal monthly tours. In addition, Affleck House serves as a site for select business and educational events and private tours.
Please plan your visit and learn how Wright was commissioned for the design, find out what the area was like at the time the house was built, and get an overview of the home’s notable features.
Photo Credit: James Haefner
.jpg "Affleck House skylights")
.jpg "Affleck House skylights 2")
The Usonian Home
Beginning in the 1920s, Frank Lloyd Wright's argument that modern cities were no longer habitable led him to develop his solution for urban problems - Broadacre City. Wright used "Usonia" as his substitute for the reformed, future "America" of Broadacre City, and his solution to the "small house problem." These Usonians - and in particular the pre-World War II designs - were a solution to the changes in the lifestyles of the clients and their need for low cost but satisfying housing.
Usonian houses were typically one story, designed to express the horizontal element of the American midwestern plains. Attics were eliminated to avoid building unusable space and the Usonian homes had flat roofs. Wright introduced skylights as a way of providing additional light into the house. He believed his new ideas of the home should involve new materials and new technology.