Open Plan VS Open and Organizable

Since the 1950s the open plan living area has been in vogue in American residential architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright, growing up as he did at the height of Victorian Age experienced directly the clutter and confinement of the Victorian house. He sought to break up

the box, to remove the walls and doors chopping up the traditional Victorian house. Now realtors and developers and architects speak frequently of open space, of one space 'flowing' into another in the open plan which is certainly all to the good. What is unfortunately often overlooked is the fact that Wright both opened up living spaces while meticulously attending to their organization. In fact Wright opened up living space and carefully organized it making it conducive to organizing the occupants lives and possessions within it. The organizing effects formerly achieved with walls are consciously dramatized by and intensified with screens, with built-in cabinetry, long horizontal shelving, and built-in sofa banqs on the walls wrapping around the free space within. Everything in the right place, and a right place for everything might be the mantra of Wright's design philosophy.

The great mistake builders tend to make is failure to organize their open plan living space. Walls are tossed out but the resulting possibilities are only hastily considered. The goal for the luxury townhouse I propose is that it have both spaciousness and organization so that it imparts in its occupants that deep feeling of refuge and rightness.