20 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 12/10

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
COTTAGES AT FALLINGWATER
ARCHITECT PATKAU ARCHITECTS INC.
LOCATION MILL RUN, PENNSYLVANIA
1he larger amlition ol this project is to stitch
together a sense ol community lrom a disparate
set ol existing luildings and a collection ol lrag-
mented and dillerentiated landscapes. 1he re-
tained meadowland alove Fallingwater, which is
the proposed site ol six new cottages, is a lrag-
ment ol a recent cultural landscape. It provides
a complementary experience to the surrounding
native lorest lrom which to appreciate and
understand loth native ecology and cultural hist-
ory. 1he meadow opens a clearing in the lorest
and within this clearing, the design ol the six cot-
tages is intended to construct synergetic, sus-
tainalle relationships letween dwelling and the
suns energy.
Frank Lloyd vrights Fallingwater is an ac-
knowledged architectural masterpiece, a signili-
cant artilact ol the cultural heritage ol the last
century. Other Conservancy luildings on the ex-
panded Fallingwater site are a collection ol the
vernacular and the architectural. All are inten-
tional and lunctional lut unrelated and unrecog-
nizalle as the presence ol a community ol com-
mon purpose. 1he introduction ol the six new
cottages could lenelit the whole; they could act as
a kind ol glue, linding the community together,
making linkages letween things, setting parts
into a new relationship with one another.
1he existing Conservancy luildings at Falling-
water are linked together ly the regional land-
scape ol the Laurel Lighlands, a gentle landlorm
ol swells and lalls. Ro cottage here can compete
with vrights masterpiece. Ro luilding lorm can
address the disparate assemlly ol current Con-
ser vancy luilding lacilities. Faced with such a
predi ca ment, this project suggests that the six
proposed cottages take on the role ol the linding
landscape, lecoming part ol the regional land-
lorm. In so doing, they add their own immediacy
ol swell and lall to that ol the larger vistas and
topographic histories. 1hey have no need ol as-
suming yet another lorm ol architecture on site;
they are part ol the site.
Cuts are made into the landscape: Sunset Cut
opens the lorest to occasion, and a Pond Cut is
located northeast ol the meadow, linked to loth
Sunset Cut and the assorted Conservancy luild-
ings adjacent to the main trail crossing on Boute
8. 1his large pond retains excess water on site,
recycles treated wastewater lack into the natural
water cycle, and increases on-site liodiversity.
An enlarged narrative lor educational programs
is suggested and an on-site source ol luilding
material is provided to lacilitate the earthworks
associated with cottage construction.
Cottage lorm is an intensilication ol landscape
lorm. Just as Fallingwater is an intensilication ol
the rock outcroppings that characterize Bear Bun,
the meadow cottages are an intensilication ol the
swelling ground plane ol the meadow, made lrom
the very soil and grasses ol the meadow itsell.
Each cottage lorms a small ridge lacing due
south. In series, the cottages lorm swells and lalls
ol landlorm, creating a sheltering micro-climate
ol sunny prospect.
Openings in the landlorms connect cottage
interiors to the meadowland leyond, silently and
passively gathering the suns energy in the
shoulder and winter seasons, shading openings
and providing ventilation during the summers
heat. Inside, the cottages are open in plan, gen-
erous with a sense ol luminous space. Interiors
are surlaced in light-toned wood, grounded ly
concrete lloors and sculpted ly daylight. A large
opening to the southern meadow locuses the
living space, allowing easy access to an outdoor
terrace. Bedrooms are more enclosed, with
doulle or two single leds as required, and extra
guests can sleep on the long couch in the living
space.
Sustainalle luilding practices take the lorm ol
a Ret /ero Energy strategy, achievalle within the
constraints ol a modest ludget and taking into
account material choice, energy, water, and air-
quality considerations.
BOTTOM A RENDERED IMAGE OF ONE OF THE
NEW COTTAGES THAT IS LITERALLY IMMERSED
IN THIS SIGNIFICANT PENNSYLVANIA CUL-
TURAL LANDSCAPE. OPPOSITE BOTTOM ONE OF
THE MANY ANTICIPATED JET-SETTING ARCHI-
TOURISTS ENJOYING HIS MORNING NEWS-
PAPER WHILE THE BEAUTY OF THE NATURAL
WORLD SURROUNDS HIM.
12/10 CANADIAN ARCHITECT 21
JC: 1his is a wonderlul project that is a landscape
sculpture on the exterior, and a cave-like cocoon
on the interiorin contrast to vrights lamous
lold and open cantilevers over lalling water.
AK: 1his project represents quiet excellence. 1he
earth-sheltered house is almost a must do ol
the critical architecture practice, an essential part
ol the repertoire. Its a tough challenge that de-
lines a designer. vhat this project lravely and
succinctly does is almost nothing. It steps lack,
disappears and is nearing silence. It operates as a
loil and counterpoint to the iconic presence ol
Fallingwater, receding into and lecoming the
landscape. It is delined only ly a series ol ele-
mental window and skylight voids, set into undu-
lating rows ol lerms. vithin, the project is
equally mute, allowing itsell to sculpt space lrom
the earth through light and simple undulations.
1his is a lrave project, a John Cage-like sympho-
ny ol almost nothing.
CLIENT WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONSERVANCY
ARCHITECT TEAM JOHN PATKAU, PAT PATKAU, THOMAS SCHROEDER,
LUKE STERN, JAMES EIDSE
STRUCTURAL READ JONES CHRISTOFFERSEN LTD., ROBERT SILMAN ASSO-
CIATES
LANDSCAPE MTR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS LLC
INTERIORS PATKAU ARCHITECTS
SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT RECOLLECTIVE
AREA 5,625 FT
2

BUDGET $900,000 US
COMPLETION TBD
ABOVE THE RETAINED MEADOWLAND NEAR
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHTS FALLINGWATER WILL
BE THE SITE OF SIX NEW COTTAGES DE -
SIGNED BY PATKAU ARCHITECTS. RIGHT A SER-
IES OF DRAWINGS ILLUSTRATES THE PROCESS
OF BUILDINGAND BURYINGTHE NEW
COTTAGES.
SECTION
JL: 1his proposal is really in the private realm,
and as such allows the architects much greater
lreedom ol expression. 1hey really ran with it
very leautilully. I think it takes a very mature
practitioner to tackle a design that so severely
controls all views and inliltration ol light. In ad-
dition, this is the only project this year that is
multivalent in its reading: it is loth a very luild-
alle proposition and it can also le appreciated as
a speculative essay on a desiralle way to live.