TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES

938 Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City

ARCHITECTURE ICONS
TITLE: CASE STUDY

GROUP No. 5
Group Members:
Andales, Whensel N.
Datuin, Gabrielle Mhelan J.
Lagadia, Dwen Gabrielle R.
Mandabon, Mitzi Maureen C.
Date: 2019-03-21
Section: AR42FC3
Submitted to: Ar. D. Cendana
 INTRODUCTION
Edgar Jonas Kaufmann was the patriarch of a prominent Pittsburgh family known
for their distinctive sense of style and taste. A highly respected business man and owner
of Kaufmann’s Department Store, Edgar and his wife Liliane traveled in international
circles and sought out the company of artists, architects, and other creative souls
throughout their lives. Their only child, Edgar Kaufmann, jr. was an equally sensitive and
artistic man who would become the catalyst for his father’s relationship with Frank Lloyd
Wright.

The Kaufmanns’ unique path as a family, led them to the community of Bear Run,
Pennsylvania, and eventually the architect Frank Lloyd Wright, would lay the foundation
for Fallingwater one of the greatest architectural triumphs of the 20th century. The
Fallingwater perched above a mountain cataract on a rocky hillside deep in the rugged
forest of Southwestern Pennsylvania, some 90 minutes from Pittsburgh, is America’s
most famous house. The commission for Fallingwater was a personal milestone for the
American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, since it clearly marked a turning point in his
career.

The natural beauty surrounding Fallingwater is intimately connected to the

understanding and appreciation of the house itself. The genius of Frank Lloyd Wright to
physically and spiritually embrace the natural world is captured in the daring and
innovative architecture set among the forest landscape of Bear Run.

TIMELINE

Since its public debut 82 years ago, more than five million visitors have toured and
experienced Fallingwater. The story of Fallingwater is more than 100 years in the making.

1909 - Edgar discovers Bear Run.

1934 - After a recommendation by a friend to read Wright’s autobiography, Edgar jr.

travels to Wisconsin for an interview with Wright on September 27. Edgar and Liliane
asked Wright to design a weekend house on the wooded property they owned
surrounding a waterfall at Mill Run, Pa. Wright visits Edgar Kaufmann in Pittsburgh to
discuss the design of his office, and visits Bear Run for the first time (December 18).
1935 - Edgar Kaufmann commissions Frank Lloyd Wright to design a weekend house for
his family near Bear Run.

1936 - First working drawings of Fallingwater completed (January). Construction of

Fallingwater begins (April); foundations completed (July); living room cantilever ready to
pour (August).

1937 - Fallingwater's construction is completed. The Kaufmanns move in (December).

Construction begins on Wright’s design for Edgar Kaufmann’s corner office on the tenth
floor of Kaufmann’s Department Store. A one-room interior executed primarily of cypress
wood, the office included louvered windows and built-in storage cabinets designed on a
two-foot-square module.

1938 - "A New House by Frank Lloyd Wright" exhibition is installed in the Time-Life
Building Fallingwater featured in Architectural Forum (January).

1939 - Fallingwater guest house is completed.

1941 - Edgar jr. and Liliane present “Below the Rio Grande,” an exhibition of Mexican
antiques and folk art presented at Kaufmann’s. Two paintings that form the exhibition will
later hang at Fallingwater.

1959 - Frank Lloyd Wright dies in Phoenix, Ariz. on April 9.

1963 - Edgar jr. deeds Fallingwater and surrounding 1,500 acres to the Western
Pennsylvania Conservancy as “The Kaufmann Conservation on Bear Run, a Memorial to
Edgar J. and Liliane S. Kaufmann” along with a $500,000 endowment to care for the
house (October 29).

"Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright House Revisited" exhibition opens at MoMA, curated
by Arthur Drexler, Director of Architecture. Photographs by Ezra Stoller (18 color images).
Drexler compares Fallingwater to Chartres Cathedral and the Parthenon: “If you had to
reduce the history of architecture to ten images, you could not omit this house.”

1964 - Fallingwater opens for public tours; admittance by advance reservations through
the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy office in Pittsburgh. Annual visitation is 29,792.
1976 - Donald Hoffman publishes "Fallingwater: The House and Its History," with an
introduction by Edgar jr. Fallingwater is designated a National Historic Landmark by the
United States Department of the Interior on May 11.

1979 - Edgar jr. becomes more involved in Fallingwater operations overall through art
commissions. He returns some objects to the house and removes others.

1985 - Lynda Waggoner engaged to consult on collections and give Fallingwater a more
lived-in quality.

Jack Boucher photographs Fallingwater for the Historic American Buildings Survey.

1986 - Friends of Fallingwater formed. Fallingwater celebrates its 50th anniversary with
a private train bringing guests from Pittsburgh to Ohio Pyle. Edgar jr. publishes
"Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House." Visitation breaks six figures at
106,200.

1989 - Edgar Kaufmann, jr. dies in New York (July); on the same day, Fallingwater
experiences largest flood since 1956. His ashes are scattered at Fallingwater.

1995 - Robert Silman Associates engaged to address deflection of cantilevered terraces.

2000 - Paul Mayen dies (November 3), ashes are scattered at Fallingwater.

Fallingwater named a Commonwealth Treasure by Governor Tom Ridge and the

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

2002 - Restoration team led by Robert Silman Associates installs post tensioned high-
strength steel cables beneath the floors and alongside three of the four beams of
Fallingwater’s main cantilever, as well as several of the east-west joists. The process
works much like a suspension bridge in which the cables are anchored at either end of
the expanse and following a bent path (i.e., rising in the middle), structurally support the
bridge deck.

2003 - As a model of sustainability, a state-of-the-art, closed-loop, zero-discharge waste

water treatment facility is installed. The system, designed and installed by CH2MHill,
treats waste water that is then recycled for other uses on the property such as non-potable
water and drip irrigation.

2006 - Painter Felix de la Concha becomes the second artist-in-residence at Fallingwater.

The 18-month residency resulted in nearly 50 paintings, which capture Fallingwater at
various times of day and in all seasons. From the collection an exhibition entitled
“Fallingwater en Perspectiva” was organized and toured four venues in the United States.

2011 - Fallingwater celebrates its 75th anniversary with publication of “Fallingwater;” an

international symposium, “Private Domains/Public Displays: The Modern House
Interpreted,” on presenting the modern house museum.

2013 - Construction of 700-foot ADA-accessible pathway completed, connecting parking

lot to birds-eye view of Fallingwater.

2015 - Cork floor of servant’s quarter’s bathroom replaced and re-laid in patchwork
pattern similar to original.

2016 - High Meadow residential facility designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, opens to
rave reviews and received AIA Pennsylvania Silver Medal. Architectural Preservation
Studio conducts a laser scan of the exterior of the main house and guest house.
Fallingwater sees its highest attendance with 181,082 visiting the site.

2017 - Architectural Preservation Studio conducts a laser scan of Fallingwater’s interiors.

SUMMARY

Question 1: What was/where the issues in the decision to build?

 In 1935, Wright was commissioned by the Kaufmanns, they need to replace their
deteriorating summer home.
 Edgar Kaufmann, the client, wanted a rural retreat or a vacation house to be
built in his property.

Question 2: Who are the main actors on the project?

 Frank Lloyd Wright was the architect behind the design of the Falling Water.
 The client/owner of the house was Liliane Kaufmann and Edgar Kaufmann Jr.
  Robert Mosher was the on-site representative of the project during construction.

Question 3: What are the effects of the design on the geographical condition of the project?

 The intricate connection between the Falling Water and its environment cannot fully
comprehend without examining first the ground from which it sprung.
 The impact of the water upon land has yielded a landscape of breathtaking beauty
in the rural of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Question 4: What where the issues during the construction stage?

 The construction was plagued by conflicts between Wright, Kaufmann, and the
construction contractor. Uncomfortable with what he saw as Wright's insufficient
experience using reinforced concrete, Kaufmann had the architect's daring
cantilever design reviewed by a firm of consulting engineers.
 During the construction phase of the Falling Water, the contractors doubted
Wright’s damp proof courses. They said that yes, it might stand beside a river, but
never on top of it.

OBSERVATION

Question 5: What is the present condition?

 2013 - Construction of 700-foot accessible pathway completed, connecting parking

lot to birds-eye view of Fallingwater.

 2015 - Cork floor of servant’s quarter’s bathroom replaced and re-laid in patchwork
pattern similar to original.

 2016 – Architectural Preservation Studio conducts a laser scan of the exterior of

the main house and guest house.

 2017- Architectural Preservation Studio conducts a laser scan of Fallingwater’s

interiors.
  A fallen log picked up by the overflow rammed into the stone wall of the lower
plunge pool, breaking off the wall’s capstone and dislodging one of the home’s
signature sculpture pieces, the Jacques Lipchitz’s “Mother and Child.”

ANALYSIS

Question 6: Explain the foundation type & its effect on the structure.

 Designed a house atop the waterfall, this allowed the natural environment to
become integrated with the house. Concrete bolsters and bearing walls were built
around natural boulders to form the foundation. In fact, parts of the boulder are
exposed on the main floor. The main feature of the building is its cantilevered
terraces that extend 15 feet from the edge of the foundation. Wright designed the
terraces to accent the flowing waterfall underneath them. Nearly half of the floor
area of the building is outdoor, which signifies how important the natural
surrounding influenced the design of the building. This is accented by the many
large windows that create a seamless boundary between the indoor and outdoor
space.

Question 7: Explain the structural frame of the Fallingwater.

 In Fallingwater, it is difficult to separate the form from the structure. The structure
is the form. The protruding terraces are cantilevered reinforced concrete, anchored
into the hillside with the main floor resting atop four piers. The great masonry core
serves to counter balance the building and also encloses the kitchen, a dressing
room, and a study, as well as ducting and other mechanical components. The
backside of the house is massed high, again to counterbalance the cantilevered
terraces. The support of the main terrace above the main room is even plainly
visible, but perhaps not obvious. Four of the window mullions are load bearing steel.
There is no extra ornament; the beauty of the house lies solely in its form and
structure. The building becomes part of its surroundings. Similarly, the structure
relies on its surroundings, using the hillside for anchoring, and using the natural
 rock often for support. Ultimately, it is the form that is affected by the structure the
illustration of daring structure.

CONCLUSION

Question 8: What was/where the error/s compared to present high-rise design

 His roofs weren’t properly supported. Wright's most famous architectural oversight
is the lack of structural support for Fallingwater, his most iconic work. Built over a
waterfall, the 1939 house blends beautifully into the surrounding landscape, its
cantilevered floors jutting out like the rocks in the stream below.

 Concrete foundations were often too weak. John Eifler says that when beginning a
Wright restoration project, he always looks for settlement. That's because Wright
often tried to figure out ways to avoid the cost of pouring concrete into the ground
to build a strong foundation.
 Wright didn’t fully consider future maintenance or upkeep. Wright and German-
American architect Mies van der Rohe shared a lack of concern for the durability of
their structures.

RECOMMENDATION

Question 9.1: What would you recommend on the Planning Stage?

 Follow the principle that form follows function. Creating buildings that are now
considered works of art should emphasis on durability and sustainability.
 Understand how things would perform over long periods of time.

Question 9.2: What would you recommend on the Procurement Stage?

 It’s about futuristic thinking. The design is the most important aspect of the buildings
it needs to be made more sustainable and efficient.
 A massive renovation was needed to keep the structure intact and safe for visitors.
Wright try to find another way to hold up the building without having to spend so
much money on basements and concrete leading the foundation to be weak.
 INTRODUCTION

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the piazza’s crowning glory. Although only a third as
high as the Washington Monument, it was a miracle of medieval engineering, probably
the tallest bell towers in Europe. With 207 columns ranged around eight stories, Tower of
Pisa looks like a massive wedding cake knocked precariously askew by a clumsy giant
guest. The construction of Tower of Pisa began in August 1173 and continued for about
200 years due to the onset of a series of wars. Till today, the name of the architect is a
mystery. The leaning Tower of Pisa was designed as a circular bell tower that would stand
185 feet high. It is constructed of white marble. The tower has eight stories, including the
chamber for the bells.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a building in Pisa, Italy. It is a bell tower. It is famous
because it is not vertical. In 1990 the tower was leaning at 5.5 degrees and increasing.
After that, much restoration work has been done to stop it from falling over completely.
There was scaffolding all around the tower for 20 years. On 26 April 2011, the last bit of
scaffolding was removed so that the tower can be seen properly again.

When the second floor was built in 1178, the tower started to lean. This was
because it had a small three-meter foundation in soft soil. The design of this tower was
bad from the beginning. Construction was stopped for almost 100 years because the
people of Pisa were often at war with Genoa, Lucca, and Florence.

TIMELINE

January 5, 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, a widow and resident of the house of
dell'Opera di Santa Maria. The sum was then used toward the purchase of a few stones
which still form the base of the bell tower.

August 9, 1173, the foundations of the tower were laid. Nearly four centuries later Giorgio
Vasari wrote: "Guglielmo, according to what is being said, in year 1174 with Bonanno as
sculptor, laid the foundations of the bell tower of the cathedral in Pisa."

December 27, 1233, the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, oversaw the
continuation of the construction of the bell tower.
February 23, 1260, Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni, a worker on the cathedral Santa
Maria Maggiore, was elected to oversee the building of the tower.

April 12, 1264, the master builder Giovanni di Simone and 23 workers went to the
mountains close to Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were given to Rainaldo Speziale,
worker of St. Francesco.

Giorgio Vasari indicated that Tommaso di Andrea Pisano was the designer of the
belfry between 1360 and 1370.

SUMMARY

Question 1: What was/where the issues in the decision to build?

 The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built as a freestanding bell tower for the cathedral
of the Italian City of Pisa.
 The City of Pisa was at the beginning a simple but an important Italian seaport.
With its growth, so did its religious buildings. They were involved in various military
conflicts which they have won over. So, to show the world just how important the
city was, the people of Pisa decided to build a great cathedral complex which the
Leaning Tower of Pisa was included.

Question 2: Who are the main actors on the project?

 The real identity of Tower of Pisa’s architects is a mystery. But the most accredited
people of the first phase of work are Bonanno Pisano and Gherardo din
Gherardo.
 Bonanno Pisano was the engineer in-charge with the foundation of the tower.
 In 1234, architect Benenato added the fifth story of the Tower.
 In 1260, William of Innsbruck added the sixth and seventh stories to the Tower of
Pisa.
 The second phase of construction (1275) is attributed to Giovanni di Simone.
 Tommaso Pisano (1350-1372) was the architect who finished the work.
Question 3: What are the effects of the design on the geographical condition of the project?

 The primary cause of the tilt was a fluctuating water table which would perch higher
on the Tower’s north side causing the Tower’s characteristics slant to the south.

Question 4: What where the issues during the construction stage?

 Because there was a lot of water under the ground in this area, Bonnano was able
to place the foundation only about 10 feet down into the ground. As the first story
of the tower was completed, the south side began to sink.
 By the time they got to the fourth story, they had to make the southern columns 2
inches taller than the northern ones. The tower just continued to lean, and because
of the difficulties the construction was stopped.
 Architect Benenato (1234) added a fifth story, again making the south columns
taller than the north ones. After adding that one story, Benenato gave up, and again
construction on the tower stopped.
 After all the addition of stories, the Tower was built in 1372, and it was still leaning.

OBSERVATION

Question 5: What is the present condition?

 Due to remedial engineering works of the Leaning Tower of Pisa is now leaning just
a little bit less. The monument’s distinctive tilt has been corrected by four
centimeters (1.5 inches) over the last 20 years, they said. The 183ft-tall tower is
now more stable than could have been hoped for, according to a surveillance group
of experts who monitor one of Italy’s most famous symbols.

ANALYSIS

Question 6: Explain the foundation type & its effect on the structure.

 The foundation was made of limestone and lime mortar. However, it was dug only
3 meters deep and built on dense clay, which was not a very stable place to build
a 14,500-ton tower. The weight started to compact the soil until it found the weakest
 point and started sinking in on one side. Something very unusual happened,
though: the building did not collapse. Instead, it was resting on the limestone. The
limestone was so flexible, it could hold the pressure of the Tower. What happened
to the Leaning Tower of Pisa is known as foundation settling. While the foundation
held for a time, it eventually settled into the position it is at today. Weather and soil
will make the building sink down into a new position. Today, contractors and other
foundation repair companies take this into account, which causes better built
buildings with a lesser chance of shifting. Back in 1178, it was not as prevalent to
account for settling.

Question 7: Explain the structural frame it.

 Construction is in the form of a hollow cylinder surrounded by colonnades. The

inner and outer surfaces of the cylinder are faced with tightly jointed marble but
the material between these facings consists of mortar and stones in which
extensive voids have been found. A spiral stairway winds up within the walls of
the Tower. The stability of the masonry at second-storey level on the south side
has been a matter of major concern.

 The underlying ground consists of three distinct layers. Layer A is about 10 m

thick and consists of variable soft silty deposits laid down in shallow water
(lagoonal, fluvial and estuarine conditions) less than 10,000 years ago. Layer B
consists of very soft sensitive marine clays laid down up to 30,000 years ago
which extend to a depth of 40 m.

CONCLUSION

Question 8: What was/where the error/s compared to present high-rise design

 The Leaning Tower of Pisa's foundation was built on unstable soil so when they
had finished the third floor it started to lean to the south.
 The foundation for the Tower of Pisa was laid in 1173, constructed mainly of marble
and lime; the tower was built in a circular ditch, about five feet deep, over ground
consisting of clay, fine sand, and shells. The cause of the lean is due to a reaction
 of the composite of clay, fine sand, and shells that the tower is built on. This soil
mix is more compressible on the south side, but over the years as the tilt increased,
the Tower of Pisa stopped sinking and began to rotate, causing the north side to
move up toward the surface.

RECOMMENDATION

Question 9.1: What would you recommend on the Planning Stage?

 Focusing more on foundation and structure. The strength of a building lies in its
foundation. The main purpose of the foundation is to hold the structure above it and
keep it upright. Footings are the most principal and important part of any building it
can guarantee the success or total failure of the project. Although the problem of
tilting is solved in the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it's a problem that can affect a variety
of projects.

Question 9.2: What would you recommend on the Procurement Stage?

 Each project is unique and will require a different combination of techniques

depending on the type of materials being used, the type of structure, and the
specific soil conditions in each case. Keep in mind that the required regulations and
codes must be met in every condition.