One of eleven prefab homes in existence designed by Prairie School poobah, progenitor, and high priest Frank Lloyd Wright has hit the market for the first time ever at $795K. If the fact that Wright designed prefabs comes as a surprise, it's probably because of prefabricated construction's strong associations with retro-futuristic bubble houses, easy-assembly "glamping" shacks, artsy party barges, and other such flights of fancy, but Wright did in fact do a bit of prefab dabbling with developer Marshall Erdman, the Lithuanian-American builder that commissioned the First Unitarian Society of Madison from him in 1946. Wright discovered that Erdman was selling prefabs, and offered to design him a few models that could be offered for $15K, which was about half the price that Erdman was charging for some of his own. By spring of 1956, Wright had finalized plans for a trio of Usonian-style homes to be built exclusively by Marshall Erdman and Associates. This four-bedroom in Blauvelt, N.Y., known as the Socrates Zaferiou House, is based on the L-shaped, single-story model, nine of which were eventually built.
The more substantive reason a Frank Lloyd Wright prefab sounds counterintuitive is the landscape-oriented approach to design he championed. Wright tied up those concerns with a stipulation that buyers had to submit topographic maps and lot photos to him, after which he would determine how the house should be oriented. The Socrates Zaferiou House sits on 2.5 acres overlooking Blauvelt State Park, and the listing promises perfect "harmony with the environment" with just a half-hour drive to Manhattan. At 2,600 square feet and four bedrooms, it's at the larger end of the variations on this design. Other "appointments" the listing finds fit to mention include an "open floor plan such that the living room/dining room - great room flows into the kitchen," an "oversized fireplace," a "period style patio & planting areas," a carport, and a "full walkout basement." There's also a mural in the living room that's apparently well-known enough in some circles to be copied elsewhere. Tour the place below, and do head on to the flurry of other recent Wright offerings.
· 48 Clausland Mountain Road [Curbed National]
· All Frank Lloyd Wright coverage [Curbed National]
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