Observations, photographs, and video of the construction of a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house which serves as the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center on the campus of Florida Southern College, located in the South Lake Morton Historic District of Lakeland, Florida. Follow this link for visitor information.

The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists.  |   G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)
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It won't catch fire
By Michael Maguire | November 20, 2011 at 10:43 AM EST | 7 comments

November Gallery
You're looking up from the floor through the fireplace's flu opening. No smoke will ever escape this way, because no fire will ever be lit here. But the sight of it gives enticing clues as to how the interior will eventually look and feel. The wythes here are the same as the others, and sit on a steel frame above the hearth. The masons must remove the back edge of the bottom "cove" to mount the first course. See more details in the November Gallery.

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1. Tom Patteson | November 22, 2011 at 10:12 AM EST

By the way Mike, don't think I've ever said thanks for this documentation here, but thanks a lot. It's amazing for me to be able to follow this from a distance. VERY much appreciated.

2. Michael | November 22, 2011 at 11:24 AM EST

You're welcome, Tom. We hope this will be something for the ages.

3. Ken Uracius | November 23, 2011 at 10:53 AM EST

Tom

What do you do?

Ken

4. Tom Patteson | December 08, 2011 at 10:31 PM EST

Ken, been away for a month. But I'm an out of work architect.

T

5. Marlo | January 01, 2012 at 08:14 PM EST

Are they working from original F.L.W. plans?

6. Michael | January 02, 2012 at 10:32 AM EST

Mario,

Yes, but ... the plans have been updated to meet modern building codes, especially regarding hurricanes.

7. Ken Uracius | January 17, 2012 at 05:57 PM EST

Sorry I didn't get back to you Tom i have been on the road a lot. Where are you located?

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Wizard
in Wood
Craftsman earns national reputation 
for work on Florida Southern project
 
The whole world is watching! 

More than 50,000 people from 155 countries have visited the site nearly 68,000 times and racked up more than 153,000
page views. 
We are re-telling the story of the project on our facebook page. If you "Like" it, you'll always know what's what as soon as we do!
Traffic Operations sign technician Gary Griffith installs one of the new Frank Lloyd Wright Way street signs at Success Avenue and the former McDonald Street. The address of the house itself is now:
Our Video makeover is complete! Choose the main Video page, or any of the "year" pages to watch all of the project action in full HD. Also see The Blocks, The Glass, The Wood, The Fountain, and 3D Animation in crisp, clear high defintion.
 
With so much happening at once during the final month, we thought you might find it helpful to have these links to our most recent blog posts. Just click the headline to go directly to the post. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It's in all the papers! 
 
And online, TV, and radio. Check out
the News page for more.

And see ...
 
the last 30 Days
in just 30 seconds

Click here for that
and all the October videos
 
The Premiere of the historic Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian House took place October 31st. Dignitaries from the city, the county, and the college joined the donors, craftsmen, and professionals who made it all possible.

Watch our interview with Ken Berman who installed the glass inserts, and see how all of the 10,000 board feet of southern cypress was turned into ceilings, walls, shelves, and doors. 
Click here for the video.

Take a look at the last frenetic month in the October Gallery.
On May 20, 2010, Dr. Anne Kerr announced Florida Southern College's plans to construct a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed "Usonian House" which will serve as a new education and tourism center.

Click here for a slideshow of the announcement posted on flickr in the  fsc.mocs photostream.
The site of Florida Southern College's latest addition to its Frank Lloyd Wright collection - the largest in the world in a single location - is on McDonald Street between Johnson and College Avenues in one of Lakeland, Florida's oldest historic neighborhoods.
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