My wife and I bought the place last December. We’re still filling the interior, so we’re missing some seating and decorative pieces, but I took this shot on a whim last weekend after giving a tour to some local folks. Was walking in from the lanai and loved how the light spilled into the home.
We LOVE visitors and are always happy to open our doors on the weekends, just give us a heads up! You can follow us on Insta at [@goestchwincklerhouse](https://www.instagram.com/goetschwincklerhouse/).
Some history:
Located in Okemos, just outside East Lansing, the home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939 for MSU art professors Alma Goetsch and Kathrine Winckler. Inspired by his Broadacre City concept, the pair contacted Wright with an interest in forming their own housing collective. Several other staff and faculty members joined the project which Wright would later name “Usonia II”. Wright designed the entire community, but the project fell apart after the stakeholders were unable to obtain FHA loans after the home designs were deemed too radical. Wright even traveled to D.C. to argue on their behalf but to no avail. Goetsch and Winckler, determined to build their home, found a more desirable plot of land and paid out of pocket for the home’s construction. They had a strict budget of $6,600 (about $150k in today’s money). Along the way, they did several things to cut costs in order to stick to their budget: 1.) they used redwood cladding instead of the specified cypress; 2.) they did not include the perforated boards (or “shadow screens”) around the clerestory windows like you see in other Usonians, but Wright did design them; and 3.) they substituted the board ceiling (like that seen in the Pope-Leighy) with 4′ square plywood boards. The resulting effect of these modifications stripped the home of all superfluous elements and reduced it to its essence, making it one of Wright’s most exemplary Usonian homes. In the end, Goetsch and Winckler came in just $5.27 under budget!
Postgrifter
This looks fantastic! Also love how welcoming you are. I’ve never been to Michigan, but this could be worth the drive 😊
3 Comments
My wife and I bought the place last December. We’re still filling the interior, so we’re missing some seating and decorative pieces, but I took this shot on a whim last weekend after giving a tour to some local folks. Was walking in from the lanai and loved how the light spilled into the home.
We LOVE visitors and are always happy to open our doors on the weekends, just give us a heads up! You can follow us on Insta at [@goestchwincklerhouse](https://www.instagram.com/goetschwincklerhouse/).
Some history:
Located in Okemos, just outside East Lansing, the home was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939 for MSU art professors Alma Goetsch and Kathrine Winckler. Inspired by his Broadacre City concept, the pair contacted Wright with an interest in forming their own housing collective. Several other staff and faculty members joined the project which Wright would later name “Usonia II”. Wright designed the entire community, but the project fell apart after the stakeholders were unable to obtain FHA loans after the home designs were deemed too radical. Wright even traveled to D.C. to argue on their behalf but to no avail. Goetsch and Winckler, determined to build their home, found a more desirable plot of land and paid out of pocket for the home’s construction. They had a strict budget of $6,600 (about $150k in today’s money). Along the way, they did several things to cut costs in order to stick to their budget: 1.) they used redwood cladding instead of the specified cypress; 2.) they did not include the perforated boards (or “shadow screens”) around the clerestory windows like you see in other Usonians, but Wright did design them; and 3.) they substituted the board ceiling (like that seen in the Pope-Leighy) with 4′ square plywood boards. The resulting effect of these modifications stripped the home of all superfluous elements and reduced it to its essence, making it one of Wright’s most exemplary Usonian homes. In the end, Goetsch and Winckler came in just $5.27 under budget!
This looks fantastic! Also love how welcoming you are. I’ve never been to Michigan, but this could be worth the drive 😊
Plywood ceiling?