Architecture in Nature - Farnsworth House (2005)
As the house is raised off the ground, this achieves two important goals. Firstly, the area is known to flood at certain times of the year due to the river overflowing. Thus, the raised building is lifted above the flood water, saving it from damage during those seasons. Secondly, and more importantly to the idea of spatial continuity, the raised building allows surrounding space to flow above, through and underneath the house, giving spatial consciousness to visitors and inhabitants to the house. The house does not seem to disrupt the flow of space in nature as its transparent quality moves it away from obstruction. Aside from this, the steps also raise the house to a new hierarchical level, so that people entering the house may feel that they have been lifted over the world around them. Buildings such as temples, courthouses and other government buildings also make use of this technique to emphasize their authority.

From within the house, the entire landscape in which the building is located is framed by the pillars, the roof and the ceiling. This creates a picture like quality when viewing the surrounding space from within the building. As mentioned, walls are kept to a minimum to provide an unobstructed view of the forest and river. The small amount of walls that are used to create the space within the Farnsworth House is also either parallel or perpendicular to each other, creating a strong sense of order within the building. The walls in effect define the space without dividing it, strengthening the openness of the entire site. Another interesting note about the openness of the building, aside from the idea that it unites the architecture with nature, is the way in which it encourages people within the house to observe nature. Raised on a platform and seemingly raised above the natural landscape, observers within the building look at nature from a different perspective than if they were standing outside. They are encouraged to study the space from an observational viewpoint as if they were away from the scenery but still close enough to examine it.

A recurring theme throughout this essay has been the use of glass walls to aid in the bringing of nature into the interior of the house. Like many of Mies’ work in America, he uses glass in conjunction with steel to create a practical yet aesthetically pleasing combination. “I” beams are used to support the roof and create the skeleton to help support the glass walls. They are painted white to soften the contrast they create with the translucency of the windows, and also to create a lighter form for the building that emphasizes the residential purpose of the Farnsworth House. It is interesting to note that such common industrial products could be used to achieve an aesthetically pleasing look that works effectively with both the transparent and the reflective aspect of the glass. The choice of these two materials continue to show Mies’ interest in the use of technology and its importance to modern architecture. The wall that forms the service core of the house inside is made from timber, which suggests the desire to bring nature into the interior of the dwelling. Also, it puts forward the idea that Mies wanted to create a feeling of warmth inside the house, an idea that is supported by the placement of a fireplace against this wooden wall.

In relation to history, the Farnsworth House takes on a character similar to all other modern architecture. It rejected historical references and placed function over form. The Farnsworth House is stripped of all decorative ornaments and its aesthetic beauty comes from the use of materials and its placement in relation to the landscape as discussed earlier. It does however, suggest a small yearning to the imitation of nature that is at the root of architecture as proposed by Marc-Antoine Laugier . The vertical steel beams bear a resemblance towards the slim tree barks that rise upwards around the surrounding forest. With the curtains of the house drawn, it is only the horizontal elements that suggest the presence of a manmade dwelling.

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