Melvyn Maxwell and Sara Stein Smith House

The Melvyn Maxwell and Sara Stein Smith House is a single-family residence designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Bloomfield Township with an L-shaped floor plan. The building combines glass walls, cypress wood cladding, and brick elements across approximately 1,800 square feet situated on a three-acre property.

Teachers Melvyn and Sara commissioned Wright in 1946 to design their home, with construction completed in 1949 through community support and hands-on building efforts. The project emerged during Wright's push to advance his Usonian vision for affordable modern living.

The house displays metal sculptures created by Cranbrook Academy graduates and embodies Wright's approach to integrating buildings naturally with their surroundings. This design philosophy shapes how visitors experience the relationship between the structure and the landscape around it.

The house uses radiant floor heating and clerestory windows for natural light, with a carport positioned opposite the brick chimney serving as the main focal point. The best time to visit is during mild weather to fully explore the outdoor grounds and landscape features.

The property features a modernist biomorphic pond created by landscape architect Thomas Church in 1957. This water element forms an organic bridge between the geometric building and the surrounding landscape.

Location: Michigan

Architects: Frank Lloyd Wright

GPS coordinates: 42.56497,-83.27129

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:42