Roloson Houses, Historic residence in Chicago, Illinois.
The Roloson Houses complex includes several residential buildings with low-pitched roofs, overhanging eaves, and extensive windows that create flowing transitions to outdoor spaces. The structures feature strong horizontal lines and use local materials that visually connect them to their surroundings.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed these houses in the early 1900s, establishing a new direction for American residential architecture. The project emerged from the Prairie School movement, which rejected the ornate styles that dominated the previous century.
The houses show how residential buildings can embrace their surroundings, with low roofs and wide overhangs that shelter outdoor spaces. Visitors can see how the open porches and large windows blur the line between inside and outside living.
The houses are located in a residential neighborhood and visible from the street, though interior access may not always be available. Visitors should check ahead about visiting opportunities and respect the privacy of the current residents.
The houses represent some of Wright's earliest experiments in translating his ideas about living spaces into actual homes. Some original design details remain intact even as the buildings have been updated to meet modern living needs.
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