Goetsch-Winckler House

The Goetsch-Winckler House is a single-family home in Okemos designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1940. It features horizontal redwood boards and brick walls with large windows that blur the line between interior spaces and the surrounding nature.

The house was built in 1940 as a residence for two art professors at Michigan State University. It was originally conceived as part of a larger settlement of Wright-designed homes, but that vision failed to materialize due to funding constraints.

The house reflects Wright's philosophy of simple living through open spaces and built-in furniture that provides everything needed without excess. Visitors can see how thoughtful details like wall shelves and bench seating maximize the usability of every corner.

The home is compact and easy to tour in one visit, with all living areas concentrated in a small footprint. The layout with a central living space and compact bedrooms demonstrates how functional design works in a small house.

The home was one of eight planned houses for an ambitious neighborhood called Usonia I, which embodied Wright's dream of housing for people with modest means. This solitary structure remains as a testament to how innovative his thinking was about residential living.