American System-Built Homes, Historic district in Milwaukee, United States.
American System-Built Homes is a residential district in Milwaukee with six houses in the Prairie style, featuring flat roofs and broad roof overhangs. The buildings display clean, geometric forms and are arranged to create a cohesive group.
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed these houses from 1911 to 1914 as an experiment in mass housing for middle-income families. Construction took place between 1915 and 1916, marking a new approach to how architects could create affordable housing.
The houses show how Wright wanted to build for ordinary people by using simple forms and affordable materials. The design fits the flat landscape and creates a neighborhood that stands apart from the grand houses of that era.
The site sits in a normal residential neighborhood and is easy to reach on foot. The best time to visit is during daylight hours, and one of the houses operates as a museum requiring advance reservations.
The houses were built with prefabricated parts that were cut at a factory and then assembled on site. This system saved time and money by reducing material waste and requiring fewer labor hours.
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