Douglas and Charlotte Grant House, Frank Lloyd Wright private residence in Marion, United States
The Douglas and Charlotte Grant House is a single-family home designed in the Usonian style located in Cedar Rapids. It features limestone walls, horizontal window bands, and three large fireplaces that integrate with the surrounding natural environment.
Construction of this Usonian-style residence began in 1949 and finished in 1951, with the owners personally extracting limestone from their property. The Grants played an active role in the building process, completing much of the construction themselves.
The home demonstrates Wright's design principles through open spaces and natural materials that blur the line between interior and exterior living. Visitors can see how the residence shaped daily family life and treated the surrounding landscape as part of the building itself.
The home is located on Adel Street SE and features radiant heating embedded in its concrete slab foundation along with window walls for natural ventilation. Visitors should take time to observe how heating and ventilation are thoughtfully integrated into the overall design.
The owners constructed much of the home themselves after quarrying limestone directly from their land. This hands-on approach to building aligned with Wright's Usonian concept, which aimed to allow families to create their own affordable homes.
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