Imagine constructing a building in the middle of nowhere, with no easy access to supplies. How would you do it? That’s the puzzle Frank Lloyd Wright had to solve to build Taliesin West, which is located in the desert at the foot of the McDowell Mountains near Scottsdale, Arizona.

How does Wright integrate the environment into this design?
Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin West, 1937. Andrew Pielage. Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Building from Nature
What did Wright consider when designing a structure?
Natural Materials

Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin West, 1937. Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images. Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
In what ways is this design similar to others on this page?

In 1937, when Wright began working on Taliesin West, he had been running an architecture school for several years from Taliesin, his home in Wisconsin. Wright, who at that point was 70, was becoming tired of the Midwest’s bitterly cold winters. He decided to build a compound in the warm Southwest as a winter home for himself and the school.
However, transporting materials to the remote site from far away would be costly and impractical. So Wright decided to build mostly using the natural materials he saw around him in the desert: sand and rocks. To create both exterior and interior walls, “Wright made large wooden boxes, placed stones in them, packed a damp mixture of cement and sand around the stones, and then allowed them to dry under the desert sun to a nice hard finish,” explains Niki Stewart, vice president of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin West, 1937. Andrew Pielage. Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
How does Wright use form and function in his design for this theater?

One Unified Environment
Just as Wright always thought about his materials, he also considered how the finished structure would become one with its surrounding environment. With its long buildings and flat roofs, Taliesin West seamlessly blends with the desert landscape.
Canvas roofs allow the natural sunlight to brighten many of the interior spaces. And the walkways and terraces that connect the various buildings create a sense of unity between the interior and exterior spaces.
Just as Wright focused on how his work would fit into the existing landscape, he also thought about the small details within each structure. He took a holistic approach to architecture, designing everything from the blueprints (structural diagrams) to the furniture, light fixtures, and decorations. For Taliesin West, these details were all inspired by and created to become one with the desert environment.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin West, 1937. Andrew Pielage. Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
What evidence is there that this space is in the desert?

A Long Life—A Long Legacy
Wright and his apprentices added to Taliesin West over many years. They created a compound, with new buildings for new functions, such as dining facilities, above, and theaters, above. And as they expanded, they adhered faithfully to Wright’s guiding principle that a structure must be in harmony with its environment, inhabitants, and purpose.
“Taliesin West is a wonderful example of building in a sustainable way. He was doing that before we ever thought of those ideas as a society,” says Stewart. “He was truly revolutionary.”

Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin West, 1937. Rajkumar Krishnamoorthy/Alamy. Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
How does Wright connect the designs for these tables and chairs?

Wright spent winters at Taliesin West until he died in 1959. “People often forget how long Wright lived,” points out Stewart. “He was born two years after the end of the Civil War and died two years after Sputnik was launched into space. So his life was not just long but also filled with extraordinary advances.” And throughout, Wright adapted and reinvented himself, while always creating works that were immediately recognizably his.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin West, 1937. Andrew Pielage. Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Why do you think Wright made long, horizontal windows for this room?
