Month: March 2017

Falling water

  • Edgar Kaufmann, Sr land owner.
  • Businessman and president of Kaufmann’s department store.
  • His son, Edgar Kaufmann, jr. Studied architecture from Frank Lloyd wright
  • Land was owned by the Kauffman family.
  • Used as a retreat to get away from the city.
  • Also used as a summer camp for shop employees.
  • Rural South west Pennsylvania, 69Km away from Pittsburg.
  • The river “ Bear run” runs through the site itself.
  • Few deteriorating log cabins.
  • September 14th 1934 ,Wright was contacted.
  • December 18th, 1934 first time Wright saw the site.
  • March 1935 site survey was delivered.
  • 22nd September 1935, Kaufmann, sr came to visit.
  • Preliminary plans given to Kaufmann October 15, 1935.
  • Construction started in April 1936.
  • Wright was the cheapest to start with!
  • He was chosen because his son vouched for his prowess.
  • He also was the only one that said it could be completed similar to Kaufmann’s expectations.

 

  • Wright took lots of inspiration for his designs from nature itself.He wanted to integrate the Kaufmann’s into nature itself, which is why they’re perched above a 10M waterfall!
  • House total floor space is 5,330 square feet ( 496 square meters)
  • A local quarry was reopened just to keep the construction materials local.
  • On the cover of time magazine in January 1938
  • There is an on-site barn in which you can get married in.
  • $35,000 initial quote

    $155,000 final figure ( $8,000 architect fees)

    $22,000  walnut interior.

    Present day cost would be

    $3,000,000

    Restoration in alone 2001:

    $17,000,000

 

Visiting speaker-Vescom

Vescom.

Based in Holland.

Started in 1971, same family run business.

The internals of the factory is contemporary, stylish interiors.

They have a passion for modern art and culture.

Trailblazing and innovating new releases.

Quick release of stock, under 2 days.

On site designers-fashion and architecture

They are designers who love the drama of colour.

They design as we love creating and solving problems

They own their own mills… 2 for fabric, and the other for vinyl coverings.

Sophisticated and fresh colours made from their own labs.

They make wall covers and upholstery curtains, made from vinyl, and textiles (silk, cotton)

Blackout curtains, shears and acoustic shear style curtains. ( acoustic shears absorb 60-70% of sound.)

They look both ways; into tradition and modern innovation.

They also collaborate with a Dutch counterpart magazine FRAME.

Partnered with DESIGNTEX upholstery company from America.

DESIGNTEX are all about creating functional, usable and industrial materials for office blocks.

They work alongside Wallace and Sewell fabric designers.

Also working alongside Charlie harper, a modernist artist with a taste for wildlife.

They also collaborate with an American company called Carnegie Xorel. They’re sustainable and have a low carbon footprint.

Natural materials;

Fur – Wool consists of fibres from a sheep fleece. (good thermal ability, sustainable, flexible etc.)

Mohair- A silk-like fibre from the angora goat, has a high lustre and sheen, highly water repellent and fantastic acoustic properties.

Cocoon- The silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae from the silk worm.

Linen (Flax)- Made from the fibres of the flax plant

Pulp (wood)-Wood fibre reduced to pulp to manufacture paper.

 

Manmade

Nylon (polyamide)-

Polyester ( Trevira CS)- A synthetic fibre made from using raw materials from the petrochemical industries.

Testing fabric and wear and tear.

Martindale test – industry minimum is 50,000, tests grit in floor with pendulum.

Figure of 8 set to do 5,000 motions, if no issues, test is repeated until failure.

 

Sectors of use

All applies with CRIB 5 regulations. Also complies to BS 7176 regulations.

healthcare sector.

Digital print is all a vinyl wall covering ( used for way finding)

Office sector.

Digital print…

Educations sector.

Student housing, vinyl upholstery

Leisure sector

Airport, theatres, all acoustic properties. Also theatre curtains.

Marine sector.

All have to be IMO rating in yacht industry.

Retail

Full on customer experience.

Residential

Pure luxury.

Carbon footprint- where is the product from/manufactured, what’s it made from, is it recyclable.

They use a backing in some instances called Nano sphere, which is a waterproof membrane on the rear.

Draw on wall product. Could be useful for my studio when recording/ writing down riffs