Wrightian/Organic Architecture Since 1992

I started Genesis Architecture in 1992, already with an interest and fascination with the organic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, whose work continues to remain ageless and compelling as evidenced in the many publications still being written about him and the popularity of his buildings.  The spaces and details of his homes have a certain resonance and charm with people that few buildings can claim, whether old or contemporary.  Is this due to his 'organic' architecture that replicates something we experience in nature?  Although this mystery is difficult to define, one knows it when you experience it.  My career has been a quest to design and learn about this kind of architecture that resonates with the human soul as well as with nature. The portfolios on this website show examples of these designs produced by Genesis Architecture for over 20 years.  

In 1992, having just won my second Grand Prize in the Innovations in Housing competition/Better Homes & Gardens Home of the Year (see our 1993 Home of the Year), I decided to put out my shingle and begin my own architectural firm.  The home that I designed for the competition was built in Port Orchard, WA and became Better Homes & Gardens 1993 Home of the Year, appearing in the August 1993 issue. This home was my updated interpretation of the Prairie Style with modern functionality.  It emphasized a strong unified interior space where even the upstairs bedrooms had windows looking out above the great room and "skylights" that borrowed light from the larger actual skylights above the great room space.  A strong Japanese aesthetic and sense of proportion and detail is also evident in the home.  

Many clients have come to us since that time, knowing of our specialization in Wrightian/Organic design.  Some of these clients have been looking for a more 'period' reproduction of what Wright did in his Prairie period or Usonian era for example.  Others have wanted a more free interpretive expression.  In either case, I take every project as an honor and opportunity to both provide wonderful homes and buildings for my clients to live in while working in the 'art' of architecture in these projects.  Others have wanted the popular Mid-Century Modern style.  We have done remodeling work to homes by John Randall McDonald and Lilian Leenhouts, two well-known architects in Southeast Wisconsin.  Even when the style is not overtly Wrightian, most clients are looking for modern, clean lines with the warmth that nature can bring to it through materials, space, and line.  There is a poetry to architecture that achieves a harmony with nature and a natural beauty when done well.  With it is the satisfaction of living in a work of art that enhances and inspires life.

As part of my endeavor to continue pursuing the theory behind organic architecture, I have recently completed doctoral study at UWM's School of Architecture & Urban Planning. I received my PhD in December 2018, and my dissertation title is, The Aesthetics of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Organic Architecture: Hegel, Japanese Art, and Modernism.  Various papers I have written have been included on this website for those interested (see "Scholarly Papers" section).