patkau architects: fallingwater cottages

fallingwater cottages by patkau architects

earlier this month fallingwater announced patkau architects of vancouver, british columbia,

as the winner of its first-ever design competition for on-site cottages that will support 

residential educational programming at the frank lloyd wright masterwork in fayette county,

pennslyvania.

patkau architects' winning design for six small, efficient, sustainable cottages will serve as 

the basis of a final design, to be implemented following regulatory approval and fundraising.

‘in its subtlety, it is provocative and it carries forward the discourse about where architecture

can move,’ the jury said of the winning design. ‘its strength is not just in what is included, 

but in what is left out.’

the western pennsylvania conservancy, which preserves and maintains fallingwater, will build

the cottages on the grounds of the 5,000-acre bear run nature reserve that surrounds fallingwater,

some distance from the house itself. the design competition is the first that fallingwater has 

sponsored for construction of new buildings on-site.

the new cottages will serve an important outreach goal by expanding lodging capacity for 

participants in fallingwater institute’s diverse educational programs. these immersive educational

offerings are tailored to broad age levels and interests – and to people from the western 

pennsylvania region and beyond.

‘when edgar kaufmann, jr. entrusted fallingwater to the western pennsylvania conservancy, 

he envisioned education as a critical component of fallingwater’s new role as a public resource. 

he saw fallingwater as not merely available to the public, but as a force that could continue 

to drive the development of architecture and good design as well as advance their appreciation

and understanding,’ said lynda waggoner, director of fallingwater and vice president of the western

pennsylvania conservancy. he said, ‘fallingwater grew and still grows.’ we feel that the winning 

design by patkau architects will allow fallingwater to grow by actively demonstrating the principles

we espouse: good design in harmony with nature.’

the cottages built under the hills

the land

interior of the cottage

interior of the cottage

one of the windows looking out into the landscape

model

model

model

model

elevation view

elevation view

elevation view

floor plan

site plan