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Architecture
From Albert Frey’s house built into a mountain to John Lautner’s iconic Sheats-Goldstein residence in L.A., these structures take the term back to nature to another level
By Jessica Cherner and Katherine McLaughlin
Photo: Elizabeth Daniels
Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest legacy is easily his modern homes built into nature. From more obvious examples like Fallingwater in Pennsylvania to the way organic shapes found in nature influenced nearly every design he dreamt up. “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature,” Wright once said. “It will never fail you.” It’s no surprise that finding an integration, balance, and dialogue between the indoors and outdoors was arguably the iconic architect’s greatest gift.
Though Wright felt architects should study nature, John Ruskin took it a bit further. The Victorian-era writer once noted that an architect should be sent "to our hills, and let him study there what nature understands by a buttress, and what by a dome.” Whether influenced by Wright, Ruskin, or another, including nature in the built world is advice many architects have followed throughout the years. Here, AD looks at some of the best examples of this. From an arachnid-shaped desert home that took nearly two decades to construct to a small home built inside a hill in France, these special houses seem more like livable art. Below, find 15 stunning homes built into nature.
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Exploreadarchitecture
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Tour a Sophisticated Atherton, California, Home With a Storybook GuesthouseFrom the entryway onward, hushed, unpretentious elegance reigns supreme throughout this welcoming property
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Inside Ryan Murphy’s Bel Air Home Built By Richard NeutraToday, AD takes you inside Ryan Murphy’s beautiful Bel Air home. Designed in 1955 by Richard Neutra, the Brown House features what is believed to be the only double-wide living room designed by the legendary architect. Working with designer Trevor Cheney, the Feud creator wanted the interiors to create a sense of conflict and act as a reimagining of classic midcentury design. Decorative pieces from the past 500 years of mid-centuries contrast a predominantly contemporary art collection. Murphy’s home might be breaking several traditional design rules, but it’s also full of whimsy and intrigue, opening up a world of creative possibilities. “I have discovered that the only thing that truly interests me is a space in which things are in conflict. It’s the same in storytelling. A real design conversation starts to unfold when things that aren’t supposed to go together, for whatever outdated reasons, begin to suggest unexpected affinities and surprising similarities.”
Feud: Capote vs. The Swans is streaming on FX now.
See more of Ryan Murphy's Bel Air home here