The Farnsworth Home

The structure of the Farnsworth Home highlights the simplicity of its construction. (photo: Jon Miller)

Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth Home serves as a cultural reflection of the post World War II era’s modern industrial tides and of the abstract expressionism movement cultivated by artists during this period. Not only did the architect take a fresh outlook on the home's minimal structure and its materials, but he also took into account the concept of free-flowing spaces and the endless limitations of an open plan.

The many peculiarities of the house were built to provide a notion of how one should live and feel in the space. By constructing floor-to-ceiling windows as the barrier to the outside world and by lifting the structure onto stilts, one gets a horizontally elongated view of the surrounding nature at tree-level height. This was intended to give a sense of vulnerability and curiosity of what lies beyond the confines of the home. 

The interior of the Farnsworth House provides an escape to the surrounding landscape. (photo: Jon Miller)

Instead of having a view of the tree trunks, the architect built the house on stilts to capture the fullness of the trees in order to provide a sense of protection for the inhabitant. From every angle inside the home, the landscape is brought into the interior to the capture the essence of living amidst the natural world. 

The central wall provides the only division of space within the structure. (photo: Jon Miller)

The vast window space and the vacuity of the solid, white ceiling draw the eye outward to the landscape rather than to the interior of the home. The lack of a formal exterior wall promotes the atmosphere of the home as free and without boundary to the world around it. 

Lastly, this structure lacks a central room like most homes. Instead of being enclosed, the rooms are suggested by a central wall and extend towards the landscape.