Hi, I’m Jason Sterling. Everyone who designs a structure within the Sims game is an architect. Whether you consider your work good or bad, simple or elegant, experienced or novice you are still an architect. This series of articles will highlight individual architects from the past. A person that was responsible for establishing and defining a revolution of the discipline. Each article will also demonstrate how you can be that architect and execute their style within the game. In this article will we focus on the work of Usonian Architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Usonia was a word used by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright to refer to his vision for the landscape of the United States, including the planning of cities and the architecture of buildings. Wright proposed the use of the adjective Usonian in place of American to describe the particular New World character of the American landscape as distinct and free of previous architectural conventions.
Frank Lloyd Wright (born Frank Lincoln Wright, June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called Organic Architecture. This philosophy was best exemplified by Fallingwater (1935), which has been called “the best all-time work of American architecture”.[1] His creative period spanned more than 70 years.
Wright was the pioneer of what came to be called the Prairie School movement of architecture and he also developed the concept of the Usonian home in Broadacre City, his unique vision for urban planning in the United States. In addition to his houses, Wright designed original and innovative offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, museums and other structures. He often designed interior elements for these buildings as well, including furniture and stained glass. Wright was recognized in 1991 by the American Institute of Architects as “the greatest American architect of all time”. (The above information was quoted from the entry on Wright at Wikipedia: Frank Lloyd Wright)
If you have any interest in architecture at all then you have undoubtedly heard of Frank Lloyd Wright. If not, then this is your chance to learn about the seminal American architect. The entry above from Wikipedia sums up the person well. His work redefined the American art of architecture and his influence can still be felt across the country today. His work favors straight lines, blending with the environment and a modern openness to his floor plans. Below are some example of his designs.
- Falling Water- Residence in rural Pennsylvania
- Guggenheim Art Museum in New York City
- Church of the Holy Cross in Sedona, Arizona
- Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Being the Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
You will need to utilize the cheat BB.MoveObjectsOn (MOO). Press the “CTRL” “SHIFT” “C” keys together to open up the dialog box at the top of the screen and enter the cheat in bold into the space, then press enter.
The Seth Peterson Cottage: Like my other articles in this series, this is not so much about building this specific example in the exact form. It’s rare to be able replicate a real world build exactly within this or any video game as a player. Instead, I hope you’ll be able to use, and expand upon, some of the build techniques shown here for your own creations. In this case we are going to create the look of “stacked stone” in building a structure. As well, we will create a built-in sectional style arrangement of furniture. One interesting note about this cottage, and in fact many of Wright’s homes, is that the bedroom is quite small, almost tiny. Essentially, a room for a bed and designed for sleeping only.
Stacked Stone
It’s used to create the walls of the structure. It’s also used to create the fireplace overhang. The recent addition of the ability to decrease the size of objects makes this look far more attainable. It’s also easy. Take the “Rockin Coffee Table” from Outdoor Retreat and decrease it to it’s smallest size by pressing the “[” key on the keyboard. Then while holding the “ALT” key, press the “9” key to raise the table to the desired height. Then line the tables up to the length you want. (Picture #1) In the case of this build I have also slid them into the wall to create a narrower look.
In picture #2 I have used the coffee table in different shrunken heights and colors to create a “fireplace” overhang. Here I also shrunk the “Billowing Bonfire” from Get Together to fireplace size for a more roaring fire.
In picture #3 I replicated the exterior look inside. The stones double as a faux shelves for pictures. You can place the pictures freehand by holding the object and pressing the “ALT” key while moving the picture on the wall with your mouse. The pictures have also been reduced in size to better fit the space.
In picture #4 I have lined up the tables, again shrunken to their smallest size, to create an edge for the flat roof that matches the rest of the build.
Sectional Seating
Building the sectional that is visible in picture #3 above is not much more difficult. In this case I have used the “No Time for Love Seat” from Parenthood, the “Unfulfilled Wall Sign” from Dine Out, the “Plump Pillow Pad” from Toddlers and the lowest height “half wall” from the Base Game.
Begin by outlining the space you want to use for your built-in with the half-wall. (Picture #1) Next position the Love Seats so that they intersect in the corner. If you need to redraw the half-wall do so. Lift the “Love Seat using the “ALT” “9” combination so that the cushion appears to be sitting on a base created by the half-wall. Continue holding the “ALT” key and slide the seat forward until it suits your eye. (Picture #2) Place the “Plump Pillows” at the intersection in the corner and raise them using the “ALT” “9” combination to cover the stutter on the cushions created by using MOO. (Picture #3) Lastly, place the “Unfulfilled Wall Sign” on the wall so that it appears to be providing the back of the sectional. (Picture #4)
Other Simmers Being the Architect – Frank Lloyd Wright:
Do you want to see some other takes on the Frank Lloyd Wright Style? Please check out these and many other builders on the Sims 4 Gallery. I used the hashtag FrankLloydWright. Easy, huh?
Picture #1 Bay Forest House by belledaisies- Gallery Link: Bay Forest House
Picture#2 Robie House V2 by Orange Bram- Gallery Link: Robie House V2
Picture#3 Samara by SimsDesignFest- Gallery Link: Samara
Picture#4 Fallingwater House 1935 by Ritpit01- Gallery link: Fallingwater House 1935
Thank-you for reading and I hope you have enjoyed this article. If you’re inspired to build something and would like to share it with the rest of us please do so in the comments below. As well, if you have any questions regarding this article you may ask them in comments. You can always feel free to contact me on Twitter @JasonSterling70 or on the Sims Forum JasonAnthonySterling. I broadcast building and storytelling on Twitch: Channel JasonAnthonySterling
