AA HouseHouse forfor LivingLiving John Rattenbury and the Spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright

Architecture by John Rattenbury Text by Michael Hawker

hen John Rattenbury left tionalism that could inspire Hol- Above: Sympathetic to its en- umphs and Francis was virtually his , Canadi- lywood filmmakers, including il- vironment, the domes of the outcast from the provincial elite Wan home in 1950 at the licit sexual affairs, dizzying fame, Waikapu Valley Country Club, who had hailed him an architec- age of 21 to study with the great alcoholism, a fall from Grace, and Maui, Hawaii, echo the golf tural hero decades earlier. Francis American master architect, Frank finally, murder. The life, the scan- course bunkers and rolling flaunted his new love, Alma, a pia- Lloyd Wright, he never anticipat- dal, and the sensationalist stories hills. This design by John nist whom he had met at a recital ed the rest of his life would be for- surrounding his father are not Rattenbury of Taliesin Archi- at Hotel. ever devoted to living and work- topics John willingly cares to talk tects, Ltd., was actually the adapted genesis of three ge- “My mother was a musician ing at Wright’s home and studio about, but they undoubtedly made neric designs by Frank Lloyd and composer. We lived in Victo- of Taliesin and Taliesin West. It a mark on the young John. Wright, including the house ria and when I was a year old, we would be a life allowing John to concepted for Marilyn Monroe moved to England,” says Ratten- flourish from emotional traumas Francis Rattenbury had de- signed such architectural won- and Arthur Miller. bury. in his childhood to become a tal- Photo: Michael French ented architect and educator. ders in as the Empress Hotel, the British Co- Discovering Frank Lloyd Wright “Architecture was in my blood, lumbia Legislature Building in “I lost my parents when I was since my father was an architect. Victoria, Court Houses in Van- five, and at the age of eleven I He was born in the same year as pposite page couver, Nanaimo, and Nelson. O : Frank Lloyd moved back to Vancouver,” says Mr. Wright, 1867,” says Ratten- Wright and his wife Oligivan- Unfortunately, the personal as- Rattenbury. “I worked my way bury of his father Francis Ratten- na, circa the early 1950’s, pects of his life—namely the leav- through the University of British bury. ing of his wife of 25 years for a established the Taliesin Fel- lowship in 1932. Only 1,500 Columbia. After two years of liber- The elder was one of British Victoria society lady half his age worldwide have attended al arts and a year of engineering I Columbia’s most celebrated ar- and the subsequent vindictive be- since its founding. qualified for the School of Archi- chitects, and whose life was filled havior towards his former wife Photo: John Engstead tecture. Once there I quickly be- with almost every kind of sensa- Florence—overshadowed the tri- came disenchanted. It was a huge 26 Architectural Digest, February, 2014 An Unfathomable Beginning... John chooses to not talk much about his parents because of the events that unfold- ed after their relocation to England in 1929 when he was a newborn. After the move, Francis’ life continued to erode and he began to ignore Alma altogether, causing great sadness and loneliness. The hiring of 17-year old John Stoner to do yard work, light housework, and some chauffeuring led to an affair with Alma at her initiation. Stoner’s resentment towards the famous Francis ultimately resulted in Stoner entering Francis’ study one night where he clubbed him repeatedly with a carpenter’s mallet. The severe brain trauma caused Francis’ death a few days later, and both Stoner and Alma were charged with the murder. When Stoner was convicted and sentenced to death, Alma committed suicide by stabbing herself repeatedly in the heart. The six year old son, John, was left orphaned and he bounced from relative to relative in northern England before returning to Canada in his early teens to live with his mother’s relatives.

school and I was lost in the crowd. there forever. The canopy of the giant Most of the courses seemed irrele- oak tree spread out over the rear gar- vant.” den space. The gardens were filled Then the young Rattenbury en- with color. The rough texture of the rolled in Oregon State College where golden buff limestone walls and chim- they had just started an architectural neys contrasted with the sand-col- department taught by two professors ored stucco. The gently sloping cedar for about 25 students. roof shingles created deep shadows and extended into space with repose. “While I was there I discovered Taliesin, in short, was a magical Frank Lloyd Wright. I found a book poem, filled with spirit. about him in the library and stayed up all night reading. I was electri- “It was love at first sight, the ex- fied,” says Rattenbury, who made his citement of Taliesin activities, the in- way to Wright’s home and studio in credible beauty of the buildings, the Wisconsin, called Taliesin, after he people, the work—everything.” learned that Wright had a school of apprentices. “There was a spirit to the place that touched me deeply,” says Ratten- Arriving at Taliesin bury. “I found the reverence for nature The experience at Taliesin was which permeated the architecture transformative for Rattenbury. gave expression to my feelings of a di- “From the day that I first set foot vine force. When Mr. Wright said, ‘Na- in Taliesin I have never wanted to be ture is the only manifestation of God anywhere else. In college I knew in- we will see on this earth,’ I agreed. I stinctively that architecture could be threw myself into life at Taliesin and something much better that what was never worried about a curriculum,” being fed to me, but I did not see it says Rattenbury. expressed until I came here. Walking into Taliesin was like coming home.” Pencils in Wright’s Hand Rattenbury shared what most Wright quickly became a mentor apprentices feel when they arrive at for the young John, as he and Mrs. Right: Rattenbury designed the 1997 Life Magazine Dream House, for Taliesin for the first time. Wright were for the other 60 or more a family of moderate means and for affordable costs. The 2,100 square Taliesin’s buildings and landscape apprentices. Through the following foot design sold more than 600 sets of plans in its earliest years, and for Rattenbury seemed to grow out ten years, Rattenbury became one ranged in cost from $200,000 to $400,000 depending on its location. of the hill, as though they had been of the pencils in the hand of Wright, Photo: Wayne Sorce

28 Architectural Digest, February, 2014 “Beauty is a quality that en- tion of organic philosophy than riches life immeasurably, one that for our academic achievements. can and should be pursued by ev- Whenever we became good at erybody. If beauty is something to whatever job we were doing he be sought after, should it not be would put us to work at some- an essential feature of the home in thing new,” says Rattenbury. which we live?,” implores Ratten- “His definition of an expert bury. was a person who had stopped learning. As a result, we grew Beauty and the Organic Way in resourcefulness…” added Rat- The objectified beauty Ratten- tenbury. bury suggests is one based on a universal acceptance of good aes- Carrying the Torch Forward thetics and it emanates from the After Wright died in 1959, application of principles, or fun- Rattenbury stayed a part of the damental truths. The architecture Taliesin Fellowship as it went un- Rattenbury suggests as most en- der the guidance of Wright’s wife during and having the greatest Olgivanna, and later Wright’s value is Organic Architecture. son-in-law William Wesley Pe- Organic Architecture is based ters (or affectionately “Wes”), un- The Myers Residence, Scottsdale, Arizona, seems to grow out of the on principles and constantly der the care of The Frank Lloyd hill. It was designed by Rattenbury. evolves into new and appropriate Wright Foundation. For the Photo: courtesy of Taliesin Architects forms. It is not absolute, such as Wrights, architecture and life re- the fashionable styles that seem mained one and the same thing. to plague typical home designs, “Mr. Wright was the master but rather the Organic is based architect, but it was Mrs. Wright on Ideas. The greatest examples who had the idea of the Taliesin of principles at work are found in Fellowship and who conceived Nature, whether it is the structure of community life as a way to of an atom, a plant, or an inani- immerse us in a living culture mate object. A principle applied while giving us the opportunity can create an unending variety of to develop ourselves,” says Rat- forms and shapes, yet disciplined tenbury. by way of an order. “There can be no absolute in the application of a principle. “Beauty is a quality When we apply the absolute to its that enriches life expression, we kill the very thing immeasurably...should that the principle upholds,” says it not be an essential Rattenbury. Frank Lloyd Wright wrote feature of the home in many books discussing his phi- which we live?” losophy. Rattenbury has authored worked on over 100 architec- Above: John Rattenbury at Talies- tural projects—some of them in West’s Drafting Room, assist- two books, A Living Architecture, and A House for Life, and outlined among the most renown of ing apprentice architects. Rattenbury helped establish the principles beautifully: Wright’s career. The Guggen- Photo: courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Taliesin Architects in 1959, the heim Museum, the Price Tow- Wright Foundation architectural firm that carried The Theilen Residence, Dallas, Texas, interior flows from the inside Inspiration and Ideas er, Monona Terrace, Gammage forth Wright’s in-progress work, out and from the outside in. Integrity and Unity Photo: Michael French Auditorium, and Baghdad Uni- and was a principal of the firm Humanity and Spirit versity are just a few of those “We were pencils in his until it dissolved in 2003 due Harmony with Environment commissions. Often, such as hand, glad to be involved in to economic hardships. While Rattenbury, inspired from buildings, Rattenbury shared a Space, Form, & 3rd Dimension the case with the Guggen- such creative endeavors. When Wright had designed over 1,000 the Wrights and life at Talies- premise with his mentor to de- Structural Continuity heim spirals, the engineering I came, the group included sev- projects throughout his career in, developed into a fully ca- sign homes and pay as much at- The Nature of Materials could not be found in a text- enty-five apprentices. Many that spanned 65 years, Talies- pable and talented architect tention to them as larger com- Character book. It had to be discovered came from other countries. Mr. in Architects had also designed himself. While most architects missions. He carried this idea Beauty and Romance and worked out based on ideas Wright was always more inter- over 1,000 projects in its 60 start their career by design- throughout his career. A beauti- Simplicity and Repose and principles, and a source for ested in our spirit, our potential years of existence, 300 of those ing houses, later giving them ful and functional home should Decentralization that came from the diverse mix for learning, and our apprecia- by Rattenbury. up for more lucrative larger be accessible to everyone. Freedom • of Fellowship members. 30 Architectural Digest, February, 2014 Architectural Digest, February, 2014 31