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Product Description
"Challenged by Herbert Jacobs to create a decent home for $5,000, Wright’s design for “Jacobs I” (as it came to be known) is widely considered to be Wright’s first Usonian structure." -Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Wright coined the term, Usonia, to capture his idea of "affordable" architecture. His Usonian homes hug the earth both figuratively and literally. As in all of his homes, natural materials and colors are used throughout, and the fireplace is a central feature. Jacobs I (Wright eventually designed a second, larger home for the growing Jacobs family) was completed in 1937 and is in Madison, Wisconsin. Over 140 Usonian homes were eventually built based on the groundbreaking ideas first expressed in this home. Usonian homes share an open plan, allowing free flow and sight lines between the living room, dining room, and kitchen. This concept was incorporated into the typical American ranch house that became common starting in the 1950s. The home is a declared National Historic Site and is inscribed in the World Heritage List along with seven other Wright buildings. Although in private hands, it is open periodically for public tours. The model is detailed inside and out. Look through the windows, and you can see the central fireplace. The contours of the site are modeled to give a sense of the home's relation to the earth. The brick and siding on the exterior are modeled to scale. The kit is a pleasure to build with each step of the process illustrated and clearly described. Beautifully boxed, the Jacobs House kit is the ideal gift for that architect friend, history buff, or even for you!