Updated Usonian by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice asks $5M

Originally built in 1950 by David Henken, a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice, this six-bedroom, six-bath home in Bronxville, New York, is an updated take on Usonian architecture. Henke worked with Wright on the Usonia development in Westchester County, where Wright designed three of its 47 homes and Henken—the primary coordinator—designed more than a quarter of the houses himself.

In Bronxville, this 5,500-square-foot home on .65 acres stands out in a sea of historic Tudors, Victorias, and Colonials. The house sits on a hill, with views onto nature from every room. In 2012, prominent architect Markus Dochantschi, founder of studioMDA and the former head of Zaha Hadid Architects in New York, expanded and modernized the traditional Usonian design.

Dochantschi sought to show “how the language of Frank Lloyd Wright is....such a contemporary language but at the same time it has this warmth and character that Wright had in his buildings.” While the modesty of the traditional Usonian homes has been replaced with more space and luxury, much of the original inspiration remains; the house boasts native materials, layers of flat and overhanging roofs, and an integration with nature and the built outdoor spaces.

Prioritizing the outdoors meant using flooring that runs from inside to out, windows with two large panels of butted glass without corner posts, and large decks off of many rooms. Most south-facing widows are floor-to-ceiling in order to maximize warmth during the shorter days of winter, then in summer the overhanging roof and trees reduce solar heat.

Inside, highlights include a sunken living room with wraparound deck, a rebuilt and enlarged kitchen, and a master bath with floor-to-ceiling windows.

If this Usonian turned contemporary beauty strikes your fancy, 1 Governors Road is on the market now for $4,995,000.