Fallingwater: The Beauty of Architecture

Architecture: the art or practice of designing and constructing buildings.
Nature: the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations.
Frank Lloyd Wright: Someone who can integrate both into seamless artistic beauty.

This impromptu stop on our "Historical Engineering" Tour was just what we needed. Although we normally only work with National and State Parks, the $18 tickets were worth it. We were transported back to the 1930s and were mesmerized by the intersection of architecture and nature. Fallingwater is a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, 43 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. It took three years to build and honestly takes your breath away when you see how the house is cantilevered over the existing water falls. It made me think of how important it is to work with each other and not against; whether it be working with nature or a colleague or a family member. 

Although we didn't film a Nat Park Challenge there- I do have a STEM Challenge for students. Your challenge is to build a home for a gnome. (an ageless and often deformed dwarf of folklore who lives in the earth and usually guards treasure.) Since gnomes work in harmony with the earth, your home must fit into nature without disturbing it. Use recyclable materials and materials found in nature for your design. Share on Social Media @dacia92 #ExpeditionsInEducation

​Traveling Along, Dacia & Steve

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