History for Lunch: Designing a House the Wright Way: An Iowa City Architectural Treasure on the National Register of Historic Places

Those who travel north of Iowa City on Highway 1 are often intrigued by an attractive house with unusual roof lines that is tucked on the knoll of a hill surrounded by trees. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this Iowa landmark is reminiscent of the popular Prairie School style of architecture. Iowa City Architect Roland Wehner and his wife Marilyn designed and built their house at 3112 Highway 1 NE in 1959 and lived there for the next 54 years. Many unique design features, including the use of stone quarried in Stone City or the cantilevered porch balcony, enhance the beauty of the home. Roland Wehner will give an illustrated talk about their adventures in designing and building the house; and the issues, circumstances, and philosophy that most influenced the design. Wehner will review the characteristics of the rural site, ways in which the work and writings of Frank Lloyd Wright influenced the design, and the role that the equilateral triangle played in the planning process.