Lorenzo Blogs

Russel Wright House A Pioneering Greenroof

While Russel Wright was better known for his 50s pottery and utensil designs he was a bit of a renaissance man. In the early 1960s he bought the grounds of an abandoned quarry in Garrison, NY and built a stunningly clean, modern house that often blurs the lines between the interior and exterior. He was a designer who loved being in nature and being inspired by it.

The design of the house and gardens were strongly influenced by Japanese architecture. In the 50s Wright was asked by the US government to visit the Far East to help artisans make their creations more saleable in America. He then worked directly with an American architect who had spent a few years designing buildings in Japan.

Its unclear to me where exactly Wright got the idea to create a flat roof filled with plants. But thats what he did. The restored greenroof is a testament to his creative instinct in smartly using natural materials in design. It may have been the first greenroof in the United States.

Today you can visit Manitoga: The Russel Wright Design Center. You can get a tour of the house for a fee and walk the hiking paths that Wright created throughout the property. Each year in the early spring you can volunteer to help clean up the 75 acre grounds and woodland hiking paths and walk through the house and design studio for free during the lunch break.

I love this inspiring place.


                                                      Click on first image