Affleck House (1941) by Frank Lloyd Wright

Affleck House (1941), a striking example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian design in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Photography courtesy of James Haefner.

A landmark of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian vision, the Affleck House stands as a bold reimagining of residential architecture—one designed to be affordable, efficient, and deeply connected to its natural surroundings. Commissioned by Elizabeth and Gregory Affleck, the home was completed in 1941 and remains a quintessential expression of Wright’s democratic design philosophy.

The house eschews traditional design conventions, such as attics and basements, to reduce costs and emphasize livable space. Its low-slung profile and strong horizontal lines mirror the flat expanses of the American Midwest, while its construction utilizes modest, natural materials, such as cypress wood and brick, to create a sense of harmony with the wooded ravine it inhabits.

Perhaps most striking is how the main living area spans a forty-foot ravine, suspended above the landscape and anchored by a bedroom wing that hugs the hillside. In keeping with Wright’s vision of open-plan living, the kitchen, dining, and living spaces flow together in a single, continuous volume, with expansive windows that blur the boundary between indoors and outdoors. The master bedroom, situated at ground level, offers a quiet retreat at the far end of the home.

The Afflecks lived in the home for over three decades, and in 1978, their children gifted the house to Lawrence Technological University. Today, it serves as a living laboratory and educational resource for students of architecture and design, preserving Wright’s legacy while continuing to inspire new generations of thinkers and builders.

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Affleck House Highlights:

• Built: 1941

• Client: Elizabeth and Gregory S. Affleck

• Address: 925 Bloomfield Woods, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

• Status: National Register of Historic Places. Open to the public with tours available.

• Website: www.affleckhouse.org

  
  

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