Taliesin West Photo Scrapbook: Our Field Trip to FLW’s Legendary Desert Campus

If you've listened to Episode 159 of True Tales From Old Houses, you already know we took a fascinating field trip to Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona. However, talking about it is one thing—seeing it is another!

This photo gallery is a companion to episodes 159 and 160, offering a closer look at the desert masonry architecture, unique details, and breathtaking desert landscape that make Taliesin West such a special place. 

We'd love to hear from you! Have you ever visited Taliesin West, or is it on your must-see list? Let us know.

The Drafting Studio

The Drafting Studio

Exteriors

Desert masonry was a construction technique used by Frank Lloyd Wright to build Taliesin West. The crews stacked stones of varying sizes within wooden forms. Then, they poured concrete to bind them together. Once the concrete set, they removed the forms, revealing a rugged, organic texture.

Morning Light

Evening Glow

The breezeway outside the dining room was one of several on the property. Breezeways create a natural cooling effect as the air moves through them. This natural a/c is especially useful in the desert.

The breezeway opening on the left leads to the Apprentice Cottages. There were tunnel-like pass-throughs sprinkled throughout the property.

The low ceilings made Daniel and I feel like giants. I scraped my sunglasses on this one.

Many of the desert cottages appear like bunkers from the approach but open up nearly entirely to the desert view on the opposite side.

The John Rattenbury Cottage

We recorded Episodes 159 and 160 in John's cottage.

Casual Recording Vibes: The cottage was an excellent place to record True Tales From Old Houses because it is so quiet. 

Here is another peek, looking toward the living room (on the left). The open shelving creates separation, but light passes through easily. 

The mirror behind the couch bounces the light from the windows on the opposite wall. That entire side of the cottage had a "bunker-like" feel, especially from the outside. However, once we entered the cottage, we discovered it was flooded with light regardless of the time of day.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Office

Most of the roofs were originally made of canvas, giving each structure a "glamping" vibe. The canvas could remain in place or be rolled back on nice days. Eventually, plexiglass was added to make everything more weathertight. The talented preservation crew at Taliesin West is currently working on a roofing project that will recreate the feel of canvas-only roofing but add more protection to keep the artifacts inside from sustaining accidental weather damage. 

The Communal Living Room

FLW's famous Origami Chair: While not folded like traditional Origami, the chair is crafted from a single sheet of plywood, adhering to Origami's principle of "one sheet of paper."

The Origami chairs are sprinkled around the communal living room. 

FLW was heavily influenced by Japanese art and collected it extensively, including woodblock prints. These prints are created in layers, building texture and depth in each image. This view from one of the living room chairs shows how he translated that concept into architecture, using the building and landscape to create a real-life woodblock print. From the room's design to the mountains beyond, each "layer" draws your eye deeper into the scene.

Notice the openings in the glass that accommodate the girthy pots. FLW supposedly begrudgingly agreed to add glass to the windows but gave strict instructions not to move anything. (Note: Do we think this was Olgivanna's passive-aggressive response to this directive, or do we really think FLW was that formidable? We're not sure.) 

Miscellaneous Photos

The resource library is open to employees, students, and interns. Note the painted cement floors. Painted cement was the primary flooring across the entire campus.

This ceiling detail is somewhat crudely cut and painted plywood, but the way the light plays on it makes it look high-end and intentional. That's part of the FLW magic. It's more about the experience than the construction.

Taliesin West left us with so much to think about and share. Seeing firsthand how Frank Lloyd Wright blended architecture with the desert landscape gave us a new appreciation for his design process. (We're still on the fence about the communal living experience. Ha!)

If you'd like to hear more about the trip and dive deeper into our thoughts about Wright's influence, don't miss episodes 159 and 160 of True Tales From Old Houses. We share behind-the-scenes stories, personal takeaways, and even a few surprises from our trip out west.

PS: True Tales From Old Houses is always on the lookout for fascinating historic places and the people behind them. If you'd like to host a field trip, let us know. Reach out through our contact page to start the conversation! 

• Ep 159: Wright in the Desert - Taliesin West
• Ep 160: Available 3/24/25