This time, we would like to shed light on Wright's ideas to achieve his unique design and the techniques that are inextricably linked with decorative effects, focusing on the structure that was identified during YODOKO Guest House's restoration work (1985-1988) and the repair work after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (1995-1998). First of all, let us introduce the technique that supports the roof.

The strength of the walls is a very important factor for supporting a very heavy roof. One way to produce a robust structure is to increase the amount of reinforcing steel and concrete. However, this will increase the thickness of the wall and obstruct wide room spaces. In YODOKO Guest House, an utterly different technique is used. In short, the walls are structured with the idea of keeping a "balance" of weights. It is said Wright himself got his idea from an image of "a waiter carrying a tray with his hand held up." We have a better example: It is an old Japanese toy called "yajirobe," a doll that has a weight on each arm and stands on one leg, which can be held stably with a finger. Imagine the shape. In the case of YODOKO Guest House, although the structure is more complicated, the principle is very similar (See Fig. 2). Such "yajirobe" structure are said to be seen in many traditional Japanese architectures, including temples and shrines.

This time, we would like to shed light on Wright's ideas to achieve his original design and the techniques that are inextricably linked with decorative effects, focusing on the structure that was identified during YODOKO Guest House's restoration work (1985-1988) and the repair work after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (1995-1998). First of all, let us introduce the technique that supports the roof.