the W the smallest square footage allowed by the city of

concept and renders it virtually meaningless here.

“The behind Rush Creek Village is simple. AREidea THERE DEED RESTRICTIONS? Y

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RUSH CREEK VILLAGE? A recently created video documentary, The Architecture of Rush Creek Village, provides general information about Rush Creek, and is available through the Worthington Library, and the Worthington Historical Society. Information is also available on the Web at www.worthington.org, “Select a Shortcut,” “Rush Creek Village.”

It seeks a community in which each house is

Additional reading: Frank Lloyd Wright: Writings and Buildings, Wright, F., Kaufman,

the vistas of the neighbors. uniquely designed for the lifestyle of the owner,

E., & Raeburn, B. (Eds.), 1960, New York: Meridian. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian Houses: The Case for Organic Architecture, Sergeant, J., 1975, New York: Watson-Guptill. Understanding Frank Lloyd Wright’s Architecture, Hoffman, D.,

but also fits Creek into an architecturally integrated of Rush Village. pattern. By planning this way, maximum component of the whole.

1995, Dover Press.

advantage can be gained from the beautiful WHO REVIEWS REQUESTS FOR CHANGES? sites, yet the privacy of neighbors can be

Committee of the Rush Creek Village Board of T

respected; the individual needs of home owners Creek Village Company.

can be met, and the parts can be formed into IS THERE A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION?

Published by: The Rush Creek Village Board of Trustees Contributing Editors: Bill Blackburn, Paul Centolella, Theodore van Fossen, Jack Shuter, Pauline Pepinsky, Martha Wakefield Design: Dorothy Hogan Photography: Tom Hogan 4/01

an organic The Rushwhole.” Creek V

Creek Village, and meets annually. Rush Creek Village Board of Trustees, 1975 T

Rush Creek Village an Introduction

WHAT IS WHAT RUSH CREEK IS RUSH VILLAGE? CREEK VILLAGE? Rush Creek Village stands Rush Creek V as a planned, architecturally unique community of more than 40 houses. houses are carefully community of more than 40These houses. situated on sites varying in size from a minimum of one half to three quarters of an acre, over a rolling, wooded terrain, penetrated by ravines and a brook. ravines and a brook. WHEN DID RUSHDID CREEK VILLAGE WHEN RUSH CREEK BEGIN? VILLAGE BEGIN? The organic of Frank Lloyd Wright, in his Thearchitecture organic architecture of Frank Lloyddemonstrated W Usonian houses, was the major inspiration for Rush Creek Village. Construction actually began in 1956 with the house of Martha and Richard Wakefield, Richard Wwho then became the builder of the neighborhood as well. The designer Theodore as well. Thewas designer was van Fossen, who planned the entire community, defining the individual sites and designing the entire community original houses. architectural unity of the project was ensured by originalThe houses. the rule that the original owners could receive their deeds to their chosen properties only after their plans had been approved by van Fossen. Fossen. WHAT IS WHAT ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE? IS ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE? • Living arrangements provide for an interrelation between interiors • and the surrounding natural environment, giving each house unique vistas, andvistas, placing them in such a way as toa way protect the privacy of and placing them in such occupants occupants and neighbors alike. and neighbors alike. • Houses •are adapted to the natural contours of the terrain and take their character the surrounding environment so that they seem their from character from the surrounding environment visually rooted in the landscape. visually rooted in the landscape. • Each house • is composed of elements integrated into the design as a whole, and expressed in terms of an underlying pattern or theme common to them all. common to them all.

• Respect for the integrity of the materials themselves is displayed in the ways in which they are used throughout the project in the interiors and exteriors of all the houses. WHAT MAKES RUSH CREEK VILLAGE UNIQUE? ganically designed community of this sizeofand No other organically designed community this size and architectural consistency exists. Each Rush Creek house is unique, Theto all. The but also represents an application of principles common initial siting of the entire community allows for extended vistas, while the deliberate placement of walls maintains privacy. The community . The community represents a deliberate effortexcellent to makearchitecture excellent architecture fort to make available available to people of moderate means, while providing an alternative to the standard suburban development. overall undertaking The overallThe undertaking survives assurvives as a remarkable achievement for its time and place. WHY IS THERE SO MUCH CONCRETE BLOCK? Because the terrain was not bulldozed to accommodate the houses,the houses, concrete block was used as a cost-effective way the of setting fective way of setting housesthe houses into the landscape. In cases in which houses were partially below grade, the use of block also permitted this same material to continue on to upper felt thatblock, concrete block, Vanlevels. FossenVan feltFossen that concrete when usedwhen used properly, interacted well with other materials, wood and glass. , interacted well with other materials, such as woodsuch and as glass. The cement product used in Rush Creek was exceptionally well made by a local, which company, which instances in certaineven instances in certain addedeven coloradded to color to the block itself. WHATVERAGE IS THE AVERAGE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF A SQUARE FOOTAGE OF A RUSH CREEK VILLAGE HOUSE? W akefield has stated, has “Space is psychological, and isn’t done Martha Wakefield stated, “Space is psychological, and isn’t done that way (by square footage).” was 700 square feet,square whilefeet, while The original triangularilliams) house (Williams) was 700

the Wakefield residence, a long, graceful, sweeping structure, contains the smallest square footage allowed by the city of Worthington. These houses provide the residents with a perceptual sense of space that transcends the constricting limitations of the square footage concept and renders it virtually meaningless here. ARE THERE DEED RESTRICTIONS? Yes. Deed restrictions govern the structure and the exteriors of the houses, as well as major changes in landscaping, which could affect the vistas of the neighbors. The deed restrictions serve the continuing purpose of preserving the unique character and architectural integrity of Rush Creek Village. These are significant factors in maintaining the economic value of houses in an area where each is an integral component of the whole. WHO REVIEWS REQUESTS FOR CHANGES? Plans for alterations are reviewed and acted upon by the Plans Review Committee of the Rush Creek Village Board of Trustees, under Criteria for the Review of Plans that have been adopted by Rush Creek Village Company. IS THERE A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION? The Rush Creek Village Company was legally established as a not for profit corporation in 1954. It is comprised of the Residents of Rush Creek Village, and meets annually. The Rush Creek Village Board of Trustees is elected from the residents, and meets monthly.

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