The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC), who administer Fallingwater, are celebrating the 75th anniversary of that iconic house, and getting ready to build six new guest cottages on an adjacent property.  I just wrote about the competition they held to select an architect for the project.  The winning entry, from Patkau Architects, is a stunner.  It takes Frank Lloyd Wright’s dictum to build into the hill quite literally, shaping structures within slopes in the ground.  It’s a scheme that’s both elegant and elemental.

But maybe the WPC, who ran the competition, deserve the lion’s share of the kudos.  Instead of starchitects, or Wrightians, they invited six accomplished, mid-sized North American architecture offices to compete.  Each one is known for its supple, site-responsive work.  In addition to Patkau, they are Marlon Blackwell Architect, Wendell Burnette Architects, MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects, Olson Kundig Architects, and Saucier + Perrotte Architectes.  It’s satisfying to see a design competition recognize their good work.