Making a Difference

Fallingwater. An iconic house, literally built over a waterfall.Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. One of New York’s finest.Marin County Civic Center. Classic, modern architecture.Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Famous, of course.What’s the commonality between these? Perhaps the greatest architect in American history: Frank Lloyd Wright.Wright was the closest thing to an architectural celebrity we’ve known in America.Wright desired to change American culture through design. He wanted to make a difference.But that didn’t mean building million dollar homes for more wealthy people. That meant influencing the interactions of common folk every single day. Thus came the idea for single family houses that were both affordable, organic (yes, he used that term), and designed to promote an amiable encounter with the natural landscape. (If you live in a single level, ranch-style home, with big windows, you have Wright to thank.)The lesson: If you want to make a difference, don’t set out to make a big splash; instead, set out to influence everyday interactions of common folk.Don’t ask: “How can I change the world?”Ask: “How can I make Sally’s life better on Tuesday?” (Then you might change the world.)