Thesis: Nasta

Thesis: Jane Nasta

A Sheltered Life: The History, Preservation, and Interpretation of the Taliesin West Desert Shelters

Taliesin West—founded in 1938 in Scottsdale, Arizona—was the winter home of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, his family, and the team of architectural apprentices who composed Wright’s Taliesin Fellowship. For their living accommodations in Arizona, apprentices camped out on the desert property in either sheepherder tents, shelters that they could design and build themselves, or previously built shelters left behind by former apprentices.

The Hanging Tent, built in 2001 by Fatima Elmalipinar and Fabian Mantel and altered in 2010 by Pranav Naik. Photo Source: Nasta, January 2023.

Aerial View of Taliesin West with Tent Encampment, sometime after 1959. Photo Source: Photo # 3803.2620, Taliesin West Digital Images, The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives, Scottsdale, AZ.
Camping in the desert landscape and building a unique shelter were vital aspects of Wright’s learning-by-doing pedagogy that shaped life at Taliesin West. As the program evolved over time, the shelters became increasingly more experimental in their design. Today, the Taliesin West landscape is home to nearly 100 shelter sites displaying a wide spectrum of design influence, materiality, and current condition. The shelter program’s core themes include ephemerality, experimentation, and connection to the natural environment. The shelters embody historic, social, and experiential values in both their tangible and intangible elements, and their future preservation, programming, and interpretation must highlight these distinct values to effectively honor and communicate their sense of place.
Sheepherder's Tent, 1950s. Photo Source: Photo #3803.1526, Taliesin West Digital Images, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives, Scottsdale, AZ.

The Lotus Shelter, unknown date. Photo Source: Desert Shelters Collection, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives, Scottsdale, AZ.
This thesis creates a comprehensive history of the Taliesin West shelter program from 1938-2020 that considers its architectural, social, and administrative dimensions. Furthermore, this thesis evaluates the heritage values that contribute to the shelters’ significance and considers future site management by reviewing relevant preservation philosophies and synthesizing potential interpretive themes. These aims are achieved through archival and secondary source research, interviews with former Taliesin apprentices, and on-site observation and documentation.

Thesis: Jane Nasta

A Sheltered Life: The History, Preservation, and Interpretation of the Taliesin West Desert Shelters

Faculty