An Honor Award for Sustained Stewardship recognizes more than 25 years of exemplary preservation and ongoing care of the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, Fallingwater. Designed as a weekend house for Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann and completed in 1937, Fallingwater is an extraordinary synthesis of reinforced concrete, steel, glass, locally quarried stone, and crafted woodwork. Entrusted to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963 by Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., its stewardship has been guided by a commitment to preservation, education, and public access. Over the past quarter century, that commitment has resulted in a sustained program of documentation, maintenance, on-going conditions assessments, and restoration. The latest work builds upon decades of accumulated knowledge while embracing new technologies, materials, and techniques. Roofing and flashing systems were renewed, chronic water infiltration issues were addressed through careful stone and masonry interventions, deteriorated concrete was structurally reinforced and restored, and historic steel windows and doors were conserved. The collaboration of maintenance staff, preservation specialists, engineers, and skilled contractors continues the balance of expert oversight and craftsmanship established during the building’s original construction. 

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Fallingwater

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: Justin Gunther, Scott Perkins; Architectural Preservation Studio, DPC: Pamela Jerome, Douglas Emilio, Stéphanie Gérard, Vishal Joshi; John Matteo, Matteo Ferran Structural Engineers, PLLC