MEET FLOYD

My passion for architecture began in childhood. As a five-year-old, I proclaimed I wanted to be an inventor. My father, noting that my inventions always centered around buildings and houses, said "It sounds more like you're talking about being an Architect" and asked me to bring him the "A" encyclopedia. As I paged through examples of Greek, Roman, and modern architecture, I came across Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. That single photograph cemented my path – I knew I wanted to be an architect, a conviction that has never wavered.

My journey led me to Taliesin West, where I took a tour led by Taliesin architect Charles Montooth. I learned of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture and its apprenticeship program. I was drawn not only to Wright's Organic Architecture Philosophy but to the ethic of learning by doing, apprenticeship, and living in beauty. Apprentices learned construction by building, and drafting by working in the onsite professional architectural firm. Eventually, as apprentices became ready making site visits. Initially worked in the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives with its director Bruce Brooks Pfieffer for a year and a half where I learned an immense amount about on the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, before enrolling in The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture's apprenticeship program. At Taliesin, architecture transcends the profession – it is a way of life dedicated to creating environments that are uplifting, efficient, practical, and inspiring.

During my years with the Taliesin Fellowship, I had the privilege of working with luminaries who had worked directly with Frank Lloyd Wright: William Wesley Peters, John DeKoven Hill, and Charles Montooth. My hands-on experience encompassed new construction, restoration projects, and several months in South Carolina working on the restoration of the Auldbrass Plantation designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. There, I participated in everything from carpentry and furniture building to mason tending, drafting, and copper roofing installation.

Life at Taliesin brought me more than architectural expertise – it was where I met Caroline, who would become my wife. When she had to return to Germany to complete her university studies, I found opportunities to work in the architectural profession in Europe. My Taliesin training served me well, enabling work with distinguished architects while absorbing architectural influences from historic Baroque, Renaissance, and Gothic structures to 20th-century masters like Carlo Scarpa, Alvar Aalto, and Le Corbusier. Living in Berlin during reunification and witnessing the reconstruction of Potsdamer Platz – then the world's largest building site – provided invaluable perspective throughout the 1990s.

In 1998, I was invited back to Taliesin to collaborate with Charles Montooth on a gymnasium and fitness center for The Prairie School in Racine, Wisconsin, commissioned by the Johnson family of Johnson Wax. Working with Charles proved transformative – beyond our collaboration, he entrusted me with independent design and supervision opportunities.

Having built our life at Taliesin for over four decades now, I can say that it has enriched our lives immeasurably. In addition to our professional work, we mentor apprentices, host visiting artists, organize events, teach classes, and engage with visiting architects. Caroline, through her work at Taliesin Preservation, continues the legacy by creating meaningful experiences at the site. We've raised our five sons here, making it truly our home, and we remain committed to preserving Taliesin's legacy and vibrant community life.

In my architectural practice, I try to synthesize everything I've learned – and continue to learn – over the years. Each project represents a collaboration between myself, the client, and the site. My goal remains simple yet profound: to enrich the lives of those who inhabit the spaces I design. I've been blessed with many wonderful clients who have become friends over the years, and I'm forever grateful for their commitment to these ideals.