Woodwork throughout the Zimmerman house is a golden-hued upland Georgian cypress. Wide eaves swoop low to the ground. The irregular slope of the roof draws the line of vision to the earth.
Frank Lloyd Wright described the Usonian house as "a thing loving the ground with the new sense of space, light, and freedom - to which our U.S.A. is entitled."
Although designed with an eye to economy, construction of the Zimmerman house far exceeded Frank Lloyd Wright's original budget. Costs mounted as an Italian carpenter matched the grain of the upland Georgian cypress and plugged screw holes so carefully that they became invisible.
During the 1950s, a house this size would have normally cost $15,000 or $20,000 to build. Construction costs for the Zimmerman house topped $55,000.
Over the years, necessary repairs have added to the cost of the Zimmerman house. The radiant heating pipes, the concrete flooring, and the tile roof have all required replacement. Today the roof is surfaced with a durable sheathing; the clay tiles on top are decorative.
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