
The School of Architecture at Taliesin, founded by Frank Lloyd Wright, has announced that it’s heading in a “bold new direction,” moving to a new location and assuming a new name, according to a press release from its board. The school was embroiled in a dispute with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, its current landlord, and its fate had been uncertain after its lease was set to expire on July 31.
The school will relocate to Cosanti in Paradise Valley, Ariz. and Arcosanti near Cordes Junction, Ariz., two architectural sites inspired by the theories of Paolo Soleri, a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice during the 1940s. The school has worked with the Cosanti Foundation—which owns both sites—on previous projects and is working to obtain the necessary state and institutional accreditation before finalizing the move. The new name will be announced in the coming months.
"The school has a bright future and we look forward to working with The Cosanti Foundation at both of its sites—Cosanti and Arcosanti," wrote Chris Lasch, the dean and interim president of the School of Architecture at Taliesin, in the release. "I’m confident that through our collaboration we will continue to provide an exceptional educational experience that lives up to Frank Lloyd Wright's revolutionary vision, and also draws inspiration from the innovative urban planning theories of his one-time apprentice, Paolo Soleri. Together, we will honor our shared past and continue to leave an important mark on the architecture world."
Lasch, a partner at the New York– and Tucson, Ariz.–based firm Aranda/Lasch, was appointed as dean when former president Aaron Betsky stepped down to become director of the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech University in May.
In January, the School of Architecture at Taliesin had announced that it would close because of its disagreements with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The school board reversed its decision in March, but mediation between the school and the foundation to keep the institution at Taliesin failed.
The school’s board has also announced that it will welcome six new members, including Bing Hu, founder and president of H&S International; Qingyun Ma, former dean of the University of Southern California School of Architecture, a member of Los Angeles Planning Commission, and founder and design principal of MADA s.p.a.m. in Los Angeles; Chris Koch, CEO of Carlisle Cos.; John Sather, managing partner of Swaback Architects + Planners in Scottsdale, Ariz.; James Benson, president and CEO of Benson Botsford in Boston; and Victor Sidy, former head of school and dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture and managing principal of Victor Sidy Architect in Phoenix.