fter Fallingwater, the 70-year-old architect began an active period that produced some of his best work. Suddenly, commissions poured in, and without worrying about overextending himself, Wright accepted each one. His professional reputation, which for years had been obscured by his personal life, grew in prominence again. Personal characteristics once considered immature—such as a high opinion of himself and a willingness to ratchet up the projected cost of any building—were now seen as an extension of his eccentric genius. Wright basked in the attention and set out in 1936 to build a number of $5,000 Usonian houses. These houses were an attempt to produce a well-designed, low-cost dwelling that average Americans could buy. (Of course, like most of his projects, they went over budget and cost about $10,000 each.) Only 60 Usonian houses were ever built.