Gehry on the Block - Traditional Context or Cutting Edge?

Do we want a Frank Gehry on our block? Or do we want another bland colonial? Or a McMansion? Every situation is unique, but there is one golden rule: Be a good neighbor - if you can.

Choosing the right style for a new addition or improvement often leads to a debate: Whether to design in the same context as the original house, or update in a more contemporary way to better fit our needs and aspirations.

STREETSCAPE:

The streetscape is part of the public domain and it represents a consensus of the residents' acceptable environment. In older established residential areas the sudden appearance of a huge mansion or high-tech structure can be unfair to those who must dwell in the shadows of this new edifice:

I suppose all the old styles were once considered cutting edge, but lifestyles have changed dramatically in the last half century. Remodeling is usually done to make a home more livable and accommodating to these changes. Many fine old homes are the product of deft additions by several generations as their needs changed and building technology advanced. The best were gracefully enlarged or refurbished in the spirit of the original - in part because building techniques had not changed much until recently.

Today most Americans live in suburbs built more or less homogeneously within a time frame. Some of these "burbs" were hastily built and not so beautiful, but they did have consistency. Clever design can incorporate contemporary needs within the old context of the old design vernacular. However this may not satisfy the owner's desire for a break with tradition.

In a new modern subdivision, an overly historical new home may also look out of place:
Since the 1960s we have had the opportunity and materials to build in radically different ways and with any style in any location. After all a man's home is his castle. But there are some boundaries to the castle grounds, and it is good to remember that the whole neighborhood may be impacted by an inappropriate addition.

There are of course exceptions - those who live behind high walls, or in deep forests, or on large estates - may do as they wish without offending:

But for most of us, not only do "good fences make good neighbors" - but so does good design.


This article was originally printed in "Remodeling" magazine published by Hanley Wood - July, 2007

Visual Scale

Our cities and suburbs are full of smaller, older homes that worked fine for mom and pop - but today they just don't cut it as the "lifestyle centers" our customers are looking for.
It usually comes down to SPACE - we all need more of IT. Room for the SUVs, sportswear, hot tubs, TVs and other toys our parents somehow lived without. The simple solution seems to be to add-on the biggest garages and master suites, and playrooms, and kitchens, and family rooms that we can afford. Space is actually cheap these days, compared to most other commodities. And as long as we're doing it - let's build BIG.

Unfortunately, the result can be as charming as a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood. Our old neighborhoods were built to the scale of a carpenter's reach; and the value of our homes is perceived in part by how well we preserve that legacy. Particularly in the older parts of town, the fabric of the community is maintained by the rhythm of the streetscape; and abrupt changes in the nature or scale of the homes can have a negative impact. Ultimately, this translates into resale value.
When adding space to older homes, it's wise to consider three things:

SIZE - try not to go any higher or wider than the building elements of the existing house. The idea is not to overwhelm, but to enlarge gracefully.

BALANCE - every home needs a central focus, usually the front door or the highest or most important portion.

HARMONY and PROPORTION - keep the windows and eaves and details nearly the same as the existing house, even when bigger, cheaper stuff is available.


This article was originally printed in "Remodeling" magazine published by Hanley Wood - December, 2006

Window Needs

Sometimes the inside and outside of a home demand different window proportions, here are some ways to satisfy both requirements.

 

Suppose you are asked to add two wings to a beautiful old classical home.  Typical of older houses this one needs a new kitchen and a first floor master suite.  Because the best view is in the rear - the bedroom suite would have closets in the front, and the kitchen wing might have the counters and sink facing the street. Small functional windows would be fine, but the rigid aesthetics of the classical design demand that you keep true to the historic proportions of those old, high double hung windows.

 

An up-to-date floor plan doesn't always fit a historic facade. However, there are ways to have a well-proportioned window on the outside, while seeing only the necessary part (or no window at all) on the inside:

 

The old builder's trick is to simply wall up the window on the inside - putting a black panel or black sheet plastic (vapor barrier works great) behind the glass.  From the outside it just looks like a dark room.  This works best if you use windows which allow access to the inner sash from the exterior.  Otherwise, it's darn hard to wash the inside of the window glass.

 

If the window needs to be in a closet, nothing says you can't just use a blackout shade on the inside, and simply allow the clothes to hang across the window.   Raise the shade for spring cleaning.

 

Occasionally there needs to be a kitchen or bathroom counter behind a low slung window. Aligning the muntins or meeting rail with the counter or backsplash edge allows you to use a variation of the dark room trick.  Paint the back of the cabinets black or hang dark plastic sheeting behind them to make the covered part of the window look much like the upper part when viewed from the outside.  On the inside, the counter lines up with a muntin or rail and looks perfectly proper.  With a double hung window, the upper or lower sash can slide behind the cabinet and function normally.

 

Of course, you could always install closed shutters with window trim only - but it has a somewhat forlorn feeling to it - as if nobody's home, or someone's hiding.  Better to have actual real windows, even if they're not used.

This article was originally printed in "Remodeling" magazine published by Hanley Wood - April, 2007