thoughts on home design 2012

2011 in review

2012-01-16T14:45:00.010-05:00

I'm reviewing the year and see that despite the wounded state of the housing business, some interesting projects have come my way. Additions, some large homes, some starter homes, in a variety of styles and arrangements. It started out with a playroom addition to an existing home which was being undertaken in conjunction with a pool and deck area. This project by Monogram Custom homes was completed in time to win an award from The builder's association at the end of the year. The photos showing the dramatic pool and swim up bar tend to overshadow the rather modest addition, but it just goes to show what can be done to your backyard. Another addition for a master suite over an existing garage in Bucks County, and a similar project in South Jersey were other concerns in the spring. An interesting project was putting a second floor on a 50 year old ranch house, adding 1400 s.f. over the house and garage. It's just now being finished up. A Sunroom addition to a home built several years ago in Bethlehem was just started and is now being finished up, as is another large custom home by Monogram

On the builder front, there seemed to be a place for spec homes in the 2800 s.f. range which could sell for around 350k. I made a couple of plans for builders who had a bit of success with these. The only other spec which seemed to work was a bilevel on an in fill lot, selling for mid 200's. I posted a photo of this one a couple entries ago. An interesting project, which hasn't sold yet, was for a log sided house in Medford Lakes, NJ- an older community with strict architectural control standards. They wanted an all log home. We started with a proven floor plan and re-did the elevation to give a more rustic appearance. High water table meant no basement, but we added a walk up attic which could be used for storage or a bonus space instead. Thanks to John Haeberle for working with me on this one. Also on the builder front, I did a preliminary plan for an 1800 s.f. single home for one of the builders in town. He needed it to try to add some breadth to the price range of his offerings while maintaining some consistency of value across his product line.

A carry over from last year was finishing plans and marketing information for a local developer of single family homes. These ranged in size from about 2000 to 2800 s.f. with masters both upstairs and downstairs. A couple of each have been sold so far.

On the custom home front, the projects have been varied as well. Erwin Forrest Builders brought me a couple of first floor masters to do, one quite large, over 4000 s.f. with a detached garage as well as an oversized attached garage. This one actually wound up the the 5000 s.f. range. Its in the stage of finals now. The clients are working with Nancy Carroll, an interior designer who I happened to sit next to at the builder awards banquet this year. I'm sure this one will come out spectacularly, perhaps an award winner next year. The other is smaller, closer to 3500 s.f. and has just started to be framed. An interesting plan, it deletes the typical formal dining area, enlarges the nook into a sort of sunroom-dining area open to the kitchen and great room. This idea is coming to me more and more, as the former dining area becomes a study or playroom. The first time I did this was for Hersh Ruhmel in his own house. A great idea whose benefits are being understood by a wider part of the marketplace every year. Greg Harris from Omega homes is adopting it in a plan for his own home being designed now.

On the conventional two story side, I did a plan for a builder in Montgomery County that wound up at 3200 s.f. This has a very efficient envelope, but couldn't be "cookie cutter" (wife's insistence) I used a casual traditional style with some arched features which satisfied them. Slat shutters, vernacular dormers, stucco, stone, and board and batten seem to make this look appeal to both European and Colonial style fans. This plan kept a two story family room and foyer, but I did similar layouts for other homes this year where these favored features of yesterday were deleted in favor of bigger (or more) bedrooms, second floor laundries, or stairs up to finished attics. You pays your money and takes your choice.

What else? Well I did some twins with master down layouts, some upscale twins with 12' ceilings in the family room, elevators, and upstairs master suites. I did some tiki bars and covered pavilions. There was a nice plan for a 2000 s.f. cape cod for a young couple, which could be expanded to 3600 s.f. over time by finishing the basement and over the garage. I drew an as built of an existing kennel, laying out a large open covered area for a dog playground with mounds, tunnels, and a section to make videos for owners to see how much fun their pup might have during the day. Doggie day care to the extreme coming to you soon. There were a couple carriage house/ garage projects. An 1800 s.f. ranch for one of my developers. Working with an architect and a design-build client, there are some cute 4-plex apartments in the works, as well as an 11,000 s.f. funeral home which is meant to have a "house" flavor (hence my involvement). Interesting.

On the awards front, builders were again quite successful with plans I drew. Howard homes won for a spec home selling for 540 k on a 150k lot. This is a nice Colonial plan with good detailing, about 3500s.f. Besides the previously mentioned addition and pool, Monogram Custom Homes also won for a bath remodel as well as an exquisite 1.5 million dollar custom home. Some photos of that are attached. It was designed back in 2009 and there is a blog entry from then with a plan. I was involved with a total of 4 winners this year, 6 last year, 3 the year before, 4 in 2008, 5 in 2007. A total of 6 different builders. It is a great way to get exposure, so give me a call if you want to get involved with a winner. I am now 1st V.P. in LVBA, active in the government affairs committee as well as the business of the board. We are working hard to try and maintain as friendly a business environment as we can in this day of excessive government regulation. This year there have been some substantial wins in this regard, involving sprinklers and the make up and process of the RAC committee which is involved with new code adoption. Supporting the builder's association is a key component in insuring continuing the momentum here.

All in all, it hardly seems like a year which should prompt any complaints. I suppose I'll sign up for another tour.

The appraisal debacle

2011-10-31T12:28:00.011-04:00

One of my builders just got an appraisal back on his own house which he has been constructing for the past year or so. Being in the business, and having been very successful, he worked hard to create a home that would last for a considerable time. He started on one of the best lots available in the area, which he acquired at a reasonable cost, the style and layout of the plan is the epitome of what the market here is looking for. He bought it out using freebies from a host of loyal subs who have appreciated his business over the past 15 years. In short, you could hardly do better for a custom home in our area in the year 2011. The appraisal came back nearly 200k less than his cost. Roughly half of what it would sell for even in today's depressed market. What the heck is going on?

It began with the implementation of HVCC (house valuation code of conduct) which was basically a politically generated instrument designed to prevent fake valuations from further infecting the mortgage debacle. As with most hastily conceived reforms, it did a good job accomplishing what it was designed to accomplish, but in many ways, the cure has become worse than the disease. Basically, it has wiped out half the real estate value in the country, and has created a market in which the home building industry has been crippled, both by the inability to create new homes that appraisers can value correctly so as to facilitate mortgages for their customers, but also by giving the customers less capital to invest in a new home to meet the new standards in the mortgage industry.

The Dodd-Frank bill which passed last summer included provisions designed to correct some of the HVCC requirements which so catastrophically affected appraisals. These new guidelines, which were created by a task force consisting of 5 government agencies involved with real estate and consumer lending were complete about a year ago, and after vetting and approvals and whatnot were meant to have gone in to effect last April. They included such reforms as the mortgage makers being allowed to suggest comps to the appraisers, requiring the appraisers to be paid a going rate for their work, and requiring the comps used to recognize short sales and conditions present which adversely affect value. Seems pretty simple and logical doesn't it? I've been waiting for a resulting uptick in values , but as my example shows, it isn't happening. Why not?

Here's one example of the fallout. This is a house which was sold by one of my clients on a lot that he owned. It was a contract to build a home designed for a particular client. In this case, a tile distributor who finished out the inside with tile in nearly every room. This was done outside of the contract. As the house came closer to closing and being finished, it became apparent that it was not going to appraise for what the builder sold it for. The client was unable to complete his financing and eventually had to walk away from the deal, leaving not only his deposit, but a couple hundred thousand dollars of tile work inside. The builder has been unable to sell for what he has in it, and the bank refuses to release any more money to get the house to a point where it is salable. So there it sits for the past couple years. Contrast the example in the same subdivision. A similar product and circumstance. But the builder was able to complete the exterior, had a much easier time making a sale, and the home has been allowed to become a productive part of the community fabric.

Here is one where a builder actually was able to make a little bit of money. A realtor found an infill lot in a relatively decent area, but surrounded by 50 year old homes selling for the upper 100's. The plan was to put in a bilevel, not overwhelm the neighborhood, and watch the costs like a hawk building the thing. It was sold before completion for for the low 200's, allowing around a 30g profit. Looks easy but, a) you have to find the right lot and b) you have to watch your costs. Note this one kept overhead electric service, as the underground would have cost extra.

What has me worried is this economic angst is inevitably going to wind up stifling housing innovation. I have one house underway now where a young man, a single, is the client. His old house burned down, he got a check from the insurance company, and contracted for the house of his dreams, a total party house. The front has a sort of contemporary craftsman flavor, but the inside explodes around a prow to the rear with a deck overlooking a creek and some hills beyond. The master suite is all wide open with a tub in an alcove and a circular stair up to a library-office area. The downstairs is a huge barroom and media room. Not exactly the same program as the other family oriented homes in the neighborhood, but that's what adds interest. The priorities expressed here are not that unusual. The free spirited space allocation is much more in line with what other young people have expressed to me over the past couple years. The economic sanctions expressed by lending institutions are standing in the way of this sort of housing statement, which otherwise could be actively reflecting the lifestyles and choices of today's society.

who should design houses

2011-08-27T16:09:00.008-04:00

So, the thing is there is this whole profession out there. Men and women who have studied for years how to put buildings together. They have served apprenticeships to get hands on experience mastering their profession in all its various aspects. They then study for and take an arduous and expensive battery of tests to confirm their learning and experience has truly equipped them with the "right stuff" to design the structures we inhabit. Why is it that so few of these individuals are involved with home design?

This discussion ranges far and wide across the forums on-line where various practitioners weigh in with their own take on the state of affairs. The discussions can be simplified into two camps. On the one hand are the architects who feel as if unlicensed designers are shirkers and scoundrels who have lazily neglected the required training and now just rip off the public with their hack designs at low cost and in effect are devaluing the profession. The other camp is the designers, most of whom spent the intervening years gaining valuable knowledge in other allied fields. Most have found a way to offer a service consumers appreciate and happily pay for, while exploiting their special skills for profit. Many are home design experts who have spent their entire careers specializing in home design and construction. These two camps often clash, where the one tries to put the other out of business by lobbying for government to regulate the profession by requiring the architect's license. The other camp wants the licensed group to just go back to their commercial and industrial work, putting their well earned knowledge of public health, safety, and welfare to good use. Just leave home design alone.

Back and forth it goes. Nothing resolved, nothing defined. Each side convinced of their own argument, and no one ever switching sides. Some call for a separate license, a separate profession where the skills involved in housing are specifically tested, and requirements for taking the test scaled to appropriate tasks for that enterprise. Others think the generalists architect title is the correct way to proceed, but change requirements for taking the test to something more affordable and less exclusionary. The goal here is to improve the quality of the built environment by publicly vetting those who are allowed to participate. Where do I stand in this sea of controversy?

To me, the whole discussion is beside the point. Having worked in housing as long as I have, especially from the builder/developer side, I understand how closely the economics of affordability controls the design process. There is really very little money available to pay for good design. Besides which there are 100 clamoring little hands wanting to glom any extra money that dares to rear its head. Everyone thinks more of the pie should be spread to their little specialty, from the farmer selling the land to the title clerk searching the deed history, to the framer banging the nails, to the painter touching up the trim, all the way up and down the line. No one in the process is going to reap a sudden windfall and start re-making things.

The second thing is that most people do not want their houses to be designed by someone else. They think it is their God given right to do so. And if the people (the customer) doesn't, then I can guarantee you that the builder or developer does. They don't want the design genius telling them what to do. They want to pick out what they like and put it together (or have it put together) the way they want. In this environment, there is no way a designer or architect is going to get a bigger slice of the pie to spend the time to develop things the way they think they should be at the builder's or customer's expense. It's just not the way this game is played. Even when the designer or architect is given the leeway to work things out, once they leave the playing field, the other characters always adjust things however they want, usually glad to get the design official off the field so they can scrum in their own way.

My feeling is that this is not a bad thing. The house is a place where people can make some personal expression. They exhibit their taste. They communicate to their friends and neighbors who they are and what they value. We don't need to take this away - to homogenize the built environment to some artificial standard of "what ought to be." We ought to embrace this opportunity and let it play out however it may. It is all good.

So having said that, what is the role of the designer or architect in the process? It is whatever you want it to be. There will always be people doing exquisite work. People with taste will recognize it, realize it is much better than they could do themselves, and pay for it. Likewise, there will be cheapskates, unwilling to pay for any quality, design things on their own and pay only the least expensive labor to put it up. It will be an atrocity, it will hurt the eyes of all who see it, but the good news is it will likely fall down before very long. In the middle will be the compromise. People who pay a little bit for better design and want to ensure someone is watching the store when it comes to quality of construction. There is room for all. The cheap guy doesn't devalue the expensive guy. If anything, he only underlines how much value the quality work has. My belief is that there is room for all. If I want a homogenized level of quality in my built environment, then I'll go to Disneyworld.

My photos in this post are examples of the way designs get morphed once they are past my sphere of influence. It happens all the time. Dormers where the sill was defined at 6" got moved front with a consequently taller reveal than desired, a decorative window lowered so the gutter line is interrupted. A chimney deleted and a dormer clad with sticky stone and foyer window changed. A front door reduced a foot in height, garage windows lowered a foot, and expensive chimney shroud deleted. Portico detailing sometime followed, sometimes not. Stone put on a fireplace bump out. Grading changed by a wing wall, the list is endless. All last minute modifications either by wicked intent (saving money) or unavoidable circumstance. It doesn't really matter why. All that counts is the owner is happy, loves his house, and the story gets told with a few additional character marks. I think we can just leave this designer-architect furor alone. Things are pretty good as they are, and will only get better as people become more educated and design conscious. The cream will always rise to the top. I don't think trying to use government regulation to "help" the process will do much good. I'm willing to bet that some unintended consequence will wind up only making it worse. These are all recently completed homes in a variety of price ranges. All with flaws, but all telling a story and worthy of being loved.

new enthusiasm

2011-04-06T15:55:00.005-04:00

Having just heard Steve Mouzon speak in Philly yesterday, I'm newly energized to keep up on this blog. I still have a lot to talk about, some of it more interesting than the usual dire economic commentary. After all, its still a great time to be alive. The world of home design seems to be on the cusp of some mighty changes as it adapts endlessly to the needs and knowledge that shape it. We are lucky to be allowed to participate.

Some topics that got me het up last year that I'm planning on revisiting here in the coming months.

1) Who should be allowed to design houses? What training and experience should be required?

2) The real estate appraisal fiasco. How it hurt new construction, and how the new guidelines just going into effect from the Dodd-Frank bill might lift custom home building out of the doldrums

3) The AIBD and its nascent Master Residential Designer designation. Taking a leadership role in the development of a new breed of residential designer.

4) Cost of all the leaches interfering with the availability of money to improve design in our housing stock. Commissioned sales, title insurance, mortgage points, government mandates, and endless list. Imagine if all this effort went towards improving design. Would we be happier?

5) Design/Build. Where is the money? Who has the better time of it, the designer or the builder.

6) Housing affordability crisis. Are we at the end of the road for each man owning his own castle?

So, it looks like a busy year. I'll cover all these topics and more as the year progresses and new thoughts and ideas on home design come to mind. Maybe I'll even change the title of the blog to get it more current.

Year in review

2011-01-02T14:28:00.014-05:00

2010, perhaps not the best year in anyone's book, but for me, not the worst either (by a long shot). Lots of interesting projects crossed my desk. A wide variety from which it has been very difficult to notice any pronounced trends. Big houses, small ones, additions both functional and glamorous. Extra space for aging family members seems to be a common idea. Everyone is committed to to their project being a value, but most are not denying themselves the luxuries they desire. They just expect to pay less for them. I thought I might just post a series of front elevations, to show the variety of what has been active in my marketplace.

end of season

2010-11-05T17:10:00.007-04:00

I was out taking some snapshots last week of some of the houses getting finished, so I thought I would post them. The Turner's house in Saucon Valley has been landscaped, and on the other side of the golf course, the Maloney residence is starting to come together. I can't wait to see this property after the landscaping gets finished, after seeing the plans for it. I just drew up a little garden shed that the landscaper sketched out to fit into his composition. It will be outstanding! The third house underway is a recent sale at Epernay just around the corner. If you look back in some earlier posts you can see the model house at Epernay, and some other layouts which were done for that project. This home is sized a bit more modestly, but will retain the same authentic French characteristics. I'll show more as it gets finished.

Currently on the boards are 3 new homes to be built in a community nearby where some lots have been sold or auctioned off at a substantial discount to current market conditions. One is to be contracted by the owner, one of the buyers is a builder doing his own home, and the third is to be built by one of my regular builder clients for a young couple. Each of them will be working every angle to make the project affordable, and that seems to be the nature of the beast these days.

Other projects include 3 additions adding bedrooms and family room space, a new home which includes full living amenities for parents ( living room, dining, and kitchen) plus 4 bedrooms 3 baths for the owners (all in 3500 s.f.).

I'm also working with a builder and an architect on a funeral home plan with a "celebration of life" building adjacent. This is being set up so if a customer who was a car enthusiast, for example, has an event in his honor, the car can be displayed prominently just outside the reception area. The funeral home business is no different than the building business in that they have to continually look for new ways to serve their clients in order to compete in the new economy.

couple of recent plans

2010-08-31T11:54:00.008-04:00

The people have been taking me all over the map recently. But the most interesting project was a 2300 s.f. house with clerestory windows that for the life of me feels like the ones I used to do back in the 80's. The photo is of a house I built in 1984. I happen to be doing a screen porch on the house across the street from it this week, so snapped a shot.

The new customer envisioned a plan not with the vertical cedar siding we might have used back then, but rather with steel corrugated panels and a horizontal steel panel. But many similarities in any event. What the client was seeking was an authentic sort of house. A sort of purity of form where the walls and roof planes are expressed honestly, without a lot of capitulation to the conventions imposed by any particular style. The lot is steeply sloped to the North, and entry is to be taken from the upper West side. The plan is designed to afford a variety of living spaces in its relatively small size. An effort was made to let the living and dining room inhabit an autonomous space from the kitchen and sunroom, so separate activities could easily occur. In the future, a basement rec room will add another option, and the second floor library contributes a fourth choice. The client works as an engineer doing subcontract work for Harley Davidson, for whom he had worked previously. A serious gearhead, he has a collection of many Moto Guzzi cycles from across the decades, and conceives of a race track going through the port cochere as it circles around the property. Isle of Chad. A fun project for a great client. Construction should start in the fall.

A bit larger in s.f., but about the same construction cost is a plan for another young couple with small children. Again, the program was all about not being constrained by any conventional expectations of room arrangements or functions. Three are needed on the first floor- living, eating and food prep, and work space. These should all be open to one another, just inhabit different parts of the plan. I added in a little mud area to sequester the powder room and provide an air lock from the garage. There was no particular style the clients wanted to follow, but the tendencies were traditional in what they liked. The result is a traditional cape cod with a slight arts and crafts bungalow flavor. These two plans, as different as they are, show the kind of thought the most recent buyers seem to share. They are not interested in duplicating their parent's house. They want to eliminate unneeded and unused rooms. Their budgets are reasonable and allow for few if any frills, and they expect their house to reflect their individuality, not their conformity to some easily quantifiable ideal.

The last plan is a home done 10 years ago. As I look at it, there was a nostalgia for some of the 80's forms, but also a desire to maintain a little bit of a traditional vocabulary. The reverse gable at the entry was an effort to blend in with the bucks county vernacular, but the basic thrust of the plan was contemporary. A transitional. I just checked this property out on zillow (74 stagecoach road, pipersville pa. if you are interested) They have put a pool in the back and added a large sunken shed off on the office side. The client did environmental design and has his office above the bedroom. There was a floating beam grid in the volume ceiling of the living room to give the space some scale and to help make sense out of the strange geometry of the room. Step downs, a dumb waiter, a built in aquarium, there was a lot going on in this one, but it held on to a rationalist's premise.

As I look back on it, it seems I may have been all over the place so far this year, but it's really not much different than it ever has been, just forgetting about the 1st years in the new millennium.

whats going on

2010-07-31T09:00:00.014-04:00

I'll make a couple of entries on my 2009 blog to bring it up to mid 2010 speed. We've been stumbling through the past couple of months. Surprisingly, I've actually been fairly busy, though my usual builder clients have been grinding to a halt. I've been working on a couple of mother-in-law additions, a deck or two, a pavilion, a carriage house, some 4000 s.f. mcmansions, as well as some 1500 s.f. starter homes. Throw in some 2400-2500 s.f. stuff, and you can see I've been all over the map. Pretty much anything and everything just to keep busy. What I really want to show on this post, however, is one of last year's projects coming closer to completion. This is the typical example ( in my world) where a project starts to take on a life of its own after my involvement ceases. Decorator's come in, family members, builders, friends, subcontractors. The buyers see new things, want them added in, and while they would like my input, after a while, they get tired of paying for it. This is a plan which was designed in 07 and 08. It was fully framed in mid 09. Usually after its framed, they stop calling me, and that's the case here.

This plan was involved matching a traditional shingle style look with a plan that was strongly organized on an oblique axis passing from the foyer-livingroom-stairhall-dining room-kitchen-familyroom-and out a door to a covered outdoor space terminating on an outdoor fireplace. Along the way there was to be a 3 story stone wall in the staircase with a glass car elevator, a stone fireplace back with random display recesses, and a variety of interesting views. I went in last week and took some shots of the progress. Some stuff was deleted (the glass car elevator and 3 story open stairwell), some added ( a muraled wall scene in the basement pool area). All in all, it's coming along nicely. In a way, all I do is provide a canvas on which a gigantic cast of characters collaborate on a painting. Maybe I also sketch out the scene, but the reality of the way I work is that I never control the end result. Brush technique, texture, even coloring and shading is up to other participants in the process. In the end, its a collaborative effort whose goal is to please the clients. I've added the plans to this house. It's pretty complicated, with multiple circulation and view axes. The two main living levels are 5907 s.f. The basement adds 3145 s.f. and the apartment over the garage another 807 s.f. There are 1137 s.f. of covered porch. Total about 12000 s.f. under roof.

Art Glass themed in home design

2010-03-21T10:12:00.005-04:00

This project attempted to use a variety of art glass windows to thematically link some very complicated plan relationships. If you look at the shot of the family room, you can see the locations of each of the windows. In the upper left hand corner you can just make out a 6 foot by 16" arched glass dormer which is floating in a barreled ceiling. The small windows are on each side of the front door, and the 3 foot round window can be seen in the upper right side of the family room. The theme was established in the iron work on the front door, strong swirling organic forms. These were then adapted to the dormer glass, and come to fulfillment in the familyroom, where the pattern had to adapt to the gridding present in the sdls. The glass artist, my neighbor, William Petro, spends a lot of time composing his themes by seeing the context the glass will eventually inhabit. This influences the design and the color scheme. He then installs them on site to be sure everything is secure. A wonderful service a number of my clients have enjoyed and a great way to personalize your home.

cute as a bug's ear

2010-03-06T17:48:00.004-05:00

While others have been flexing their creativity dreaming up state of the art 1800 s.f. homes to compete on the Free Green site, I've been working on some solutions that may work here, a little closer to home. That contest is all about 1800 s.f. plans, most of them in a modern style, to best express the values preferred by those folks. Sustainability, Contemporary, Green, and state of the art. I doubt any of them will be built in our area. The economics just don't allow for an 1800 s.f. single family size. Lots are still too expensive. It's just too hard to get them to appraise. So, I'm working on what I do best, state of the art yesteryear. Appealing plans that speak to the heart as much as the mind. And I have no problem mining the past for solutions that speak to me. So here is James Gamble Rogers II own house, built around 1930 in Winter Park , Florida. It created quite a stir in its day, and was featured in 7 different magazines. I've adapted the elevation ideas of the original, a long low mass with a turret hinging a 45 degree angle in the garage piece. Added an extra gable for a protected entry, some stone, and totally re-did the plan for today's lifestyle. I didn't veer from the original intent however. The plan is just enough, but never too much. It comes in at 2600 s.f. on the main living levels- with another 900 s.f. available in a lower level if desired. The idea is to place it on one of the expensive lots in our area which formerly supported 800-900k product which now nobody can afford. Building a home like this to the proper specification, watching your costs like a hawk, should be able to let you bring this to market closer to 600k. It's cute as a bug's ear, there won't be anything else like it in the marketplace, and you may just grab yourself a sale. At a later point, I've added a couple photos here of the original house which is for sale. Here is the little tower and original one car garage. There is an entry which has been added to the base of the tower not present on the original. The other photo is the asymmetrical window in the gable piece which I use as the master suite, originally a kitchen, now a study.

rendering of last month's plan

2010-02-24T10:48:00.003-05:00

Got the rendering back of last month's plan. These are drawn by Bud Lichtenwalner, my long time collaborator and exceptionally talented illustrator. Who needs lifeless computer developed renderings when the hand work can be so compelling. Each image is meant to tell the story of the house, placed in a setting that draws in the viewer in to the space, and leaves them wanting to see a little more.

I especially like the outdoor shower off on the left side of this house.

no more formal rooms

2010-01-21T10:48:00.006-05:00

My blog title is already outdated, as another year has gone by, but I thought I'd show a couple of the projects which have come my way recently. Very different clients. One a young man whose house burned down. The other a mid-aged family with a couple of teen-age kids and an at home business (hair salon). Remarkably similar floor plan solutions, however. Both clients wanted to maximize their value by only constructing rooms which they would use. Seems like no one wants the burden of paying for those formal living and dining spaces that are only trotted out for special occasions. The public-private zoning of the house is taking a beating with our informal lifestyles. The younger client's plan shows the second floor and elevations. This is mainly a party house. It includes a full finished basement with a bar- theater area, and multiple fixture men's and women's facilities. Also a hobbyists garage with a lift. The office and laundry space is seen as part of the only private section of the house- the master suite. You go up a spiral staircase to do your work and run back down to go to sleep. Sort of a single person's solution, we're not worrying about keeping the spouse up here.

The family plan puts the office on the 1st floor- and the laundry in a mud- drop zone off the garage. The second floor is laid out for a future "man-zone" accessed by the stairs in the garage as well as the second floor hall way. So all the buds can come over for some brews and watch the game without disrupting the rest of the family.

Some surprising similarities for very different programs.

projects for the new economy

2009-10-17T11:28:00.012-04:00

What sort of jobs are coming now? Here's a typical cross section of what I'm doing. The first is for a developer who was selling improved lots to Ryan Homes. Ryan is unusual for a large public company in that the never improve their own lots. They contract them fully improved with a take down schedule, usually at the highest price the market will bear. They then sell the homes on contract, typically not taking down the lot until after the house has been sold. Not the most profitable way to do business, but a great way to minimize risk and afford a huge return on investment. There's no money tied up in inventory. It's all great except when the market turns and the developer who was counting on Ryan's huge price for the lot is left holding the bag, with no one interested in paying anywhere close to Ryan's price. All you can do is build it out and hope for the best. Here's a 20' townhouse project where Ryan's product was selling for mid $200,000. The market tells us to move product, we have to be at $175,000. for something with the same appeal. Here's what we have. Every possible cent was taken out of these, while making them still appealing to the marketplace.

Here's another one. I mentioned earlier a luxury condo project selling in the 1.5 million dollar range. We thought about reducing the square footage and the price about 20%, and a plan was posted a couple months ago. Now this has been re-thought. We got the first floor even smaller and hope for a price well under a million. Time will tell. The photo is of the existing model home- over 4400 s.f.

Another developer, again with lots left over from a cancelled Ryan deal has to make a project of 22' two story townhouses, and 24' three story townhouses. Our strategy here was to introduce a look to differentiate our project from the competitors, and offer s ome unique plans to try to get a premium for the community. Easy to strategize-but hard to accomplish. Here's our first stab at the look for the community.

For a note of nostalgia, I was out a couple of weeks ago and snapped some photos of a couple of the last houses being finished up more reflective of times gone by. What I'm starting to call the good old days. The one on the left, the first one started, was sold for full asking price before it reached drywall stage. The middle one sat for over a year 3/4 finished, was sold by the builder as is with a substantial discount, the buyer putting the completion contract out to bid. The original builder didn't win the contract. The third house sat empty for a while, but now the builder has finished it up and moved into it himself.

32' cape plan

2009-08-27T13:13:00.004-04:00

I was looking at one of Greg LaVerda's new plans over on the CORA site, and was inspired to post this plan here.He starts with a 32x32 cape layout, but presents it in what he calls a MoTrad idiom. You can see the traditional roots, but a variety of very modern gestures quickly removes most traces of a traditional plan. He calls it a stealth house. Perfect for sneaking in to a traditional setting.

This is a 32x36 cape cod which was designed to sell for about $200.k on a $55k. lot. Builder's cost to build was about $110,000. Obviously, cost was paramount. The w/d was sent down to the basement. The first floor bath is shared with the bedroom. The kitchen layout is basic- with no island (to allow for an old-fashioned kitchen table). At this price point, I'm competing with 20' wide 3 story attached product. Room count and sizes correspond to this competition. My big selling points are the 2 volume ceiling areas. 3 dormers light the front area, while skylites illuminate the open ceiling in the family area. You give up the garage. I typically detail my dormers with the fypon face kit, but this builder deleted that and let his siding mechanic take care of it. Oh well. House was sold last year soon after completion and the builder is putting a second version next door. This time, the 3 front dormers are deleted, a cross gable with a window is put in, and the front room is floored with access from each of the bedrooms. Now for sale at $219,000.

shack attack

2009-07-29T14:52:00.007-04:00

An honestly designed house. A home which doesn't try to be anything more than what it is. No effort to feed the owner's ego. No effort to bloat up to impress friends or neighbors. Just an honest little structure to house ourselves and our families. With just enough stylistic content to reflect ourselves and our values, while maintaining a connection to our culture's history of the built environment. Not too much to ask is it? It is a house type which has a continuing appeal. It's been called a bungalow, a cottage, a cabin, maybe a lodge. I'm going real down and dirty here though, and taking the concept all the way to "shack." Simple forms, natural materials, porches, and informal lifestyle. No pretense whatsoever. No country club memberships or Range Rovers need apply. Just bring your kids and dogs and enjoy yourselves for heaven's sake.

I've settled on 2400 to 2800 s.f. with 1- 1st floor bedroom and bath, with the master upstairs. Garages are optional- detached - and placed on the back of the lot. The street scape is unassuming, unimpressive, but quite comfortable. Who wants one?

where did all the small houses go?

2009-07-14T09:43:00.006-04:00

After gearing myself up for a run of 1500 to 2500 sf plans, seems like all I'm working on is larger homes. Here's what has gone out in the last month. The first is a 3800 s.f. plan in a Med. style. No living room or study, just a family room and a 1st floor "man" room with a walk behind bar.

The second house is a larger estate- approx. 6-7000 s.f. The front was rendered with a hip roof, the rear with a gable roof. We seem to be settling on the gable. What's interesting to me about this plan is the way there are 3 distinct circulation zones on the 1st floor. The foyer runs front to back with a staircase under a window dislay at the rear. a half flight down takes you to pool deck level. From here, you enter an area I call the grotto, a stone walled room containing a back staircase with a cozy sitting area underneath. This is centered on the opening to a barrel vaulted kitchen. The third circulation zone is conceived as a gallery, with art displays and openings to the great room, family studio, and back entry. We got rid of the two story volume in this plan, but there's still a great variety in the feel of the spaces as you move through the plan. Are we green yet? Geo thermal seems to be popular with clients deciding the extra expense is worth it if its less than a 8 year payback. I also note that the 2 story Great room was not desired in either of these plans.

2009-06-19T09:31:00.006-04:00

Interesting commission came in a couple weeks ago. A group of investors have to take over a project from a builder who evaporated. They are in to the lots for way too much money. The only way out maximizing value is to hire one of the many laid off production builder project managers and have him build houses for as low cost as possible to create the kind of compelling value which will make a sale. They'll pay all the costs, and whatever is left at the end of the day is what they recouped from the lot.

Market told us we had to sell at about $135. per foot, and the area dictated 300-400k sales price. So that meant 2100-2800 s.f. You are probably thinking I might introduce one of the new plans I've been posting here, but I didn't think they would work well in this instance. Back to the tried and true. Several reasons: First, a non-existent builder. This is not an actual company, its a group of investors who can hardly agree on when to have a meeting, let alone new kinds of product design. Second, the site is on the fringes of our marketplace, not the sort of setting state of the art buyers might consider. Third, These things will be built by production subs probably traveling a long way to get there. They have to be simple. I've shown a couple of samples. Nothing too revolutionary, but I'm trying to get rid of the big foyer window, and introduce a couple of ideas not usually seen in this price range: the open staircase to the basement on the one plan with the wide opening to the family area in the back of the house. The other plan would typically have an open foyer with a T-stair, but here we closed it off, made a straight run on the stair, and used the space for an upstairs laundry and nicer bath. Small gestures, but may help this product stand out from the Pulte type competition.

voysey hollymount

2009-05-25T09:35:00.003-04:00

Here are two plans which seem to be in the same general theme as those recently posted. The first is a 56' wide version of C.F.A. Voysey's Hollymount. This plan is done as a 3600 s.f. version, with the usual room components. In Keeping with the English Arts and Crafts roots- the garage is planned to be detached. Look what happens to the plan when it is adapted to the new economy. It loses 14', down to 40' width. The study morphs into a desk alcove. The dining area is expanded and opened in to the kitchen. The formal living room is made so it could be closed off as a playroom or study. The main living space is opened up to the kitchen area. We shed 14' of width and over 900 s.f. of avoir du pois.

playroom and study

2009-05-25T09:00:00.003-04:00

One of the thoughts coming out of this new examination is the fact that given the requirement of giving up 10% in the expected square footage, many people are more willing to give up convention notions of public- private or formal-informal divisions in the house. Rather than devoting space to both formal and informal dining rooms, and formal/ informal living spaces, they prefer just one space devoted to each of these functions. With the single living space devoted to a huge TV and enough room to play the Wi, there remains a need for a more secluded study- and those with young children need a playroom to keep the kid's toys and games out of site during parents hour. We haven't really reduced our room count, but the spaces are more devoted to the way most of us lead our lives. The key to this is getting the typical nook space large enough for a 6 person table so the formal dining room can be bagged. In this way the dining room can become the playroom (close to the kitchen) while the formal living room can be closed off as a study. Here is a classic center hall layout adapted to these purposes.

2009-05-25T08:43:00.003-04:00

This plan is for a new model for a community which was planned 3-4 years ago. Problems with the site improvements delayed construction until a lawsuit and some engineering issues could be worked out. The model home is just now nearing completion, but it was thought that perhaps the size is a bit too big. The homes are selling for 1.2 to 1.4 million, The goal, get something to start at perhaps 999,990.- Using my 10% and simplification formula, the following plan was proposed.

Previously, the smallest 1st floor was 3100 s.f.- this one clocks in at a tad over 2700. A high water table dictated slab on grade construction- very unusual in our area- but ample attic storage and radiant floor heat provide adequate compensation for the loss. The developers want to give a little more time to see if the initial price points will be valid, but this layout is waiting in the wings.

luxury retirement community

2009-05-25T08:37:00.000-04:00

plans for the new economy

2009-05-25T08:24:00.003-04:00

Many of us are trying to second guess what the buyers will be seeking when they return. That was the original premise for this blog. As a reminder, I'll start by posting up again the result of this inquiry from last January, an approx. 2500 s.f. plan, designed to compete with 2800 s.f. builder box ( a 10% reduction), designed on 4 sides, with a totally planned interaction with its site, and efficient use of construction methods and materials. I might add to this, a massing aesthetic simplified a bit from previous norms, with detailing perhaps a bit more elaborate. Besides this original blog plan, I'll add in some of the other stuff crossing my desk in the past 6 months in additional posts

split plan

2009-05-02T17:04:00.000-04:00

This is the plan that wouldn't upload yesterday

other plan concepts for the new economy

2009-05-01T09:52:00.005-04:00

Part of what I've been working on the past couple of months are plans which might fit the sorts of ideas that buyers are likely to respond positively towards as the pursestrings loosen in the coming months. Being an old and in the way sort of guy, I of course am going back into the archives to see what made sense back in the old days when every construction penny was counted. Split levels and bi-levels. These housing types got rid of the basement, at least partially, and made use of all the volume created in the house construction. 4/12 roof slopes made the plans look a little dinky, but prevented not only the expense of building large roof volumes, but also the design burden of figuring out how to get up there, and how to use the new found space. These housing types have held on to a stigma in today's marketplace, and seldom sell at favorable price per s.f. rates compared to a traditional 2- story.

My thought is that if the roof pitch is increased to a more compelling 9 or 10 in 12, and the attic space is made accessible and useful, the construction economies can be enjoyed without compromising the price per s.f.

I took a plan I built back in the 80's as a contemporary- vertical cedar siding, clerestory windows- etc. and put on a more traditional steep roofed exterior. The cost per s.f. to build this should be advantageous, and the plan has a lot to offer. The image doesn't want to load right now, but I'll put it up on the next post.

blog plan update

2009-02-27T10:06:00.003-05:00

So, there's good news and bad news. When I floated the plan that started this blog out to one of my builders, along with 6-7 other likely candidates, the realtor came back liking this one the most. But with a few modifications. take the garage off the back- move it to the side wall along the kitchen side, and reverse the plan. Of course, that defeated the purpose of the original parti, but, not being too busy, it also allowed me to develop the idea Chris raised earlier about placing the kitchen closer to the living space. I kept the garage as rear as possible to allow a side window in the dining room, and rearranged the master suite as required by the new massing. This is being marketed as a paper listing on one of the builder's vacant lots, so we'll see if there is any buyer interest, and if so, which version they prefer.

2009-02-19T17:14:00.002-05:00

a 2500 s.f. plan from 1983

Going back and mining some of the older plans I built, I remembered this gem. It was done for a professional couple without children. They wanted a house in a "no particular style" style, but which had a sort of timeless elegance to it. They didn't want it to look dated in 20 years. I always think about this one as the dryvit house. Back then, it was not used much in residential, In fact, there were only a couple of commercial projects with it in our area. My advice back then was not to install it over plywood or OSB sheathing. I used 2'x8' sheets of gyplap. The foam was 2" thick- supplied by the Dryvit people, to be sure it was cured properly. Never had any problems with it. I seem to recall a sprayed on insulation in the walls as well rather than batts, but I'm not sure. The plan was interesting because the clients wanted formal living and dining spaces , with a den for TV watching close to the bedroom. The kitchen was to be a hearth room feel. The floor of the library was framed with roughsawn oak timbers with an oak plwood layed under the subfloor above, so the ceiling in the foyer was all exposed framing. I haven't been back in this house in 25 years, but I wonder how that has weathered over time. Same owner still lives there, but the husband has passed away. 2500 s.f.- value is in the same $400,000. ball park of the other older homes. Maybe a little bit more like $500,000. with the all natural materials. Finishes inside were a little nicer as well. Rutt cherry cabinets and corian tops. My contract in '83 was $125,000. on a $35,000. lot.

60' barn plan

2009-02-14T11:43:00.003-05:00

Interesting to compare the last home- designed 27 years ago, with this project which was not built. I see now that I was mining the same themes, but in a totally different context. Take a look at the similarity in room layouts. At least it shows consistency.

From Jacobson's modernism, here I was playing with the idea of a Pa. bank barn, a vernacular form admired by many modernist architects- most notably Mies. maybe that's the Jacobson connection. This plan- not quite as long- but a little deeper, accomplishes the same goals in about the same size and cost. Looking back- I see I did this plan in Feb. 2002, 7 years ago. It was for an article titled "A Lesser Advantage"- playing with Mies's "less is more" truism. Back then I was barking up the same tree- $400,000 on a $100,000. lot

another 25 year old -2500 s.f.

2009-02-13T16:33:00.002-05:00

I had a client back in 1983 who was all about Hugh Newell Jacobson. His houses were published in a couple of the trade magazines back then, but the monograph had not yet been published. We took some of his ideas and applied them to a very simple linear form. The budget was miniscule, and the detailing had to be worked out as we went along. Floors were all oiled slate, cherry cabinets, white corian tops, Hewi harware, Kroin faucets, Kawneer doors, iron pipe railings. As it was built, the stair tower was made semicircular with a flat roof and a skylite rather than the reverse gable shown. Front faced North, so minimal windows on that facade- the doors were recessed for shade on the South. The lot sloped so a long thin plan was desirable-as we didn't want a walkout condition to interfere with the purity of our side el.

Not a great house for kids, but it still works well for an empty nester or DINK client. I tried to photograph this for the blog, but its had a major addition, and trees etc prevented a view of even a part of the front. At the time it was built, the lot cost was $25,000. and my contract was $175,000. for the house and garage with a 5k allowance for well and septic. It transfered a number of years ago for $660,000.- but as a much larger house- so its hard to guess about the economics. Long thin plans are not the most efficient use of envelope, but they work well if the lot slopes. They also allow 12/12 roof pitches with standard length lumber. Now that our daughter is off in college, my wife and I could live in this plan very easily. On a 100k lot, we could get into it for about $400.k

2009-02-06T11:01:00.003-05:00

I did this plan for Gary Campbell of Campbell landscape design. (www.campbelllandscape.com) The idea was to place the house to maximize what the lot would give us, and to afford as much flexibility in use as possible as needs change over the years. There are 3 private rooms, one on each level, and a large public space on the main level. A sunroom on the main floor is thrown in for good measure. The main bedroom at least initially is on the upper floor, but can easily be moved to the main level in the future- which space is to initially be used as a study/home office. The lower level is a guest room and Gary's office. The front of the house faces South, but the lot sloped down to the North with a great view. A stand of trees protects the front view of the house from the street. These conditions drove the placement of the garage as a buffer for the South facing yard from the entry sequence. The driveway evolves into a private path leading to the front door- or around the garage back to a nicely developed garden area. I think there are some photos of this on Gary's web site. The back yard is developed as a meadow- Gary's specialty. The trick in the mass development in the plan is that each functional zone is treated to its own roof form. All in all though it has a sort of traditional bungalow aesthetic. One of my favorite homes I've done in the past 10-15 years. Gary had it built by one of the more established local contractors and deviled them the whole time to achieve his goals of sustainable building practices. (separating trash-using only components with the desired chemical properties, etc.)

Because the size is similar to the last house- zillow appraised them almost identically- $348,000. Gary's lot is 5 acres, and the home is much newer. In time I'm sure it will gain momentum in value over the previous example

Other 2500 s.f. plans

2009-02-05T14:48:00.002-05:00

It is almost too obvious to mention, but of course other folks have put to task the question of designing a nice 2500 s.f. house. I've done it numerous times for a variety of clients. I thought it might be fun to post here some of the stuff I've done in the past. I built this one back in 1982. (just took the photo today) It was done as a spec house in the days when mortgages hovered at 14-15 percent. You had to watch every penny that went into the house, and pray that some transferee or other motivated buyer would come along and take it, letting you make a little bit of money before the bank got it all (sound familiar?)

So this was going on a 1 acre lot with onsite well and septic. All the other available specs were going on public water and sewer lots back in those days about 90' wide, so I wanted to do something that would play up the size of my lot, and a view off to the front right (as you face the house). The usable wrap around porch was the hook, and the plan was designed to pick up on a sort of homey cottage aesthetic that the wrapped porch would compliment. Other ideas in the plan, which were not common at that time, were the volume ceiling in the family room, a back staircase only, making the entry area large enough to move around in, a living room which could be closed off to use as a private study or a 1st floor bedroom, and a full 1st floor bath. Ceiling hts were 8' and 8'. The biggest problem for today's buyer is the simple master bath and single closet- but otherwise, it compares ok with today's product.

It was sold before I put the foundation in the ground. That wrap around porch was a killer. It was done the old time way with mahogany 1x4 T&G boards on a framed floor. The windows were T.D.L. mill windows site painted. I seem to recall using wood shutters on this as well. I have to take the blame for the dormer detailing and the flush rake boards ( I was using a painted crown mldg on my specs at that time) but that was my money going up there, not the buyer's. I think I sold it for $90,000. plus the lot, which was $20,000. Add another $5000. for well and septic. The buyer was in it for $115,000. I went onto zillow and saw it transfered in 1999 for $220,000. They had it at $346,000. at todays market value. (Zillow is a little conservative, but I think actually pretty realistic when it comes to stating a price at which something will actually sell.) That works out to 4% appreciation per year over the 27 year life of the house- Average for our area.

I'm still liking a lot of what I see in this plan. I wonder if today's buyer would. I think you'd be hard pressed to come up with a nicer home in this area at that price point.

I'll post up another one tomorrow. This one built about 10 years ago.- a custom design for an astute buyer who wanted something flexible and sustainable.

2009-02-04T14:32:00.002-05:00

As promised, here are the plans and elevations for the deanery garden knock off I did a couple years ago for Builder/Architect magazine. The rendering is posted over on the CORA facebook photo page. It's about 3500 s.f. in this form. I see the els are for a 2 car, while the plan is for a 3 car. I think I doctored it for a proposed spec house 5-6 years ago. Fell thru, so I'm still looking for a client for this one. It's one of my favorite plans. I love the way the main circulation axis relates to the variety of cross axes. The outside-Inside-Outside-inside Entry sequence on the front door axis- and the look over 2nd floor library- first discovered by a glimpse through the great room at the front door, and later experienced again after climbing the stairs and exploring the upper cross axis. The semi enclosed courtyard- the rhythm of chimney stacks- the wood detailing around the great room window array. I don't know, this one just works for me.

site plan update

2009-01-22T14:37:00.006-05:00

Here are the site plan and interior els I was working on last week. At this point, I'm pretty much finished with this plan, other than trying to find someone to build it. I'll be using this blog to post other layouts which generally seem to fall into the same sort of criteria I used here. 4 sided design, and a plan which attempts to use all of its site- invites people to explore all the site has to offer. I've been talking with Christopher about Lutyens and posted a rendering of a take on Deanery Garden on the CORA facebook site. I did this for an article that got carried in the Builder/Architect magazine a couple of years ago. I'll post up the graphic used for the article here next time.

It's been a week

2009-01-14T09:18:00.003-05:00

I've not been idle. I worked out my fireplace-Tv elevation and am quite pleased. I have given up on a wall mounted solution. Everything fights with the majesty of the fireplace. Brookstone makes a console with a lifting mechanism, and for me, that is the way to go. I just don't want to see the stinkin' TV all the time in my single living space. I post up the sketch later.

I've also been working on my site plan. The space just outside the kitchen has become my barbeque area- defined by a bit of low wall. The back yard is planned for a future 24x24 workshop in the back corner behind the drive. A small potting shed defines the other back corner. The Patio off the living space has an organic shape- there's a pond with a little stream
running alongside a path in the side yard. The front is reserved for BMP water recharge areas, and the center part of the back yard contains a 40x50' croquet court (minimum suggested size)
again- I'll post photos of the sketches next time.

Actually, doing this little project has reinforced these themes in my current work. 4 sided design, using nothing but natural materials in a way reflecting the assembly of mass. Allowing the house plan to interact with all parts of the lot. I've gone back to my archives and dragged out a couple of other efforts from the past which can be adapted to these tenets. I'm not going to insist on the rear garage. I understand that a front entry garage has its time and place. I'll post up some of these results next time.

recent thinking

2009-01-06T17:34:00.002-05:00

I've enjoyed the feedback from the 2 Chris's and David. Seems like there's a couple of issues for further pondering, not only in this plan, but in general.

1st has to do with the degree of engagement from the kitchen to the living space. We all know that current practice is to thrust the one upon the other. 50 years ago, these were kept separate. Open planning has been adopted whole -heartedly by the builders, not only because the buyers ask for it, but also because it makes the respective spaces feel larger and thus more valuable. The kitchen has become the living room. Cabinets are now crafted from the finest cherry like the living room furniture used to be. Tops are granite. Our homes hemorrhage money in the kitchen like it grows on trees. The hobby of eating has supersized America to an alarming degree. Its apparent that my preference is to turn the kitchen back into a work space and recapture the living room as the primary activity area. Lets stop hanging around the island eating salty snacks and sucking down adult beverages. I know that my wife is never comfortable having the kitchen so exposed. She wants her own domain, away from the peanut gallery, where mistakes can easily be hidden, and messes can exist without disrupting the entire household. She can't be alone in this ( I don't cook, I just show up when I'm called and clean up after)

2) I've been working for a while to be sure my main living spaces can comfortably house both fireplace and TV without resorting to putting one above the other. Usually I do 2 focus walls with an L shaped seating arrangement opposite. I'm not wild about corner fireplaces generally speaking. This plan places the fireplace and TV side by side, which is usually not as successful. I've been working on developing elevations of this long wall to be sure I'm happy with it. I'll post these later on. Love to hear other thoughts on this issue.

3) I'm quite comfortable with long narrow rooms as a main living area, but I suspect others are not. The bowling alley feeling is easily mitigated by multiple entries and cross axis as well as window bumpouts. My own 100 year old house has these and it works quite well. It actually helps a lot of furniture options by creating 2 separate activity areas. Recent design trends, as voiced by Chrisopher have gone to wider, more square rooms, where furniture can "float" Tji floor systems with easy 20' span capability, and a steadily growing s.f. budget has allowed this. I'm wondering if now, in a new age of a more prudent economy, if long narrow rooms will become more in vogue. Time will tell. I wonder what other designers think.

2009-01-04T14:43:00.002-05:00

left out the attic plan- here it is

2009-01-04T14:05:00.007-05:00

here's a complete elevation and plan set

2009-01-04T13:41:00.002-05:00

Interesting comment from David. Wondering what's driving the bus in my thought/process. I started out here wanting to show how a builder mentality perspective typically drives a design. I started with a budget, then a s.f. goal, then a basic size/shape to accomplish my s.f. goal. Somewhat arbitrarily I settled on a cruciform plan with short legs front and rear. Not that arbitrarily, in that I wanted to maximize length- for curb appeal, but give myself some massing options to get a variety of elevations.

I then started my Parti with the idea of maximizing my views through the house to focus the experience back into the lot, which I conceive of as being totally planned, especially the side yard spaces. (I mentioned in passing my conviction that it is the lack of side yard planning which makes the typical subdivision experience so distasteful). That prejudice indicated a garage placed to the rear of the plan, a driveway running down the side, which is to be developed as a sort of private street/play area. This is what drove the kitchen to the side of the house.

For practicality sake- I grouped the vertical circulation at the cross axis, knowing that that will maximize my room options on the second floor. At this point, I also knew I wanted to make use of every square foot of space I could, including attic and basement, just to see how a small plan in s.f. could be made to compete with the typical builder's model. By this time, with my 400,000. budget, I knew the competition would be 500 s.f. larger than my plan.

Since then, the plan has been evolving as issues need to be resolved. I have held on to the concept- 3 bay house with 14' sides and a 12' center which projects front and rear. I started at 2250, but have grown up to more like 2500. Because my plan is by nature somewhat flexible within the constraints of its concept, my latest rendition is laid out the way I would live in it, and modified to suit my furniture. You could do the same for your needs.

This puppy is easy to build. I put some of the 1st floor as slab on grade (could be a crawl space) My framing spans are held to 14' less the wall space. I kept my windows simple. There's really nothing more difficult here than what any production builder can do with his regular subs.

2009-01-03T11:33:00.002-05:00

worked the plans. The only disatisfaction I have at this point is the size of the dining area in the kitchen. I really wanted this to be big enough for a decent sized table and walk around space, but it's just not there. The logic of the plan allows me to easily add length to the front in any of my 3 bays, and there is always a solution by adding s.f.
Chris had a couple interesting comments, like moving the kitchen to the flex area and the flex area to the front in the nook space. Nook would go to kitchen. This would involve the kitchen more with the living space, but that's not the theme I have set up here. Good grist for a future plan however.
The site development plan is really a major part of this conception. I'm seeing the driveway as a sort of personal "street" and I like the idea of the kitchen window overlooking this area.
I'm not yet showing the developed attic and basement layouts, but these as well have gained important status in my little plan.
The basic house is just over 2300 s.f. plus another 100 for the upstairs laundry, and maybe 500 in the attic less the stair volume. my basement office, playroom and bath will add another 500-600 s.f.- I'm at 3500-3600 s.f. living space total. I've made yet another mcmansion. But my attic and basement space is relatively cheap, and I think the result will compare favorably to the builder product in the marketplace.

new floor plans

2009-01-03T11:28:00.002-05:00

some quick els and further thoughts

2009-01-01T12:36:00.002-05:00

I pulled 3 elevations out of the archives and adapted them to this plan. There are lots of opportunities here in a variety of styles.
Some good things about this plan cost wise are 1) the 14' framing module allows easy floor framing with 2x10@16"o.c.- still the least expensive alternative. 2) the attic can be framed with 2x8@16" o.c. (13-2 max span) so the bonus space in the attic won't require 2x10's. 3) 2x8 rafters easily work for these short spans. 4) the stacked bearing walls will give me plenty of opportunity to brace my hips to the fdn. without extra flush beams.
Other thoughts to be developed later are :a walk -up basement entry under the nook window taking you to an at-home office in the basement.- direct access from the driveway.- a kids playroom in the basement under the flex room.- Living room to be done with radiant floor (slab on grade)- hw baseboard heat.

2009-01-01T10:08:00.003-05:00

Like David, I couldn't get this out of my head, so I played with the 2nd floor last night while waiting for the ball to drop. for a developer, it's all about the master suite. To pick up the extra space over the garage, the master has to go on that side. His/her closets, compartmentalized w.c. big shower and tub are all requirements. Better think about where the optional f.p. is going, and be sure that there are no roof structure issues with providing volume in both the bedroom area (tray ceiling) and bath area (slope with skylite).
I usually try to place closets as sound buffers between bedrooms. Need linen storage both in the hall and master bath. I wanted to provide a desk area on this level to make up for the deleted 1st floor study. The way things worked out, I can easily get another set of stairs up to an optional attic area. with some dormers in my elevation, I can keep the stairwell open and spill light down through the second floor into the foyer. That should give the buyers something to think about. Gets my s.f. out of whack, but what the heck, mortgages are at an all time low. You may as well take the optional space behind the master bath. It it were me, I'd put the laundry in there and just let the mud room be a nice back hall entry, with beadboard, cubbies, benches, etc.- figure 10x12 for the closet, 40x12 in the attic- less the stairwell-maybe 400s.f.- I'd be up to 2770 s.f. total- The attic would kill my tray ceiling in the master- but I'd still vault the bath. We'll do 9' second floors- so I could still do a perimeter drop in the master for a little extra sex.

take it a little further before year's end

2008-12-31T18:35:00.003-05:00

Ok, I spent a little more time with this- made a couple of mods. The comps told me I needed at least a 20x14 kitchen set up to compete, so I had to arrange my shape into 3 lateral bays. This plan will frame side to side. The key for demonstrating a new home comes in the foyer. That's why developers always go for volume here if they can. If the buyer likes the house at first glance- they'll forgive a lot of flaws. If the don't like it- they'll pick on each and every detail. I knew going in that the view planes on this house have to read strongly from the front door. I'm probably not going to give much, if any, of my 2nd floor space to volume, so the entry area has to be decent. Lots of views. Thats what my arrows were denoting. Since I want to focus on developing the entire lot, these views should terminate with glass to take you back outside. I'm going to keep my f.p. internal to avoid the tacky little dog house, or a fortune on my expensive exterior. I'm going to step down the living space a foot to add some drama. I clearly have to add a little bit to the garage side to make room for a mud/entry, and I already know my 24' is going to be a killer upstairs, where I'm going to want 2-12' bedrooms with a 2' closet between.
probably will want to cantilever- or at least add 2' above. Don't really need it in the 1st floor room. That's it for now

1st stab

2008-12-31T17:56:00.001-05:00

sorry, the sketch didn't make it in to the last post. Here it is

market comps

2008-12-31T17:19:00.000-05:00

Looks like the major player in Parkland is Heritage Homes. Here's what they are selling for 400K. Nothing too exciting- but they provide the full component of downstairs rooms, i.e. formal living, dining, and study.- When you shop builders for comps, its always best to use an inventory home. That way you don't have to figure out how many extras have to be added in to the base price to come up with the actual selling price. Here you get 2843 s.f. My 2200 sf house has to compare favorably to this. I've done some basic math and have a game plan. 40x24x2floors will get me 1920 s.f. I want at least 200-300 over the garage so that's about as big an envelope as I want to play with. I'll want an offset at the front and rear to give me some massing options. I've got one of 2 ways to attack this problem, either keep the full room inventory and make micro-sized rooms which borrow from each other spatially, or keep the number of spaces to a minimum and let them stretch out a little more. My inclination is to go the latter route, again to differentiate this product from the usual developer fare. I'll need a kitchen/dining area, a living area, and a 3rd-flex area which can be used as formal dining, study, or 2nd downstairs living space, depending on the buyer's needs. My first stab is something like this.

lot check

2008-12-31T12:49:00.000-05:00

Just did a quick search on the local MLS. Criteria was 90-120k lot, less than 1 acre, in one of the popular school districts. Parkland Manor came up. about 2 miles away. New subdivision with 15,000 ft lots, about 100x150. 15' sideyards, 25' front, 40' rear. Plenty big building envelope for 2200 s.f.-

Next step is to check the comps. Do a search for houses in Parkland schools- 380 to 420k, less than 2 yrs old.

additional background

2008-12-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

Its obvious that if this design is going to compete in a marketplace in which I have to give up 700-800 s.f. to my competition, then I am only going to appeal to a limited slice of the pie. In addition, by being generic rather than specific to a site, I am giving up the opportunity for location to be the selling point. It has to reside in the logic and compelling nature of the plan.

There a few a priori assumptions. First, I am going to compete with the merchant builders by composing all 4 sides of this plan. No vinyl box with a pretty front. Second, the plan will be laid out in a way which encourages the use of the entire lot. 90% of the depressing feeling given off by the typical subdivision is the way the house sits in a sea of undesigned, and thus unused space. Third, at 400k, the marketplace will demand 4 beds, 2 1/2 baths, and two car attached garage. No reason to force that issue. Fourth, the plan will push the garage to the rear in true TND fashion for several reasons: help engage the entire lot, differentiate from the merchant builder competition, increase curb appeal. There is a cost for this in terms of impervious surface, but there are ways of solving that issue if it comes up. Fifth, the house will be close to equal between 1st floor and second floor s.f. with a significant portion of the second floor built out over the garage. Simple economy here. I'm putting a lot of extra money into the garage placement and finishes on the exterior. Don't want to add money to an inefficient conceptual layout.

The next step is to see what kind of lot 100k will buy me, so I can be sure I get enough width and depth to make a plan work.

2008-12-30T17:19:00.000-05:00

On the Cora website, several designers have started blogs on putting together a new plan which would reflect CORA's preferences on an appropriately designed house. At this time, there are three guys working on it. One typically does large coastal commissions in New England worked out diligently with gridding and golden section layerings with traditional detailing done in an almost post modern way. Another specializes in modern designs with a bent towards affordability and plan book type applications. The third is from Texas and does well worked out plans in traditional styles.

I thought it might be interesting to contrast their work with the kind of home a developer might do to bring a product to market to sell in a tough economic environment. The kind of home most of the Cora designers vilify, but which most of the population tends to buy. It might be interesting to contrast the design goals and process so as to better understand not only where the housing design profession is at this point in time, but also to see where it might be heading. It would be curious to see what the buyer has to give up in terms of amenities as well as what he would be gaining in terms of design purity.

I'm not sure what the cost issues should be in this comparison. The other guys are working with a much higher cost per s.f. than a production builder would ever contemplate to hit a mass market. One the one hand, I could start with a much higher s.f. to compensate.

On the other hand, it will be much more informative to limit the s.f. to an equal amount, to see how the room arrangements and sizes might compare. The difference to the buyer will then evolve into how much more disposable income can be directed towards other goals than housing, i.e. recreation, education, charity, saving the planet, whatever.

We're building simple 2 story plans with 2 car garages for about $110.00 per s.f. in our area (builder's cost) so I'll use that as a guideline. This kind of product goes on a lot which can be bought for $100,000 to $125,000.- Outsale price to the public would be $400,000. to $450,000.

In this price range, I'll be competing with the likes of Pulte and Ryan, who typically sell at about 135 a foot. For 400k they are going to give you nearly 3000 s.f.- so my little 2100-2200 house better give a lot of bang for the buck.