Places - Serenbe

Not something I would recommend in a cold climate like mine (the porch ceiling, which is the bedroom floor might get a little chilly in winter), but I love the way the porch in the top photo is built right into the house.  The column spacing is right on as well as the beam detail, exposed roof rafters and window composition.  Take a look at the front walk...very nice!

The bottom photo shows how a house with simlar elements can look completely different with the help of a creative architect or designer.  Notice how the gables have a purpose (the roof form creates the bedroom space) and are not merely stuck on a roof for decoration or the dreaded "street appeal".

Places - Serenbe

Just like the photographs I posted yesterday, the homes are on the smaller side (compared to American standards) but light years ahead when it comes to good design.  Most homes have usable front porches close to the street for interacting with neighbors.  The thing I like best is the attention paid to the details.  It's like the architects actually took some time to design for the climate, local materials and community...imagine that!

Places - Serenbe

For the most part these New Urbanist Towns are 100% new but designed to function like small towns of the past.  Houses built close to one another ideally within walking distance to almost everything you would normally drive to while living in a typical American suburb.

Places - Serenbe

This week I'm going to post some photos from a place I visited just south of Atlanta called Serenbe.  The top photo is one of the first things you see upon entering the community...the horse barn.

The bottom photo is of one of the shops in the small downtown area.  Many of the shops have living spaces located "over the store".

Things that make you go hmmmm...10

Here's another stone faux pas...wow, so much perceived weight over such a large opening...they must have used magic stones (or better yet, magic structure)!  At least the stone wasn't brought all the way down to the top of the garage door...which is beautiful, by the way!

Things that make you go hmmmm...9

(in an Irish accent) Ah, yes, the stone entry!...just like you've come across a cozy cottage after a long walk through the forest.

Fake stone's relatively low cost and ease of installation (almost anyone can do it...probably part of the problem) leads to lots of "things that make you go hmmmm" moments.  If everyone would just take a look at real stone walls they could avoid the following "things" and make the final product look much more genuine...that is the idea, right?  Here are four:

Lower stones should be the largest, then more or less, they should get smaller as they go up...common sense if they were real stone.

Corner stones should be larger that stones in the middle of a wall...they would have been used to lock the corners in place.

Keystones should be placed in the middle of arches with slightly smaller stones making up the balance of the arch.

Stones should be "stuck on" as though they really would have to rely on their neighbors to stay in place...locked together.

All of these methods can be accomplished using fake stone...the architect or builder just has to do a little planning.

Things that make you go hmmmm...8

This one doesn't need much explanation...whatever third floor space is behind that looming front facing gable should have been placed somewhere else.  Nothing, in my opinion, is that valuable.

Things that make you go hmmmm...7

There are lots of McMansion-esque things going on here, but I'm going to concentrate on just one.  The infamous Palladian window detail.  It's commonly butchered because very few people take the time to go back and see how it was originally done...once you see how simple it is to do right, you'll start to understand why Palladio (he didn't actually invent the window form, but I'll save that for another post) is constantly turning over six feet under.

Below is a drawing taken from Mary Anne Cusato's wonderful book, Get Your House Right...a must read for architects and builders.

Things that make you go hmmmm...6

This one is a little hard to see...it's those miniature can lights installed in the soffit that unfortunately light the face of the building.  So what's wrong with that, right?  An exterior lighting principle:

Public buildings are the only structures that should be lit on the exterior, mainly for presentation...think banks, city halls, libraries, etc...residential structures look best at night when lit from within...think "warm glow".

Interior Paneled Doorways...

Interior paneled doorways in deep room transitions can be found in many High Style homes found in Williamsburg.  When in the closed position (pictured partially below) the wall, now exposed, was paneled to mimic the door but painted to match the trim so as not steal the thunder of its stained twin.

Interior Shutters...

Here's another interior tied together beautifully with warmly painted wood paneling covering every vertical surface.  Notic how the side walls are angled out toward the room to flood the room with natural light.

I'm just guessing here, but maybe interior wood shutters were favored as window treatments to reduce the possiblity of fires caused by the regular use of candles as a light source.

Interior Shutters...

Here are some interior shutters that carry the color and materials of the wainscoting up to the ceiling for a unified look.  The construction (in the photo below) of the shutter pocket is relatively simple...the window casing protrudes out just enough to cover the edge of the open shutter.  When closed, the pocket surface at windows are plain while door panels tend to be paneled...which you'll see in an upcoming post.

Interior Shutters...

I took these photos while on a house tour in Williamsburg.  I always lag behind the group so I can take photos without people in them (an architect's hangup)...I can also "redecorate" a little for a better shot without the docents seeing me.

It's amazing, when in the open position, how much light these interior shutters can let in without the typical obstruction of curtains on the top or sides of the opening.  When the shutters are closed (as you can see in the bottom photo) they block out almost everything.

Exterior Wrap-around Shutters...

This is one of the coolest shutter applications I've ever seen.  It's in Williamsburg right on the main drag.  The shutters actually pull out and fold around each side the display window of this former silver shop...protecting the booty from the town dunk!

Below is a shot of the interior of the display window.  Notice how the shelves terminate at the wall...simple but effective design!

Attention to Scale...

Ah, well done!...windows on the first floor should be taller than windows on the second floor.  Wall space from the top of the window to the ceiling should be the same from floor to floor.

Notice the proportion of the individual window panes as well...taller that wider looks best.

Approachable Porch...

All porches are not created equal...some are welcoming and some look like they were designed to keep people away...usually because of their height off the ground and overuse of brick or stone.  This porch is a great example of how to properly welcome your guests.

Notice the foundation...piers, not a massive stone or brick monolith.  Many homes have it exactly the opposite way...lots of brick or stone at the porch to impress the guests.

The proportions look good as well...the rectangular openings bounded by the floor, columns and beam should be more vertical than horizontal.

The only issue that jumps out at me would be that the short end of the porch (on the right side of the shot) usually looks better if it's held in fron the corner a bit...so the porch roof dies into the front wall of the house, not around the corner.

Consistency Counts...

Any feature window shapes should be similar to one another but not overdone.  This architect chose an elliptical arch and used it for the porch, entry transom, upper hall and kitchen window (down the side of the house).

Exterior Materials...

Here is a great example of material restraint where the builder (this was built on spec.) didn't fall prey to the demands of the general public by adding full walls or patches of masonry here and there for curb appeal.

The body of the house (all four sides) is narrow exposure clapboard siding while stone can be seen at the house foundation and piers of the covered porch...totally appropriate to the setting.

Find the Genuine Architectural Patterns...2

This week's photo is of a recently built house in my hometown of Naperville, Illinois. In this series I'll toggle between historic and new structures to show how genuine architectural patterns aren't just for "old" houses.  I'll pick out a genuine architectural pattern each day this week and explain why I think it's so good. No long-winded explanations...just the photograph, a highlighted detail and a short summary. Can you find any others?

Places - Seaside

Most houses in Seaside don't have garages, but the small number that do handle them beautifully.  Detached garages have advantages over their all too popular counterpart.  Here are four; natural light on all four sides of the house, side entry from driveway into house, possibility of garage attic living space, and a garage-less street elevation.