No more than two exterior materials...

Back to the Historic District for this addition to a Queen Anne Victorian. The architect did a great job in showing restraint in the placement, materials and details of the new structure. A general rule of thumb among some of the most respected residential architects is that no more than two different materials should be used on a home's exterior. Materials should relate directly to the style of the home which in turn should say something about the local history and climate of the region where it is constructed.

Consistency counts...

Consistency makes this home in Winnetka, Illinois pleasing to the eye. Even though there are two different and distinctive roof forms (gambrel and shed) they work together because neither one dominates the other.

Thoughtful massing...

Sometimes I think a house like this one was designed to solely explain a concept...this one would be massing. Thoughtful massing is a common thread that runs through all great homes regardless of their size or style...so it doesn't just apply to the brick Georgian from Williamsburg, Virginia pictured above.

This house has a substantial base below the first floor line, tall first floor windows, a belt course showing the line of the second floor, smaller second floor windows and a roof that does its job without overpowering the house.

Attention to scale...

Attention to scale makes this addition built by Classic Renovations (630-390-8232, old school!) just outside Naperville's Historic District a good example of how a home can provide ample space for a family (I've been inside this home) while respecting its neighbors and sidewalk strolling pedestrians. The street side of the house's second story is tucked under the roof, keeping the scale manageable, while the taller portion was located on the back side.

Try approachable instead of "impressive"...

The first thing that popped into my head after snapping this photograph in Naperville's Historic District was how approachable this house seemed with the addition of a simple portico. Historically, houses in northern climates limited the size of covered entries to allow more sunlight to penetrate into the house on cold winter days.

Detached garages - really!

While strolling the streets of Seaside, Florida, the first New Urbanist Community, my eyes were naturally drawn to this scene...a beautiful house with a well-detailed detached garage pushed all the way to the back property line. Before you say “that wouldn’t work in a typical suburban neighborhood!” think back to the movie Father of the Bride and tell me you can’t see the benefits!…back yards are over-rated anyway…and just think of the new interior wall of natural light you’ll get…not to mention the classic side entry kitchen. It’s one of the reasons historic neighborhoods are more neighborly…you can’t just hop in your car, open the garage door and speed off for the day!

Simple forms are just the beginning...

I took this photograph in the town of Serenbe, Georgia, a New Urbanist Community just outside of Atlanta. It's not a large house by today's standards, but its use of simple forms can be applied effectively at almost any scale. Note how the simple and honest roof forms used to cover actual living space (not added here and there for "street appeal") give the house its distintive character and charm.

Architectural Patterns - big concepts

Architectural patterns can simply be described as the way, intentionally or by accident, in which the parts and pieces of a building come together. From the trim around a window or door to the composition of a porch or building façade, architectural patterns are all around us. Some are the result of careful research and respect for materials and context, while others appear to have been dropped from space…or from an adjacent subdivision.

Following are ten big concepts that can really help to get any house off on the right foot.

Historic Neighborhoods...in the movies.

Think back to the last good movie you saw. Chances are the home occupied by the main character was set in a historic neighborhood. You know the type…picture perfect homes with manicured lawns set a few steps up from a sun dappled sidewalk hugging a narrow tree lined street. Ah, the quintessential American neighborhood.

a welcoming front porch...

Movie makers aren’t drawn to these homes for their overly complex roof lines, random window arrangements, gratuitous two-story foyers, three car front load garages or even their granite countertops and stainless steel appliances (sorry McMansion fans). They are drawn to film in and around these homes because of their simple, classic and timeless details, universally loved by many Americans as well as countless advertising and magazine location scouts…not a McMansion in sight.

simple, classic, and timeless details...

Unfortunately, the only media attention paid to the many McMansion-lined streets lately has been as the poster child of the foreclosure crisis. It’s not hard to see, when compared to a thoughtfully designed historic or historically-inspired home, why these subdivision-style houses are difficult if not impossible to sell.

They don't draw 'em like they used to...

...or maybe they still do? Look closely at the drawings above (dated October 22, 1910)…when blueprints were blueprints. I acquired these images after scanning a set of tattered prints I'm working from for an addition to a historic home in Naperville, Illinois. The house was designed by the Aurora, Illinois firm of Worst and Shepardson.

Now look closely at drawings below, scanned out of one of my favorite books, American Houses, chronicling the work of Fairfax and Sammons, a top tier residential architecture firm based in New York City (too bad all residential prints aren't this detailed). The exterior drawing is taken from a 1997 house built in Washington, Connecticut and the detail sheet is taken from a 1995 house built in Greenwich, Connecticut.

 

In person, all three homes share magazine caliber looks but differ dramatically when it comes to what it took to get them built; the old house was built using simple line drawings while the new house required many pages of detailed drawings. Why the difference?

The old house drawings didn’t need to show every detail because workers on the jobsite knew them like the back of their hand. They were common details that, for the most part, just made practical sense. The new house drawings, on the other hand, had to show a largely untrained modern workforce the ins and outs of building traditional details.

The American jobsite is no longer teeming with skilled artisans looking for a place to leave their mark; most of them have come and gone with no one to fill their shoes. If given the proper guidance, by way of detailed drawings, I believe our modern workforce would welcome the opportunity to once again build homes worthy of preservation and future admiration.

Historic Neighborhoods...rediscovered

Historic neighborhoods are being rediscovered all over the country as a great place to live, raise a family and in some cases retire. They are typically found just a short walk or bike ride from a thriving historic downtown chock-full of quaint shops and restaurants all within an easy drive or train ride to a major metropolitan city.

Since there’s no need to sell anyone on the virtues of a vintage Colonial Revival or Queen Anne Victorian, I’ll begin the blog by highlighting the less obvious, but no less important features of the typical historic home and neighborhood. No worries if you don’t happen to live (I don’t) in a historic home or neighborhood…think of these details as basic architectural principles capable of enhancing any home. Most of the time-honored architectural details we know and love are nothing more than thoughtfully designed practical solutions to common problems…like supporting heavy materials or keeping out the rain.

Next, I'll review the big concepts (the macro side of design)…then the little details (the micro side, but no less important)…they will form the basis of many posts to come and can be applied to almost any home regardless of size, style or cost.

Welcome!

I'm an Architect living and working in Naperville, a suburb of Chicago, settled way back in 1831. I've had my own small practice for twelve years now, designing new homes in a variety of styles as well as additions to a growing number of historic structures.

I've decided to start writing this blog because of my passion (my family would say obsession) for thoughtfully designed houses, old and new, and the genuine details that make them come to life.  These details, historically known as architectural patterns, were typically executed on site by experienced craftsmen or drawn by architects influenced by widely published pattern books.  Think of them as the "charming" part of the old houses we know and love.  This blog will serve as my way to rediscover, document then share those patterns with homeowners, architects and builders working on historic and historically inspired new homes in and out of the City of Naperville.

Naperville's Historic District, just one of the many places I'll visit for inspiration and material,  is a wonderful place to explore some of America's most beloved architectural styles including Greek Revival, Italianate, Victorian, Colonial Revival, Prairie and Craftsman.