resource review: the distinctive home - part 3

The third principal for creating a distinctive home is focused on the exterior design or what Eck calls the public face. For Eck, the key to a well designed exterior is "to look outward to the site and neighboring houses and inward to the floor plan" (Eck, 132). He continues in explaining that many of his clients start out with a specific style in mind - contemporary, colonial, victorian etc. - but that to begin with a style is extremely limiting and often comes at the "expense of a thoughtful and distinctive solution, one that integrates the site, the floor plan, the exterior, and the details inside and out" (Eck, 132). Eck instead proposes that all options for incorporating these crucial elements be considered and then to end up with a style or rather what he likes to call a personality for the home.

New Construction: 
1. Name your home. Giving your home a specific name rather than just an address "gives it a significance that raises it above the ordinary" (Eck, 132). It is a way to appreciate and give meaning to the place where you will spend much of your time. 
2. Begin with thinking about the exterior of the house from a distance and imagine how a visitor would see it. From a distance, a home's exterior is about scale, massing and color. Scale is about size but more importantly how the size relates to the people who live in it. People tend to be most comfortable in spaces that have a scale that is similar to their own. Mass is about volume and perceived weightiness. A single mass is experienced as a much larger space than one that is the same square footage but that is broken up into multiple masses. Finally, color plays a large role in how your house will relate to its context - should it stand out or blend it?
3. Determine the scale of your home (this is different from square footage). For a smaller size home, perhaps one with a condensed floor plan, think about how you can play with the scale to make the home seem larger. For a larger home, Eck recommends breaking a house into smaller parts or even separate buildings to keep the scale in proportion to its inhabitants and surroundings. Another solution might be to keep the house to a single story or to use the details of the home (windows, dormers, columns etc.) to help reduce the scale.
4. Determine the mass of your home. Mass is all about proportion and is innately tied to scale. For Eck, "single masses work best on small houses because their limited size makes it hard for them to grow to massive. But the larger the house, the larger the mass and odds are, the heavier or bulkier it is likely to look. Breaking down one large mass into multiple smaller masses (similar to adjusting scale) is a good way to reduce the impression of bulk" (Eck, 142).  
5. Consider the details of the house specifically the doors and windows, textures and patterns, the roof, entries, chimneys, and porches and decks. These details work together to create the overall composition of the exterior and while each should be given its own specific attention they should combine to create one cohesive and pleasing exterior design.
6. When thinking about the design and placement of doors and windows, begin by thinking about the contrast between the solid and void. Eck explains that "while a distinctive interior is the direct result of siting outside and the plan within, it is also an independent composition that should have a pleasing balance of solids and voids - rather than a hodgepodge of openings that have no order" (Eck, 146). For windows, Eck outlines three rules. Firstly, "place the windows to take advantage of the outside views"  (Eck, 153). Secondly, "size and position windows in a way that corresponds to the positioning and importance of rooms in the plan" (Eck, 153). Finally, "make sure the windows have a pleasing visual composition that balances with the amount of wall and its siding, trim, and texture (Eck, 153).
7. Combine different materials to create visual interest. 
8. Don't forget to consider the patterning of your selected materials.
9. Remember that the roof is one of the most prominent elements of the exterior and that its design cannot be ignored. Eck recommends a process of designing the roof that tries to match the basic roofline to the qualities of the site. It is also important to carefully consider the pitch of your roof and how well it will function in your specific climate area.
10. Create an entry that is welcoming, well proportioned, and functional. Avoid thinking about entries as having one for show and one for function.
11. Regard chimney design as an integral part of your exterior rather than an after thought. Eck describes his approach to chimneys by stating "I often think of them as stakes in the ground around which the house rotates" (Eck, 167). 
12. Consider that "porches and decks can do more to add human scale and distinctiveness to a house than any other exterior element" (Eck, 169). 

Purchasing a Home:
1. When thinking about potential homes examine how you remember the different properties you have seen. If you are constantly referring to a house in a negative way - "the one that was a horrible mess" -than it is probably not the place for you. It also might be helpful to try to name a potential home and see if it helps you make a decision on whether or not it is right for you.
2. Same as above. 
3. Take into consideration this point when looking at a potential property. Does it look too big? Too small? 
4. Same as #3.
5. Same as above. Step back and notice where your eye is drawn. Does the composition of windows, doors and details seem to work well together? Does something seem not to belong or look right?
6. Apply the three rules of thumb to the window design and placement when viewing a potential home. Look out each window and think about what it would be like to look out of those windows on a daily basis - would you want to or would you want to close the shades?
7. Think about the aesthetics and the function of the materials used. Educate yourself on how easily changes could be made or what the upkeep will be.
8. Does not apply. 
9. Same as above.
10. Think about what the entry of a potential home conveys to a visitor. It is an intimate, courtyard entrance that draws a person in? Or is it a formal, clearly defined front entrance that conveys a sense of stateliness?
11. Take notice.
12. Take notice. 

Modifying a Home:
1. Its worth a try!
2. Consider this point if you have never thought of your house in this way - it might reveal something new to you.
3. Same as #2
4. Same as #2.
5. Same as "purchasing a home #5".
6. Does not apply. 
7. Think about how changing the exterior materials or color of your home might enhance the overall exterior design.
8. Same as #7.
9. Does not apply. 
10. Changing entries are a relatively simple and often high impact way to transform the exterior of a home. Think about what a new door or adding an overhang could do for the outside of your house. 
11. Does not apply.
12. Another great and relatively simple way to change the whole appeal of your home. Add a front porch? Or maybe a side deck?

Check out tomorrow's post for a distinctive exterior design example!

a floor plan made distinctive

design by Rick and Cindy Black Architects, photo by Whit Preston

This 1940s bungalow in Austin makes for a great example of a floor plan made distinctive. Renovated by Rick & Cindy Black Architects in 2011, the project successfully updates this historic home to reflect the modern day lifestyle of its owners.

design by Rick and Cindy Black Architects, photo by Whit Preston

Bungalows while being a classic style of house somewhat miss the mark with having floor plans that reflect the needs and desires of their present day inhabitants. Rather, they have floor plans that match the lifestyle of the time in which most were built - the 1930s and 1940s. Seems logical right right that the design of a house would reflect the times and lifestyles in which it was built? This, however, is generally not the case with new construction. McMansions, as I categorize them, are disassociated from their inhabitants. To summarize (because I could ramble on about this) they are big to be big and are in many ways more accommodating to a car than the people who live in them. 

In this case and with the bungalow style in general, the house has good "bones". Its size and scale promote the use of the whole house (point number one for Eck) and its interior relates to its exterior in its entryway, siting and window design (point number three and four). What is missing are points two and five which speak to how rooms relate to each other and the details of the spaces. The points, however, are also achieved with the home's renovation design. Walls were removed to create a more open floor plan allowing an ease and flow between the living room, dining room and kitchen. A new stair becomes a design feature adding not only better function (I am guessing that the original stair was quite narrow and probably in the back of the house) but a distinct design feature. The ceilings were raised to create an open, airy feel and a back hall is turned into a multi-functional space that includes a desk, storage and laundry. 

Below are a few more photos of the project as well as a floor plan. Enjoy! 

design by Rick and Cindy Black Architects, photo by Whit Preston

design by Rick and Cindy Black Architects, photo by Whit Preston

design by Rick and Cindy Black Architects, photo by Whit Preston

resource review: the distinctive home - part 2

The second key factor in creating a distinctive home is a well thought out floor plan. Eck begins this section of the book by explaining that the floor plan of a home should express the way its inhabitants live. Advocating a move away from manufactured, cookie cutter homes (I like to call them McMansions), Eck outlines a qualitative process to better understand the details of how one lives and then to create a space tailored to this discovery. 

For Eck, there are five critical ingredients to a distinctive floor plan. The first is that each room in the plan should be a place that is used and comfortable to be in. The second is that rooms need to work together. The third is that the plan needs to relate to the site outside. The fourth is that a plan should reflect a home's exterior and vice versa. Finally, the plan should have details that help define the use and feel of the space. Ultimately, for Eck "A distinctive floor plan can, at a glance, convey what is most important in our lives" (Eck, 119).  

New Construction: 
1. Eck proposes beginning with a wish list. This can include pictures and sketches but should be focused on the quality of rooms (for example - open and bright) rather than the specific aesthetic details. 
2. From this wish list, create a diagram that speaks to the relationship between spaces. A bubble diagram is often a good way to do this.
3. Determine how many stories by considering the context of the neighborhood - you probably would not want to build a tall two plus story house in a neighborhood of low ranches, what you prefer - a ranch that hugs the landscape or a two story home that provides views out, what will function best for you and your family - will you want to go up and down stairs everyday,  cost - often one story homes can be more expensive because they require more initial site construction and can cost more to heat and cool and finally think about the site and how you want the house to relate to it. 
4. Think about what type of plan would be best suited for you. Eck outlines three types. The first is the condensed plan which combines many activities into a small number of rooms. For example, the kitchen might share the same space as the dining and living rooms. This plan tends to be the most informal. The second and most common is the comprehensive plan. In this scheme, activities and their corresponding rooms are separated and distinct. The third and final type is the compound plan. In this plan, spaces/activities are given specific and distinct locations under separate roofs (think wings of a house). With this approach, hallways and connection spaces become extremely important. 

Purchasing a Home:
1. Same as above although it becomes particularly important not to focus on just the aesthetics. When looking at a potential new home,  think more generally in terms of size and relationship of rooms rather than paint color or flooring. Make sure to take a step back and really think about the layout of the home and how well it fulfills your wish list.
2. Same as above.
3. This point applies with some adjusting. When looking at a home see how it fits into the rest of the neighborhood - you do not want to be "that huge house at the end of the block". Think about the houses that you gravitate towards - if you love the two story farmhouse aesthetic you might not be happy with a one story midcentury contemporary. With regards to function, focus on the layout and size of a potential home - do you really want to have to clean five bathrooms. For costs, think about how the floor plan of the home with affect heating and cooling costs - open and airy might have lower cooler costs but higher heating bills and maintenance - single stories generally have quite a bit more roof area than two stories. Finally, don't forget to gather an understanding of how the house relates to its site.
4. Same as above and choose accordingly. 

Modifying a Home: 
1. While you are unable to change the whole layout of your home, think about how you use your current spaces and if you are optimizing them. For example, if you have a formal dining room that you never use could you add doors and make it into a home office. 
2. Does not apply.
3. Does not apply.
4. Does not apply. 

Check back in tomorrow for a distinctive floor plan example!