i need some help with this topic...which i know is very random. a family friend lives in a historic district of our city. she and a neighbor are interested in building a new house/townhouse that is multi-family. she wants to see some examples. This is what she asked me:
Plans are to build a traditional house that is actually a duplex. From the street, it should appear to be a single family residence. We are looking for classic details and high quality materials possibly washed brick or stucco. We are only thinking about the façade at this point. Where can we go to find some attractive examples? Please give us any suggestions or for example, the name of a book or a specific architect who has done upscale multi family housing.
I think you are just trying to help your family which frequent happens to all of us at one point or another, I am not much of a traditionalist when it comes to architecture ( just between you & I) stucco is not a high-end material, brink or stone would be more appropriate.
The project you mentioned is simple enough, but a few things you need to consider:
Fist the site- location, zoning (is this allowed-duplex?), massing, density etc.
If in a historical neighborhood it will have some existing guide lines and covenants that you need to be aware of before you get to far,
A duplex in many definitions will have a continuous roof line over the two living units.
I see the challenge being how you deal with the entry procession into each unit to give it a sense of scale and autonomy rather than having two brown stones next to each other kind of deal.
No specific book comes to mind; I would look at some of the work of Bob Stern,
Or if you got a copy of “the new Urbanism take a look at Kentlands in Gaitherburg, Maryland, I think that is what you may be asking about-
Good luck
Apr 5, 06 10:04 am ·
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upscale multi-family housing
i need some help with this topic...which i know is very random. a family friend lives in a historic district of our city. she and a neighbor are interested in building a new house/townhouse that is multi-family. she wants to see some examples. This is what she asked me:
Plans are to build a traditional house that is actually a duplex. From the street, it should appear to be a single family residence. We are looking for classic details and high quality materials possibly washed brick or stucco. We are only thinking about the façade at this point. Where can we go to find some attractive examples? Please give us any suggestions or for example, the name of a book or a specific architect who has done upscale multi family housing.
can anyone help me with this?
Thanks!
I think you are just trying to help your family which frequent happens to all of us at one point or another, I am not much of a traditionalist when it comes to architecture ( just between you & I) stucco is not a high-end material, brink or stone would be more appropriate.
The project you mentioned is simple enough, but a few things you need to consider:
Fist the site- location, zoning (is this allowed-duplex?), massing, density etc.
If in a historical neighborhood it will have some existing guide lines and covenants that you need to be aware of before you get to far,
A duplex in many definitions will have a continuous roof line over the two living units.
I see the challenge being how you deal with the entry procession into each unit to give it a sense of scale and autonomy rather than having two brown stones next to each other kind of deal.
No specific book comes to mind; I would look at some of the work of Bob Stern,
Or if you got a copy of “the new Urbanism take a look at Kentlands in Gaitherburg, Maryland, I think that is what you may be asking about-
Good luck
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