anyway - the interior isn't the worst thing I've ever seen. but considering the fact that it was recently built, its flaws are abundant.
wont get technical but i'll bullet them
- no tile backing. BAD BAD BAD
- outlets- bad placement. speckle the kitchen
- bad color selection (IMO)
- creepy floating cabinets
- style: moulding, banister: shitty (IMO) doesnt reflect modernity and or style to me at all
- is that a tile to rug transition with a small aluminum threshold in between? sucks. not sure what else to do there, but just sucks
- lighting is awful. i mean- bad.
- the overall proportions of the whole kitchen is off in terms of the vastness of the space. like a teenie kitchen in a giant house
In Defense of The Awful House- Or A Past Modernists Observes The ‘Burbs.…
The criticisms of The Awful House, heretofore to be referred to as TAH, have been contributed by those who see the built world through a lens ground by a traditional architectural education. This education depends on the notion of scale, proportion and honesty of material, to validate any constructive endeavor. Without these characteristics, a built work is not architecture; it is a best construction and at the worst an eyesore with a street address.
I would argue, however, that this decidedly modernist interpretation of TAH ignores important social and cultural comments that are made by the realized building. I will now refute the previous interpretations about TAH and offer my own observation regarding this significant piece of architecture.
From its pseudo Mediterranean styling to its store front picture window, TAH is pregnant with ideas and observations about the state of modern domestic life. The contradiction that exists between the sense of mass that one would encounter in a stuccoed vernacular building, and windows that are pushed to the surface rather than punched forces the viewer to contemplate the very idea of home. That is, the home has always stood for safety i.e. mass, in a symbolic way but the reality of the contemporary world is that safety is an illusion. Privacy is no longer private. In this age of identity theft, the individual may want thicker walls, firewalls, if you will to protect against the threats of the outside world. The walls are thin, however, and the safety of the domicile is a thin veil.
A brilliant counterpoint to the thinness of the wall is the large storefront window. Picture windows have, of course, been found in the suburbs since their inception. This is no mere picture window. It is a comment on the transparency of our world. That’s right, although on one hand we are made to feel threatened by the thinness of the walls of our home, on the other hand TAH embraces and even celebrates this transparency. This overly large window is saying
“Look at me World!! I exist!!†Everyone in the suburbs dreams of stardom. Dad wants to play a round of golf with Tiger. Mom wishes life was more like Desperate Housewives. The kids are practicing for American Idol in front of the mirror. Fame comes from the suburbs. All famous people are from there originally. TAH celebrates this fact.
The snout house two car garage has come under much fire. Well, what are we but our cars? The car allowed the suburbs and the car allowed you! It is a fact that almost 50 percent of births were the result of sex in cars. Is it any wonder that Meatloaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light†is still an important and meaningful song today?
Some say the materials are cheap and the colors boring. I argue that this “anti-aesthetic†comment on beauty and the “specialness†of the work of art is as valid as any Duchamp snow shovel.
The importance of The Awful House cannot be denied. Its deft handling of the dilemma and plight of contemporary suburban society is presented brilliantly and with such subtlety that it is easy to miss. After all, you all did.
I have to challenge and question the intention of large storefront windows. I am a fan of incorporating large windows into the design for the sheer function that they bring more light into the interior, and they can be an essential part of integrating the interior space with the exterior. However, my concept is not directed towards the "Look at Me World" (I have to concur with Vado that most are designed this way). On the contrary, I like to design meticulous storefront windows incorporated with sliding doors, which lead to an enclosed private social area. This social area is obstructed by elements (e.g. trees and such) in order to block distracting elements (e.g. street or other distracting elements). This space is all about privacy, and I agree that this space should not be publicly advertised as the "how Cool are We" storefront.
I agree with most about the garage space – what is it with so many of these homes (intentionally or not) where they place the damn garage in a location that seems to dominate the design? It makes me sick. Since when did the garage become the focus point of a design??
Good point Upside Down...I think our idiotic society has moved to this concept. So what are we going to do about it?
Not to change the subject or hijack this thread, but when will we (American's in particular) get off this car "fashion" kick? We are all about choosing the coolest and the hippest cars - we get car jacked because someone else wants what we own. When will the sanity stop! We (as Americans) have no concept or regard for choosing something that is functional e.g. getting us from point "A" to point "B"; It's more focused around the fashion. We are so cool. No comments necessary, just ranting…
i have to admit - i'm designing a home for my family, and i've taken on the challenge of putting the garage front and center of the house. now, the challenge lies in the fact that I believe that a garage does NOT belong a focal point of the main facade of any home.
i'm trying to re-train myself to adopt a new approach to the term "garage". at the stage of conceptual design that i'm at - i've realized that the garage must now adopt new functions, must respond differently to the breakdown of visual travel, and now must connect the automobile inside to the functionality of how my family operates. its designed so that we address the new function of a vehicle which unfortunately for many (including us) is NO LONGER to just get from point A to point B. (i.e. VW buggies now come with guitar amps and input jacks for instruments, SUV's with integrated Xbox 360's & iPoddies) The "garage" of our dads wont suffice for the vehicles of the 2000's.
so off of that train of thought, i've placed it at the front. for now. till wifey tells me to move it.
on that tip - anyone have any pics of that approach? some really nice residential garages?
The "garage" of our dads wont suffice for the vehicles of the 2000's.
I'm not so sure how the garage of the 50's-60's-70's worked for our dads either. Back then the cars were larger, on average, and the garages were tiny. My 1950's home has a 2 car garage that couldn't possibly fit two 1955 chevy sedans. It's hard enough to fit two mid-sized late model cars in there and a trash can.
Given the shoddy construction of most of today's developer-built housing, I wonder what todays new exurban neighborhoods will look like in 50, 75, 100 or more years?
As for garages, why do we even need them at all anymore? They made sense in the early 20th century when cars were not very water resistant, but we don't have that problem anymore. Carports or porte cocheres make much more sense to me.
Bryan, where do you live? I'd be willing to bet it isn't northern Michigan. Come live here for the winter and then tell me a garage doesn't make sense.
A - you bring up a good point. For as much focus we're placing on the car in regards to the garage, how many people actually park their cars inside? I imagine folks in the more adverse weather climes try to do so, but George Carlin's description probably serves best for the majority: "a pile of shit with a roof on it."
I have wondered what will happen to many of the modern suburbs in about 50+ years. Aesthetics aside, there isn't much to a modern house. A friend who used to frame houses joked that it's pointless to lock the doors. A criminal could just peel up some vinyl siding and "punch through" the rest of the wall.
kyll, even if your garage ends up being "a pile of shit with a roof on it" at elast give it these doors:
Clopay Avante series residential doors - sweet. And not *too* outrageously priced.
My husband uses our garage as a shop/studio. It is detached, but honestly, a set of interior glass garage doors connecting it to, say, the kitchen or family room, would be kinda cool, as that way we could be "together" even if he's doing his thing out there. Although that totally trespasses on the notion of the garage as the space belonging to the man of the house.
Also, it is true that contemporary house construction is incredibly shoddy, but the home of my boss back in Philly was broken in to by getting into the garage then tearing away at the 120 year old plaster wall into the kitchen. As my contractor buddy says, locks only keep out the honest people.
LB - those are some of the most sleek & contemporary garage designs I've seen in a long time. I still wish they weren't the focus of the design (or is the backside of the house?) but heck, I can live with this!
I know, Katze. The pic even features the dreaded "double plus single" three-car garage arrangement, which is ubiquitous across America and I will never, ever do for a client because I hate it so much, but with those horizontal mullions ot works out OK.
i did think about putting glass rolling doors, but thought itd make me look like i'm showcasing my auto(s) like a car dealer, and that may just attract ill clientele. so your translucent panels may just be the way to go. very nice execution in materiality vs. visual disturbance (not too vague, not too clear) on those doors there.
Those doors might look nice in the pic with they way they're illuminated but I'd think during the day (or anytime they weren't backlit) they might come off looking like plain old white garage doors with stiles/rails painted black. You'd also have to leave lights in your garage on all the time at night, which is just totally wasteful.
Those garage doors also don't work in a cold climate. Imagine heating that garage. Even if its not heated you'd get some amazing frost build up in the dead of winter.
I'm a big fan of floor drains and in-floor heating of garages in northern climates that see regular snowfall. In the south they can be the "pile of shit with a roof" but all my neighbors surely use their garages come January.
And as awful most new spec home garages look, I'd take that massive steel door starting at me over a carport and some Suburban parked next to the house. Carport to me screams trailer house or backwoods vernacular.
Interesting article cf, but nothing really that new. Everything I've seen locally in new entry level homes:
-Use Vinyl flooring
-Use 2x trusses for floor framing (No structural steel)
-Are split entry or mulit-level with lowest level only going approx 4' below grade
-Have knock down drywall finish
-Use sliding windows, not double hung or crank out casements.
They also use fiberglass showers, composite materials for moulding & trim, PLAM countertops. None come new with landscaping or a patio/deck. Many even come without central A/C. There are maybe 6 floorplans with a thousand variations.
All that for $250k in the exurbs of the twin cities. Price is relative I guess, but cheap materials and poor construction quality is universal from what I've seen across the USA & Canada.
"We only offer one floor plan. We are not a custom builder," Moesta said. "We are trying to get people into homes. This isn't about being cheap -- it is about having integrity."
its hard to imagine a building of ANY kind of integrity. i mean - he didnt DENY the fact that its cheap, he just saddled it along with "having" something that apparently a lot of homeowners are looking for..
A heated garage is an expensive luxury, but an insulated garage isn't out of reach for even an architect. Surprising what a little fiberglass can do for keeping a garage above that 32F temp.
I was thinking of getting permission of my landlord to blow-out a side wall and create a small green house. Insulation is a easier way to go.
so for all those norm abrams types out there- encapsulated 'glass, paper/foil backed 'glass, or the cheapest 'glass with a layer of visqueen? damn I hate handling fiberglass!
Awful House?
Had to go back to the MLS listing to answer some more of your questions. Take a look.
Finished sq ft = 1200
3 bed/2 bath
45 mile or 2+ hour commute into Mpls.
It doesn't even come with a fridge?!
The random 45 degree angle walls are pretty hot.
how is 45 miles 2+ hours of commute?
80 transfers to about 1.5hrs
digress
anyway - the interior isn't the worst thing I've ever seen. but considering the fact that it was recently built, its flaws are abundant.
wont get technical but i'll bullet them
- no tile backing. BAD BAD BAD
- outlets- bad placement. speckle the kitchen
- bad color selection (IMO)
- creepy floating cabinets
- style: moulding, banister: shitty (IMO) doesnt reflect modernity and or style to me at all
- is that a tile to rug transition with a small aluminum threshold in between? sucks. not sure what else to do there, but just sucks
- lighting is awful. i mean- bad.
- the overall proportions of the whole kitchen is off in terms of the vastness of the space. like a teenie kitchen in a giant house
It really looks like a house attached to a huge garage.
In Defense of The Awful House- Or A Past Modernists Observes The ‘Burbs.…
The criticisms of The Awful House, heretofore to be referred to as TAH, have been contributed by those who see the built world through a lens ground by a traditional architectural education. This education depends on the notion of scale, proportion and honesty of material, to validate any constructive endeavor. Without these characteristics, a built work is not architecture; it is a best construction and at the worst an eyesore with a street address.
I would argue, however, that this decidedly modernist interpretation of TAH ignores important social and cultural comments that are made by the realized building. I will now refute the previous interpretations about TAH and offer my own observation regarding this significant piece of architecture.
From its pseudo Mediterranean styling to its store front picture window, TAH is pregnant with ideas and observations about the state of modern domestic life. The contradiction that exists between the sense of mass that one would encounter in a stuccoed vernacular building, and windows that are pushed to the surface rather than punched forces the viewer to contemplate the very idea of home. That is, the home has always stood for safety i.e. mass, in a symbolic way but the reality of the contemporary world is that safety is an illusion. Privacy is no longer private. In this age of identity theft, the individual may want thicker walls, firewalls, if you will to protect against the threats of the outside world. The walls are thin, however, and the safety of the domicile is a thin veil.
A brilliant counterpoint to the thinness of the wall is the large storefront window. Picture windows have, of course, been found in the suburbs since their inception. This is no mere picture window. It is a comment on the transparency of our world. That’s right, although on one hand we are made to feel threatened by the thinness of the walls of our home, on the other hand TAH embraces and even celebrates this transparency. This overly large window is saying
“Look at me World!! I exist!!†Everyone in the suburbs dreams of stardom. Dad wants to play a round of golf with Tiger. Mom wishes life was more like Desperate Housewives. The kids are practicing for American Idol in front of the mirror. Fame comes from the suburbs. All famous people are from there originally. TAH celebrates this fact.
TAH does not stop there however. In addition to celebrating the idea of fame and the idea of “Hey Look AT ME!!†it also cautions against it. Now, in previous posts the cosmetic application of the brick veneer has been criticized. I argue that this is an intentional and vital contribution to the building. The brick speaks of superficiality. Ask the brick what it wants to be. The brick in this case is Cassandra. Yes, the brick gives warning. It warns of superficiality and shallowness. It speaks of appliqué and surface rather than of character.
The snout house two car garage has come under much fire. Well, what are we but our cars? The car allowed the suburbs and the car allowed you! It is a fact that almost 50 percent of births were the result of sex in cars. Is it any wonder that Meatloaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light†is still an important and meaningful song today?
Some say the materials are cheap and the colors boring. I argue that this “anti-aesthetic†comment on beauty and the “specialness†of the work of art is as valid as any Duchamp snow shovel.
The importance of The Awful House cannot be denied. Its deft handling of the dilemma and plight of contemporary suburban society is presented brilliantly and with such subtlety that it is easy to miss. After all, you all did.
haha, im the result of sex in cars; a sandman kinda like this one to be exact (only without the paint job, that would have benn cool)
bravo, vado!
I have to challenge and question the intention of large storefront windows. I am a fan of incorporating large windows into the design for the sheer function that they bring more light into the interior, and they can be an essential part of integrating the interior space with the exterior. However, my concept is not directed towards the "Look at Me World" (I have to concur with Vado that most are designed this way). On the contrary, I like to design meticulous storefront windows incorporated with sliding doors, which lead to an enclosed private social area. This social area is obstructed by elements (e.g. trees and such) in order to block distracting elements (e.g. street or other distracting elements). This space is all about privacy, and I agree that this space should not be publicly advertised as the "how Cool are We" storefront.
I agree with most about the garage space – what is it with so many of these homes (intentionally or not) where they place the damn garage in a location that seems to dominate the design? It makes me sick. Since when did the garage become the focus point of a design??
but if vado's numbers for automobile conceptions are true, then the garage is the new master bedroom
Good point Upside Down...I think our idiotic society has moved to this concept. So what are we going to do about it?
Not to change the subject or hijack this thread, but when will we (American's in particular) get off this car "fashion" kick? We are all about choosing the coolest and the hippest cars - we get car jacked because someone else wants what we own. When will the sanity stop! We (as Americans) have no concept or regard for choosing something that is functional e.g. getting us from point "A" to point "B"; It's more focused around the fashion. We are so cool. No comments necessary, just ranting…
this thread is brilliant.
i have to admit - i'm designing a home for my family, and i've taken on the challenge of putting the garage front and center of the house. now, the challenge lies in the fact that I believe that a garage does NOT belong a focal point of the main facade of any home.
i'm trying to re-train myself to adopt a new approach to the term "garage". at the stage of conceptual design that i'm at - i've realized that the garage must now adopt new functions, must respond differently to the breakdown of visual travel, and now must connect the automobile inside to the functionality of how my family operates. its designed so that we address the new function of a vehicle which unfortunately for many (including us) is NO LONGER to just get from point A to point B. (i.e. VW buggies now come with guitar amps and input jacks for instruments, SUV's with integrated Xbox 360's & iPoddies) The "garage" of our dads wont suffice for the vehicles of the 2000's.
so off of that train of thought, i've placed it at the front. for now. till wifey tells me to move it.
on that tip - anyone have any pics of that approach? some really nice residential garages?
I'm not so sure how the garage of the 50's-60's-70's worked for our dads either. Back then the cars were larger, on average, and the garages were tiny. My 1950's home has a 2 car garage that couldn't possibly fit two 1955 chevy sedans. It's hard enough to fit two mid-sized late model cars in there and a trash can.
Given the shoddy construction of most of today's developer-built housing, I wonder what todays new exurban neighborhoods will look like in 50, 75, 100 or more years?
As for garages, why do we even need them at all anymore? They made sense in the early 20th century when cars were not very water resistant, but we don't have that problem anymore. Carports or porte cocheres make much more sense to me.
Bryan, where do you live? I'd be willing to bet it isn't northern Michigan. Come live here for the winter and then tell me a garage doesn't make sense.
A - you bring up a good point. For as much focus we're placing on the car in regards to the garage, how many people actually park their cars inside? I imagine folks in the more adverse weather climes try to do so, but George Carlin's description probably serves best for the majority: "a pile of shit with a roof on it."
I have wondered what will happen to many of the modern suburbs in about 50+ years. Aesthetics aside, there isn't much to a modern house. A friend who used to frame houses joked that it's pointless to lock the doors. A criminal could just peel up some vinyl siding and "punch through" the rest of the wall.
I was thinking about that during Katrina.
I love this thread.
kyll, even if your garage ends up being "a pile of shit with a roof on it" at elast give it these doors:
Clopay Avante series residential doors - sweet. And not *too* outrageously priced.
My husband uses our garage as a shop/studio. It is detached, but honestly, a set of interior glass garage doors connecting it to, say, the kitchen or family room, would be kinda cool, as that way we could be "together" even if he's doing his thing out there. Although that totally trespasses on the notion of the garage as the space belonging to the man of the house.
Also, it is true that contemporary house construction is incredibly shoddy, but the home of my boss back in Philly was broken in to by getting into the garage then tearing away at the 120 year old plaster wall into the kitchen. As my contractor buddy says, locks only keep out the honest people.
LB - those are some of the most sleek & contemporary garage designs I've seen in a long time. I still wish they weren't the focus of the design (or is the backside of the house?) but heck, I can live with this!
I know, Katze. The pic even features the dreaded "double plus single" three-car garage arrangement, which is ubiquitous across America and I will never, ever do for a client because I hate it so much, but with those horizontal mullions ot works out OK.
I couldn't agree more:)
I want to make my next house 40% garage, too.
Diabase. I used to work for the plastering company which did a very large percentage of the cladding on those houses. I though they looked familiar.
Scrub as I might, I still can't get the stench of spec houses off me....
thanks bell - as always you come through
i did think about putting glass rolling doors, but thought itd make me look like i'm showcasing my auto(s) like a car dealer, and that may just attract ill clientele. so your translucent panels may just be the way to go. very nice execution in materiality vs. visual disturbance (not too vague, not too clear) on those doors there.
Those doors might look nice in the pic with they way they're illuminated but I'd think during the day (or anytime they weren't backlit) they might come off looking like plain old white garage doors with stiles/rails painted black. You'd also have to leave lights in your garage on all the time at night, which is just totally wasteful.
true. several options may be:
- natural lighting from above
- (green) method of lighting- solar panel lit
- mid opacity perforated screen on or in glass panel
but in the design i have going thus far, i have a sod roof over my garage, so natural lighting is kinda hard to do.
Those garage doors also don't work in a cold climate. Imagine heating that garage. Even if its not heated you'd get some amazing frost build up in the dead of winter.
I'm a big fan of floor drains and in-floor heating of garages in northern climates that see regular snowfall. In the south they can be the "pile of shit with a roof" but all my neighbors surely use their garages come January.
And as awful most new spec home garages look, I'd take that massive steel door starting at me over a carport and some Suburban parked next to the house. Carport to me screams trailer house or backwoods vernacular.
A do you put in oil seperators in the floor drains of your garage?
To clarify, I don't have a garage floor drain, but I like them. Yes, typically you have to have an oil trap.
Interesting article cf, but nothing really that new. Everything I've seen locally in new entry level homes:
-Use Vinyl flooring
-Use 2x trusses for floor framing (No structural steel)
-Are split entry or mulit-level with lowest level only going approx 4' below grade
-Have knock down drywall finish
-Use sliding windows, not double hung or crank out casements.
They also use fiberglass showers, composite materials for moulding & trim, PLAM countertops. None come new with landscaping or a patio/deck. Many even come without central A/C. There are maybe 6 floorplans with a thousand variations.
All that for $250k in the exurbs of the twin cities. Price is relative I guess, but cheap materials and poor construction quality is universal from what I've seen across the USA & Canada.
with a response like this:
"We only offer one floor plan. We are not a custom builder," Moesta said. "We are trying to get people into homes. This isn't about being cheap -- it is about having integrity."
its hard to imagine a building of ANY kind of integrity. i mean - he didnt DENY the fact that its cheap, he just saddled it along with "having" something that apparently a lot of homeowners are looking for..
so....cheap but with integrity?
everyhouse i do has a heated garage. but i m in rare air i guess...
integrety is over-rated. Quality construction is not.
I want a heated garage- my house is too old to have that luxury!
A heated garage is an expensive luxury, but an insulated garage isn't out of reach for even an architect. Surprising what a little fiberglass can do for keeping a garage above that 32F temp.
I was thinking of getting permission of my landlord to blow-out a side wall and create a small green house. Insulation is a easier way to go.
so for all those norm abrams types out there- encapsulated 'glass, paper/foil backed 'glass, or the cheapest 'glass with a layer of visqueen? damn I hate handling fiberglass!
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.