Dark Single-Family House on a Very Small Inner City Lot
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This 2,300 square feet single-family house is located on a very small inner city lot in the one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. This neighborhood was ravaged by the Great Fire of 1917 and, more recently, by a new freeway half a block from the site so the topographic conditions wasn’t very well during the construction. Although BLDGS architects managed to overwhelm all bad conditions and build the nice contemporary house with a quite usual for them dark exterior.
The interior of the house is a direct response on urban conditions. The multi-faceted planes of the exterior walls define, through mass and materials, the spaces and elements of the residential interior, further linking the house to the city. At the center of the plan a skylight pierces the upper level to bring natural light to the main level, providing a vertical connection between the floors. [blgds]
January 23rd, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Although the house itself is striking, a lovely contemporary home, it is glaringly out of place in its setting. The lovely old-fashioned homes next to it make it look as though it were haphazardly plopped into their neighborhood, perhaps by a cyclone a la Wizard of Oz. The setting transforms the effect from that of a desirable modern dwelling to a hideous eyesore, much as if a big-box store had been built there instead of a dwelling. Part of good architecture is considering the surroundings, so I feel I must pronounce this a FAIL.