I’m a residential architect with a client who owns a perfectly acceptable 1830 Greek Revival farmhouse. Unfortunately (for the farmhouse), he and his partner really, really want an Arts & Crafts Bungalow. They have hired me to turn “A” into “B”. While I have told them that the two styles don’t even have the same bones, they are unmoved. As a professional in the sparsely settled woollies of Vermont, I can’t afford to pass on even a small commission. Still, this feels a little like the making of Frankenstein.
Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions.
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I would try to find out why they want this particular style and then ask them why they have this house. Those answers might give you more information about where they are starting from and where they want to go.
While my situation is a little different and certainly on a smaller scale there are some similarities that you might find interesting. I asked my architect for a rather particular kitchen layout. I had done a lot of research and was interested in minimizing her hours on the job. I told her what I wanted and I just wanted drawings to give to a contractor. She complied and gave me exactly what I had asked for but she also did some experimenting on her own. She changed the layout completely and rearranged some things so that I actually had more of the things that I wanted but had thought were not possible with my kitchen. I had asked for lots of storage, but also many windows. She was able to carve out space to make a pantry and then did not use many wall cabinets so I had lots of open space. I didn't think that I had room for a pantry. But, I am thrilled. I had it in my head that I knew how to solve the problem but she was really more qualified to recognise what was better for my house.
This couple that you are working with might have read about how craftsman style houses have lots of cosy charm with lots of nooks and details. They might not even know much about Greek revival or what kind of potential the house has in another direction.
FWIW, I would be upfront with them about my hesitancy but also willing to work with them. Also be clear with them about the realities of such a major overhaul.
You might also want to suggest a move. By that, I mean physically moving the house. It would be less expensive for them to actually move an Arts and Crafts Bungalow (particularly one that will be demolished in the near future) to their space than rearranging their house to become an Arts and Crafts.
Lord knows this area has got alot of demolition going on (gotta build a McMansion to keep up w/the Joneses, y'know).This jobless recovery has done more to promote the consumption of exquisite chocolate than the finest chocolatier. Cost be damned.
I know a really nice, unspoiled Arts and Crafts house that is for sale. Perhaps you could talk them into moving to MA, and giving you the job of updating it?
Sadly, that's not the way it would work. I'm sure they would have me move the Mass bungalow to Vermont or, worse, part it out and just use the pieces. I've already done that one with a barn in upstate New York for a farm south of Atlanta. It was a good deal for the buyer and the seller was going burn the barn. Still, it felt a little ghoulish disassembling a hundred year old hand-hewn structure and sending the bones south of the boarder.
Of course, Halloween is right around the corner.
Sorry, no ideas for how to convince your clients that they really want a real Greek Revival over a Green&Green wannabe - just a comment.
They probably have absolutely no idea what architecture is, beyond the pictures in a magazine. And what a sad state of affairs that is! These same people would probably (and yes, I am extrapolating freely and furiously here) spend days, if not weeks or months, researching which $3,000 computer to buy, but spent less than a hour examining their $300,000 (just a guess) house - why? Because they didn't have the basic knowledge to make an intelligent, discerning decision about what they want, why they want it, and what makes it different from what they ended up with. They're bone-ignorant about the biggest, most important investment they will ever make. And guess what? They are absolutely typical of most North Americans in their ignorance. And all because the N.A. school system(s) do(es) not teach a twiddly fart about arts, design, aesthetics, or anything else considered "soft" - despite the very real and measurable relevance of these subjects to what we laughingly refer to as "real life."
It makes my blood boil! Sorry for the rant.
[Edited to add:] Guess you could probably do what any other self-respecting, bill-paying architect in your position would do. Shut your eyes and think of England. Build it, bill'em, forget it. Tack on some Carpenter's Gothic brickabrack, give them a genuine oak mantle or two, plop up some faux cross-beams, and make damned sure the finished project never sees the inside of your portfolio.
Edited 10/27/2003 2:44:13 PM ET by SandraM
Wow. Guess we touched a nerve.
Generally, I'm pretty pleased when folks request anything specific at all, regardless of how little they may understand it. That's at least a starting point. From there it's sort of up to me to bring them along as far as they can go. If they know they want Arts and Crafts, at least I know they have their eyes open and maybe even have read a few books. I can work with that a lot better than someone who simply wants the cheapest fastest thing available. With that sort, it's easiest to fire myself before we get started.
Pathologically optimistic, I guess.
have em' e-mail me or call me.WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM......631 659-3007)
I'm a 30 years in home reno's.....my current project is a circa:1680 house I bought about a year ago.
Some serious work was done on it over the years that I immediatly ripped out.
People get ideas in their heads and figure its OK to add those ideas into places they don't belong...square pegs into round holes.
You can see some pic in the thread I started called something like "when did this get here" or something like that.
I have far to often had to deal with clients that want eliptical windows or whatever in spaces that don't even come close to warrenting that.....same as folks asking me to build additions that look like, "additions".
Its a frame of mind not a source of understanding.
Its your job to enlighten them in a friendly loving understanding way.....if not, then send em' my way to convince them of the er of their way....lol. No charge....unless you make a good punkin' pie!
Be well
andy
My life is my practice!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Late in here, but maybe if you sit down with them and a stack of Old House Journals and just show 'em the Remuddling's inside each back cover they might get the idea.
Little anecdote: every year I do a little architecture talk with a local class of elementary students: "This is Greek Revival, this is Italianate, .... (I know just enough to stay ahead of bright 6th graders {G})
Then we go on a walking tour of the older section of our town (houses dating back to post civil war) and as we go I'll ask 'em "what do you think that house is" and talk about the features and how they get kind of jumbled together over the years as people "remodel."
Towards the end, there's a totally non-descript infill "box." "What do you think," I ask, Various tentative answers are usually offered. The I tell 'em, "Nope, none of those styles. Sometimes a house is just a box without anyone giving much though to how it looks."
That always gets 'em thinking!
Albert Einstein said it best:
“Problems,†he said, “cannot be solved at the same level of consciousness that created them.â€
Your mileage may vary ....
You know, Bob, I've done a similar walk around with a class of architecture students. It's amazing. I require each student to fill up one 36 shot disposable camera with houses and details. We quickly get all the film developed (one-hour) and then return to the studio. Each student has to present his houses as if he had designed them from scratch. It's amazing to see which students can intuitively understand why the different styles have the proportions, moldings, fenestration etc. that they do. Others haven't a clue. And as you know, many of the vernacular homes in the late 1800s are an interesting blend of current and past styles. This is all good learning for the young architect. Since we're trained to create from scratch, it's an eye-opener for students to learn what was/is possible with pattern books and stylistic trends The same vernacular replication continues today but at a lamentably uninspired level. I think they call it "sprawl" and I believe the style will be looked back on as the "cookie cutter style".