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I feel like a fond aunt….”my” kids are in FHB! I open my new issue anticipating all the new articles and there it is – the 1999 studio 804 House.
I have mentioned a time or two how the final studio designs and builds a house for the city for low income homebuyers. Well, I have a secial affinity for this group and house as several of the students are good friends and former fellow students. So I saw this place come together from the drawing board on up. It is, in my oh-so-humble opinion, the best one to date. Those students should be very proud of themselves.
Congratulations all!
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cool!
*Congrats Lisa...Nice to see!
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Howdy Lisa,
What issue is that in?
Thanks,
MD
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The issue that's been on the stands for a week now, but not in our mail box.
*Around here, you mean the issue thati willbe on the stands in another ten days or so (I'm betting). Maybe I should subscribe, the newstand distribution is so slow here.Can't wait to see it, Lisa.Rich Beckman
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Yeah, its weird. Some months (like this one) I get it before the newstand, and even before the University library (4 blocks from home), and some months its 3 weeks late. Go figure.
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Lisa, Congrats.
This weekend our Habitat affiliate was able to dedicate two homes and have a groundbreaking for a third! What a wonderful feeling. I hope your friends will continue in this spirit.
Check out the photos http://briefcase.yahoo.com/martink98 (look in my photo album)
*Mad Dog:March 2000 issue, page 54 "Student architects create affordable housing..."Lisa:What were some of the design goals & requirements? Looks like some unusual materials may have been used. Any comments on those?Congrats,Matt
*Darn it. I really want to see that house. May have to drive over to Walmart tomarrow.JonC
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I had almost forgotten I was a subscriber!
*Matt,Programatically, the city (which aquired the lot and purchased the materials using a CDBG - community development block grant) required that the house be of no more than 1,350 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. In addition, the studio wanted to maximize energy efficiency and solar gain, accessibility, and to be sensitive to the neighborhood context while using a modern aesthetic. The neighboorhood is a very old and diverse section of Lawrence, and the students wanted to engage the community in the design process as well as respecting the character of the area. Most of the housing stock in this part of town is tall and narrow with front porches. Also, the corner lot purchased by the city has its broad section facing south, has mature trees, and the streets and sidewalks are of brick. The footprint is only 16' x 48', with a covered front porch (overlooked by the glass front door and large kitchen windows) and a large double height window seat on the south. To increase accessibility, there is a bedroom and bath on the first floor, a ramp from the driveway, low profile doors and wider halls and doorways. The interior has a wonderful 2 story living space wrapped with stairs and a catwalk (it feels huge, even though it is quite small) and windows on both sides for cross ventilation. The bedrooms upstairs run the entire width of the house and have large windows on two sides.The exterior of the house is hardiplank siding, held away from the surface to create a "tight skin", translucent Lexan to allow for solar gain without sacrificing privacy, corrugated steel, and custom welded steel supports. The construction is 2x6 framing on a crawl space, the interior is predominantly drywall with wood floors. The windows are all stock, as are the cabinets and fixtures. There is nothing particularly "radical" about the house, except perhaps for the notion of good design for low income and small scale housing. Though it is undeniably a "modern" house, it fits into the neighborhood in scale and sense-of-materials, it is well detailed with a pleasing variety of suface, material, and forms, it provides very comfortable spaces without any waste. Also, something that is often overlooked in "contemporary" buildings, it is safe for small children - well thought out railings, good stairs, and appropriate windows.I think this is a great example of what housing should be in this country - light, bright, warm and safe, engaging visually and spatially without pomp or elitism. I found myself wishing I could live there.And indeed, congrats - to the students and Dan Rockhill, the studio leader. (I am just a humble bystander)Lisa
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The best part was that the city let them keep the color....
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Well, the building accross the street is lime green, and there is a 4-shades-of-purple-and-blue down the street and the lavender-and-forest-green around the corner...
But yes, I like the color too (though my daughter voted for pink when asked).
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Wasn't Your vote: Purple siding, orange trim?
*Congrats Lisa!With all the emphasis on 4000 s.f. palaces these days, it's great to see a a group of students cut their teeth on something any one of us could own. You should be darn proud to be a part of this. That house will somehow be reflected in every home these new architects design, cause they will remember this project the rest of their lives.
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I feel like a fond aunt...."my" kids are in FHB! I open my new issue anticipating all the new articles and there it is - the 1999 studio 804 House.
I have mentioned a time or two how the final studio designs and builds a house for the city for low income homebuyers. Well, I have a secial affinity for this group and house as several of the students are good friends and former fellow students. So I saw this place come together from the drawing board on up. It is, in my oh-so-humble opinion, the best one to date. Those students should be very proud of themselves.
Congratulations all!