Richard Florida quotes a study which found "that teens and young people in their early twenties have increasingly negative perceptions regarding the necessity of and desire to have cars." Set aside the dire affects that will have on Detroit for a moment and let's see if that rings true. The automobile is a symbol of freedom, it's a necessity for most Americans, as well as a status symbol. For teens car ownership has a profound affect on their social life, or lack thereof. In today's day and age with near constant surveillance in the schools, increasing competition to get into a good college, increasing competition for fewer jobs, it would only make sense that teens would hear the call of the open road, the call of freedom, that has been a part of growing up in America since the first gearhead turned a wrench. So why doesn't this generation follow the paved path of those that came before them? Well, the answer is hidden in the paragraph above. What was once an aspiration, a symbol of freedom, has now become a burden. It's a very visible differentiator separating the haves and have-nots. The gradual increase in insurance premiums, license, registration, and other expenses just snuck up on the baby boomers by gradually increasing over time. It hit this generation square in the face. Graph teen employment and income against the total cost of automobile ownership over the years and we'll see two divergent paths. Is it possible that the negative perceptions are based on resentment and not so much a general lack of desire for cars? I would also suggest there is a fair amount of disdain held by those who lack the means to play the game and don't really feel like they should be forced into the situation. Will the infrastructure built to support the exurbs be allowed to crumble or will those who don't use it be forced to foot the bill via increased property taxes? There will be serious ramifications when the tax base represented by these teens choose not to pick up the tab. As for me, I won't be giving up my car nor my Winnebago. I still hear the clarion call of the road and adventure beckons. One trans-oceanic flight has more of an impact on my carbon footprint than a decade with the Winnie. However, my preference for the middle landscape affords me all the benefits of a walkable community, close proximity to my daily needs, and still be close to work. I am not forced to have a vehicle of any kind, which grants me the freedom to pick the vehicle of my choice. Ah, freedom. What a wonderful thing.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Teratology :: Form & Fashion
The efforts of Brad Pitt's Make it Right foundation in New Orleans are without doubt honorable. His support has facilitated the reconstruction effort helping those who lost their houses to Hurricane Katrina. In so doing, he not only sought to provide housing, but housing with style. I think it's safe to say that his fashion sense does not exactly match up with the people he intends to help. This begs the question; does fashion and architecture mix? Well, yes and no.
Certain architecture has always had the ability to adapt to changing fashions. Just start with good bones and accessorize. Awnings may change, the outdoor furniture may change, landscaping, color, patterns, and most certainly the people. This is how many older cities manage to stay relevant to the needs and aesthetic desires of a modern world.
One thing is key, however, and that is the importance of dressing up a good body. It must be said that the cities of Rome, Milan, Paris, New York, Chicago, and many others have some good architectural DNA to start with. Buildings with good DNA can always wear the mode du jour, be it Gucci, Prada, DKNY, or a classic Savile Row suit.
Once it is understood that fashion is the cloth the covers and the accessories that highlight then the architect can design a structure that will keep up with the times as well as stand the test of time. When the architect uses the form as fashion the problems multiply. As the architect Robert Stern once said, "today's ism is tomorrow's wasm." By using the form of the structure itself as the agent of fashion the architect effectively disallows it to change with the times. Buildings such as these will be forever in their polyester leisure suits. They are the architectural equivalent of embarrassing wedding photos, there to remind the kids that powder blue suits with ruffled shirts are never a good idea.
This is where I think Mssr. Pitt missed the mark. He saw his countrymen in need. He gave them the shirt off his back. He happens to wear Dolce. Yet what was produced through his foundation didn't wear high fashion, it was high fashion. Those he aimed to help will be in their leisure suits years after the world of fashion has moved beyond them.
This will have a dramatic impact on the neighborhood as a whole. An architecture that cannot adapt will find itself outmoded. When that happens it will be sent to the thrift store. We've seen this cycle before in the experiments of the 1960's and 1970's. The neighborhoods were high fashion at the time, but not easily adaptable. Once their fifteen minutes of fame was up they experienced extreme devaluation. That this mistake is being repeated globally, at the direction of the supposed best and brightest of the profession, is unconscionable.
The next time you change your shirt stop and think about the poor souls who can't.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
NUPoD : Belhaven
From the sometimes frozen Pacific Northwest. This reminds me of some Canadian examples of old urbansim. I'll post those under separate cover since they also deal with porches in extreme climates, like the designs above.
Monday, January 11, 2010
NUPoD
Another gem from Habersham. Tomorrow I'll show an example from the Pacific Northwest. This level of care and craftmanship is not restricted to just Florida and South Carolina.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
NUPoD : Garden Wall
This porch is closer to the street tuan the previous examples and uses a brick garden wall to further define the street edge. Materials change from brick to hedge to white picket fences along the edge of the right of way per the preferences of the individual home owners. This is a delicate balance of scale, material, and appropriateness that manage to sit side by side in harmony.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
NUPoD
Another New Urbanist porch that is more exuberant than the noble and humble vernacular of the Coosaw Cottage. While the level of detail is different than the previous residence, they are located within the same neighborhood. Great variety of expression is allowed while still evoking a sense of place.
Friday, January 8, 2010
LEED or Follow?
Steve Mouzon wonders if LEED is shooting themselves in the foot with the design winners they've announced.
This points to two distinct problems that need to be addressed. 1. LEED is being used by some to legitimize sprawl. 2. The juries are stacked in favor of modernist design. The system is being used by those wishing to maintain the status quo of unsustainable urban patterns. The availability of tax credits, rebates, and other financial incentives will lead to tax dollars artificially inflating the market. Since the infrastructure and urban pattern of these developments is subsidized by tax revenue there is a double dip leaving somebody holding the bag. Most likely it will be borne by these same homeowners at some inconvenient time in the future. While I understand that it's better to move people towards the green light gradually, there still should be some warning label on these houses from LEED describing how the underlying urban pattern may be hazardous to their health. As per the design winners, I can imagine that there are competing goals for the jury. Rewarding those in the production housing industry to keep them enthusiastic, while also showcasing innovative design solutions. Hence, normative conventional suburban development winners with a few refugees from Taliesin West sneaking in. It would be far better to take the case of Original Green and Solutions Rooted in Tradition to the public at large then to curry favor with those prejudiced with a negative bias towards traditional and classical architecture.
NUPoD : New Urbanist Porch of the Day
For your consideration, this is a house within a New Urbanist neighborhood. The porch is the full width of the house, with a centered entry, and is eight feet deep. Much more than eye candy, this is a useful space serving many functions. Through the combination of local design talent, vision of the developer, and faithfulness of the builders this porch is typical of this New Urbanist neighborhood. I will be following this post with porches from other New Urbanist neighborhoods, as well as those of hybrid TNDs. The contrast between the NU towns and hybrids is great, while the price points of the neighborhoods is not. Different motivations yield different results.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
EX, DX, LX : Jazz It Up!
Regional architecture has inherent an environmental response. The
construction materials and exterior detailing provide visual context
clues that relate to the building's place and time. As such, when a
building obviously departs from the regional norm it stands out on the
street as an incompatibility. This visual incompatibility is more
pronounced the narrower the lots become. Wild incompatibility is not
that much of an issue, say, in Beverly Hills or the shores of Palm
Beach. In both locations the houses are far enough apart, and the gates
and hedges so high, that the neighborhood isn't defined by the
architectural character of the individual houses. In places such as
Windsor it's a completely different story. There is a very high
percentage of compatibility with narrow sideyard setbacks. Windsor thus
has a very strong sense of place. Much more so than a Baldwin Park. I believe you can map out which styles are compatible and which are not
on a per project basis. In a town such as The Waters you can mix Queen
Anne, Italianate, Federal, Greek Revival, and Classical Vernacular and
still provide a strong sense of place. Throw in Southwestern Adobe or
Mediterranean and it will stand out like a sore thumb. This problem is
exacerbated if traditional detailing is applied to non-traditional
architectural forms, as is the case in almost every hybrid TND. If it was somehow imperative to add Mediterranean to the mix it is
possible by transitioning from neighborhood to neighborhood using styles
that are compatible with both groups. A Greek Revival may be compatible
with Mediterranean. Other masonry versions of Classical Vernacular and
Federal may be compatible, as well. Similar to jazz, it's the
architectural equivalent of using the chord progressions to play over
the key changes. The 'spice styles' in pattern books would be the
flatted fifth, or blue note. Jazz it up!
construction materials and exterior detailing provide visual context
clues that relate to the building's place and time. As such, when a
building obviously departs from the regional norm it stands out on the
street as an incompatibility. This visual incompatibility is more
pronounced the narrower the lots become. Wild incompatibility is not
that much of an issue, say, in Beverly Hills or the shores of Palm
Beach. In both locations the houses are far enough apart, and the gates
and hedges so high, that the neighborhood isn't defined by the
architectural character of the individual houses. In places such as
Windsor it's a completely different story. There is a very high
percentage of compatibility with narrow sideyard setbacks. Windsor thus
has a very strong sense of place. Much more so than a Baldwin Park. I believe you can map out which styles are compatible and which are not
on a per project basis. In a town such as The Waters you can mix Queen
Anne, Italianate, Federal, Greek Revival, and Classical Vernacular and
still provide a strong sense of place. Throw in Southwestern Adobe or
Mediterranean and it will stand out like a sore thumb. This problem is
exacerbated if traditional detailing is applied to non-traditional
architectural forms, as is the case in almost every hybrid TND. If it was somehow imperative to add Mediterranean to the mix it is
possible by transitioning from neighborhood to neighborhood using styles
that are compatible with both groups. A Greek Revival may be compatible
with Mediterranean. Other masonry versions of Classical Vernacular and
Federal may be compatible, as well. Similar to jazz, it's the
architectural equivalent of using the chord progressions to play over
the key changes. The 'spice styles' in pattern books would be the
flatted fifth, or blue note. Jazz it up!
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