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MONOTONY
• Lack of Interest and Deadening Sameness Caused By:
– Identical to Similar Floor Plans on Adjoining Lots
– Little to Distinguish Elevations
– Repetitive Roofs
– Common Building Heights
– Building Masses or Volumes Similar
MONOPOLY LIKE HOUSES
• They Look Like the Houses in a Monopoly Set…A Cheap Plastic Box
– No Detailing Particularly on Sides and Rear
– Overhangs Absent - No Shadow Lines
– Punch Out Windows
– Blocky Building Masses
– Similar Heights along Street Front
FALSE FRONTS
• Architectural Details, Window and Door Trim, Shutters, etc. on Front Only
• Varied Façade on Front Only
• Masonry – One Brick Deep on Front
THE PROBLEM’S CAUSE
• Production Builders
• Mass Production Repetition
• Narrow Target Market Similar Floor Plans and Size
• Maximize Size and Cut Back on Detailing
MONOPOLY BOX SOLUTIONS
• Enrich the Palette by Adding Details• Eaves
• 360° Architecture
• Windows and Doors
• Blank walls
• Garages
• Landscaping
REQUIRE EAVES
• Eaves Provide a Shadow Line that Articulates the House.
• Requirements– Eaves on All Sides– Minimum 12 Inches -- Encourage More– Insure Eaves Relate to Historic Styles
DETAILING
• Window Trim
• Door Trim
• Architectural Details or Features– Entryway– Patterns with Materials or Trim– Bay Windows– Dormers
FALSE FRONTS
• The House Front is Dressed Up
• The Rear and Sides as Cheap as Possible
• Community Suffers– Rear Views of Monopoly - Like Houses– Looks Cheap– Neighbors Get the Bad View
GARAGES
• Narrow Lots – Garage Takes Up Over 60% of the House Frontage– 3 & 4 Car Garages Impacting Wider Lots
• Complicates Architectural Solution to Monotony– Insignificant Portion of Façade to Work With– Garages All Look About the Same
GARAGE SOLUTIONS
• Limit portion of house occupied by garage
• Garage Location
• Garage Type
• Alley
• Mews
Blank Walls
• A Recent Trend is Leaving One or More Side Elevations Nearly Windowless
– Same Problem as Commercial Buildings – Ugly
– Less Light in Interior of Unit– Utilities
MONOTONY CODE
• Limit Repetition of a Model Type
• Criteria for Certifying Model Elevations as Different– Roofs, Height, Pitch, Orientation– Porches– Architectural Features– Windows
TYPES OF MONOTONY CONTROLS
• Mandatory Controls – Eaves– 360 Degree Trim and Materials
• Menu Approach– Roof Pitch, Height, Orientation– Porches– Architectural Detail
Different Roof Heights and Pitches
Garage Types – Front or Side LoadSide Load Garage Front Load Garage
Architectural Feature
LANDSCAPING
• Greenery Hides a Multitude of Sins
• Green Volume Counters Building Volume
• Even in Winter, Bare Trees Have Significant Impact – Altered Scale
BUILDING PLACEMENT
• Lining Buildings up on the Front Setback Line – Good for Urban Enclosure– Bad for Monotony
• Mandate Staggered Building Pads – Perspective Alters Building Scale– More Difficult to See Similarity– Landscaping More Effective
TOO BIG HOUSE
• House is too big for lot.
• House is so big that it alters community character.
• National trend to larger houses.
• Blatent display of how much one paid for the house.
Relative Scale
2 Story 3 StoryModerate Building Volume Large Building VolumeSmall Porch Porch, Stairway, 3rd floor deck
The Not So Big House
• Design and livability over size.
• Display good design.
• High quality materials rather than bulk.
• Materials selected to blend.
TEAR DOWNS
• A too big house in an existing neighborhood of smaller scale units.
• Destroys the character of the neighborhood.
• Creates a need for variances
• Gentrification
THE PROBLEM
• Neighborhood is very desirable.• Homes are out of date and need upgrades.• Economics is driving the problem.
– The land values support the cost of acquisition, demolition, and new structure.
• Community is not unanimous in opposition.– Some oppose on Character others support on
greed.
SOLUTIONS
• Same tools as the too big house.• Early Identification
– Identify before economics has created teardown conditions
– Allow for logical room additions while maintaining character.
– Less controversy because problem has not yet become an issue – can be done in normal zoning review.
PREPARE FOR TEARDOWNS
• Identify small house neighborhoods before they have been discovered
• 1950s
• Bungalows
• Cape Cods
• Identify current zoning building volumes• Develop expansion strategies• Adopt new standards