Tight Fit in Cardoza
20 03 2009It seems all over town that no lot is to small to squeeze in another house. Though unlike some projects, this rowhouse being built along Florida Ave will probably end up fitting right into the neighborhood. However looking at this project brought up an interesting question about building materials around DCMetrocentric HQ…
Compare this new wood-frame construction with the brick work of the older building next to it, we just can’t imagine this newer construction style can last as long or be as sturdy as the old brick and mortar buildings all over the city that often are over 100 years old. Any thoughts on the shift in modern construction techniques and it’s impact on our city? [Photo: Sean Robertson]
i agree that lots of new development is built of less lasting materials and won’t stand the test of time. but, i’m sure the brick house is also wood frame construction..
and although old houses are great, they last for a long time mostly because people like the look of them and so upgrade/restore them along the way.
so, another question is, will “modern design” stand the test of time?
the world is going to end in 2012 anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.
by the way, what do they use the hay for anyway? i see that in tons of construction sites. is it to feed the workers? what’s the deal?
Remember that when we talk about how well old buildings are constructed we’re only talking about the ones that are still standing - there were plenty of poorly constructed old buildings that aren’t around anymore!
Wood framing is hardly a new construction technique - it’s just one type of construction in a city where some buildings are built for longer lifespans than others, and it’s a healthy mix to have.
Dollars to donuts they put a pre-fab brick sheet on the side so you would no longer be able to tell from the outside that it is wood construction, and will think it is brick construction. A number of houses you may think are brick are actually done this way.
In the year 2020 all these cheap houses will fall apart right along with the people who had laser eye surgery whose eyes fall out!
The historic brick rowhouse is load bearing masonry constrution with walls 2-3 brick wyths wide. It is not a brick veneer building. The new construction may get a brick veneer to it, but it could get something else. Too early to tell. Brick veneer construction, because it’s walls are thinner than load-bearing masonry, isn’t necessarily weaker, but it will look flatter. The depth of the window sills (the “reveal” of the wall) is thick on the historic building. The windows of the new building will be installed more flush with the exterior, have less reveal and so appear flatter. That’s how you can always tell brick-veneer from load bearing masonry.
You can’t really do a corbelled brick cornice in brick veneer, so don’t expect any fancy brick work at the top like you see on the historic house.
Brick veneer isn’t necessarily weaker, but it does depend how strong the ties are that tie the brick to the wood frame. Water loves to get in between the brick veneer and the wood frame, so time will tell.
The hay bales are for erosion and sediment control. Don’t want all the soil to drain out into the street and into the sewer.
$20,000,000!
I hate the prefab brick sheets. You can totally see the vertical seams where the sheets join, instead of the staggered pattern that true brickwork has. The worst offender I can think of is 1010 Mass Ave.
Is quality brickwork really that expensive? Or is it just a lost art? I’d love to see some new homes with the same attention to used on the older homes.
Thanks for the load-bearing vs. veneer explanation, crin. I feel smarter already
@CL: Are you sure 1010 Mass is pre-cast brick and those are not just the caulked control joints in the skin? I know that the Jefferson at Thomas Circle used that product and it is very noticeable.