Neighborhood Mix: Old and New
12 05 2009The Lacey Condo’s are not the only project bringing a little bit of modern architecture to the U Street corridor. Over the last few years, the neighborhood has seen a resurgence of both small and large modern projects. We spent some time discussing it last week, but what do you think of this modern infill into a street of older DC row homes?
Other than the height difference with the surrounding homes, we think it actual works well. Some more of the juxtaposition of old and new after the jump…
[Photos: Sean Robertson]
Frankly I think it fits right into the neighborhood, these particular houses are well done and look great. There is enough features in the new that connect with the old, like the colors, the brick, and the lines.
I like it. Other cities have diversity of styles, and its nice to see some in DC, although its still a small drop in the bucket- for every DC person who likes it, there’s probably at least 20 who hate it.
In the top pic, I like how they mixed up the facades a bit to provide variation, in contrast to the photo a few entries down under the caption “DC Homeowners Upside Down”, where you have endless repetition of the same thing.
Love it. But where are the homes in the first picture? I can’t place them and I live near there.
I share the previous posters appreciation for variation in the facades as a refreshing change from the endless blocks of repetition. But I also share the poster’s resignation with respect to the number of people who actually like these styles.
I’m inclined to like this mix of styles but there is one major problem with the modern townhomes. In fact, this problem nearly turns them into eyesores.
The ground floor of the modern town homes look like fortress. There is nothing welcoming or neighborly about the ground floor facades.
The asymmetrical windows- fine.
The second and third floor designs- fine.
The first photo, in particular, shows three units in a row with a sheer brick wall at ground level with two small holes cut out for windows. Visually, this has the same alienating affect as a street-facing garage on a cul-de-sac out in suburbia.
I’m suprised DC Metrocentric likes it given it’s distaste for commercial buildings without street-level retail
(Oasis in penn quarter -http://dcmetrocentric.com/2008/03/13/glass-comes-to-penn-quarter/)
Again, it has the same alienating affect as the ground floor design as these town homes.
@bl
I think the presence of the stoops and front facing balconies seriously undermines any argument that the small windows alienate these homes from the street.
I think it is a stretch to say that the absence of a larger ground floor window makes these townhomes as alienating as a street-facing garage on a cul-de-sac. Hopefully you are just being hyperbolic.
I kinda don’t see it. If anything, the 2nd floor balconies make them even more engaging to the street. It appears that they have the same sized (small) yards as the old houses on the street. Its hard to tell without a picture that shows the surrounding houses and context.
It appears that on the second floors, the windows are a little higher, vs. the waist-high windows on the traditional houses. I think in the newer houses I’d be more inclined to have the blinds open, because they’d let in more light but with more privacy. The treatment of the 3rd floor windows is actually pretty smart. You could have those windows open, yet the balcony overhangs offer some privacy.
You see a lot of houses with windows that directly face the street, but the curtains/blinds/shutters are always drawn. What good are windows if you can’t open them or enjoy the light they provide. I’m big on natural light, and views to the outside, but I don’t need street-level voyeurs peeking in.
The only people that larger street front windows would make the houses more engaging to is stalkers and peepers!
Having walked by them, I completely disagree with bl. They’re plenty engaging enough, certainly as much as any other DC rowhouse.
Eric, they’re on 10th St. between V and W:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.918785,-77.026065&spn=0.000832,0.001643&t=h&z=20
eric, i agree that the upper floor balconies are attractive and the stoops are a step in the right direction.
The rub for me, however, is the combination of sheer brick wall with small, asymmetrical windows. The sheer wall, in my opinion, is greatest contributor to ground floor’s alienating affect.
Of all modernist elements, the worst may be a sheer street-facing wall sans ornamentation. This element always reminds me of the ubiquitous LBJ-era buildings that alienated generations of university students and passersby of other public buildings.
I think I’m misunderstanding the use of the term “sheer wall”.
@bl
The “blank wall failing to engage the street”/Jane Jacobs argument comes up often enough in DC…the Suntrust bank in Adams Morgan at the corner of 18th and Columbia comes to mind as a particular egregious example. But I just can’t agree with you that those modern rowhomes are fortress-like in any way. Sure, they don’t have the typical “DC Bay Window”, but they tons of detail and are actually pretty stunning to see in person. They remind me of the modern homes around the Venice Canals in LA– an extremely pedestrian friendly and engaging neighborhood. Perhaps you just don’t like small windows?
For what its worth, I’m not a total nincompoop on this stuff…I just finished a planning masters degree with a focus in urban design.
Also note: all of these and the Lacey were designed byt hte same achitect: Division1. They also had (and I assume they still do) the property on 10th St abutting the alley for The Drost.
As far as the townhomes and being vibrant: I lived on that block a number of years and can attest to the amount of exchange among people. Rather little since there was no where to chat but on the sidewalk or the tiny stoop. The balconies don’t function at all as public space. No one stands on a balcony and chats with neighbors or watches what’s going on. I’m sure someone has researched why, but walk along the many many balconies on new buildings in the U street area and there is never anyone out on any of them.
Also the Main Floor for most (maybe all) of the designs is upstairs. Those downstairs were small dens, not highly trafficked, so when you rang the door, the residents have to come down to let you in. this is common enough, but it does deter a spontaneous invitation inside for tea since it’s mentally and physically a distance to the ‘comfy’ area of the house.
I liked living there and I think the rowhouses were clever designs, but they were definitely more fortress-like than the older rowhouses.