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When it comes to curb appeal, less is often more.
The list of lessons learned by our industry – developers, planners, architects and builders – through this recession is long and likely still growing. While fundamental to the human condition is the need for shelter and a place to call home, none of us approach the task of creating housing today in the same way we did a decade ago. The economics of it are just too different.
The good news of the downturn is that this new economic paradigm forced us back to simpler:
• floor plans that allocate appropriate space to living areas while eliminating wasted square footage for circulation and seldom-used areas.
• elevations that reflect a simpler logic – combining the fundamentals of massing, scale, proportion and composition – and in doing so create a more eye-appealing impression for a home and a community.
Housing fashion comes and goes. In the era of unlimited budget elevations became overly complicated – roofs moved too much and windows bumped out too often. The result: framing became overly complex, excessively expensive and often elevations lost their elegance. While housing fashion does change, there are neighborhoods and communities that endure, recognized by many as the standard for how a street should look and live. The common characteristic of these stand-out neighborhoods is that they draw on architectural history and adapt these precedents to modern neighborhoods, thus creating sophisticated homes – even for first-time buyers – that build value because of their authentic antecedents. The win-win for us and for prospective home buyers: these elevations are less expensive to build and look better too.
Enhancing Elevations
With the knowledge that less is more always front of mind, there are several steps to designing and executing an elegant yet less expensive elevation.
1. Fundamentals
Massing, scale, proportion and composition combine to create the elevation. Simplify roof lines for today’s value-driven buyer who doesn’t want to pay for complicated roof framing. Also, simplicity in roof forms results in more classic architecture that is timeless yet fresh.
2. Components
Windows (both style and placement), eaves, doors, materials and colors also influence the elevation’s impact. Simplicity in forms allows for a more adventuresome use of color – still the least expensive way to accentuate a home.
3. Carefully choose the architectural style
At every step in the design process consider the ramifications of the design style. Floor plans must support the design style. Each home – at every price point and regardless of the architectural style – can reflect the appropriate level of design and detailing for the targeted buyer.
4. Deliver on the details
Material and color choices and usage must reflect the essential character of the architectural theme. Pay attention to material transitions and use stone and brick veneers appropriately to define the style. Well-designed details complete any architectural style. Poorly designed or improperly constructed details will undo everything else. Details must age with the design, originate in the architecture and never be added simply for decoration.
Translating individual elevation elements to a street scene requires the same level of thought and planning. What ties diverse styles together in a harmonious way is the consistency of detailing – attention to color to create a diverse yet cohesive color family; carefully combining textures to create compatible palette and the order and symmetry of windows. Movement on a street scene – where elements of one elevation break the plane of those surrounding it – help achieve a pleasing outcome.
Dave Kosko is a Senior Principal and Director of Design at Bassenian Lagoni, an architecture, planning and interior design firm headquartered in Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at dmkosco@bassenianlagoni.com or at 949-553-9100.
