TownhouseCenter.org

Your chance to get involved!  In response to the post/tweet “How would you promote small, attached, prototypical, adaptable buildings to build safe, convenient, enduring, beautiful urban neighborhoods?” loyal reader Joseph Heathcott replied: “You can go a long distance with a green argument.  In this vein, you might like this study being undertaken by the Green Lab of the National Trust, which is geared toward assessing the environmental performance of small building typologies.”

I emailed the manager of the study, Ric Cochrane, who graciously replied: “You ask a question that hits the nail on the head, that is one of our reasons for being.”  From the study website: “The Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in partnership with colleges and universities across the county, is conducting a national survey of older, smaller buildings as part of a major national initiative to increase the rate of building energy retrofits and thereby encourage adaptive reuse of existing buildings.”

“The focus of the survey is on commercial and mixed-use buildings smaller than 50,000 square feet. ‘Small’ commercial buildings represent 95% of the existing building stock but are largely overlooked in the energy retrofit market.  New technical tools and finance mechanisms are needed to reach small buildings.

“The New Buildings Institute’s energy retrofit experience indicates that rules of thumb apply to certain categories of building typologies.  The goal of the survey is to provide owners of small buildings with easily accessible strategies.”  NTHP blog post here.  You can sign up to be a building surveyor!  Join today, and tell your classmates, professors, and other neighbors!

The end of 2011 saw a few articles on the 200th anniversary of the Manhattan grid sneak under the wire.  From NYTimes writer Michael Kimmelman: “‘The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011,’ now at the Museum of the City of New York, celebrates the anniversary of what remains not just a landmark in urban history but in many ways the defining feature of the city.  The grid was big government in action, a commercially minded boon to private development and, almost despite itself, a creative template.

“New York property values boomed thanks to the grid, which effectively created the real estate market.  Money and aesthetics aren’t antithetical, and the grid has proved itself oddly beautiful.  I’m referring not just to the sociability it promotes, which Jane Jacobs identified, or to the density it allows, which Rem Koolhaas celebrates.

“The grid also makes a complex place instantly navigable.  Manhattan invites long walks, because walkers can judge distances easily and always know where they are.  Tourists who come to Manhattan can easily grasp the layout and, as such, feel they immediately possess the city.”  Full article here.

From Forbes writer Stephen Smith: “This WSJ blog post on the high cost of filming in Manhattan rare alleyways reminded me of these bits from Richard Pluntz’s A History of Housing in New York City: ‘Even in 1811, the gridiron did not work well. For the small single-family row house which predominated at that time, the solar orientation of the gridiron was reversed from the ideal. Had the long dimension of each block faced east-west, both front and rear facades of each house would have received sunlight each day.’”  Full post here.

And as usual, Old Urbanist provided timely and thoughtful thoughts on the grid, as he did earlier in the year with a fascinating set of posts about the origins of the grid and what Manhattan might have been without it.  (Image credit: New York Historical Society)

From Arch Daily writer Irina Vinnitskaya: “Vacant land is a looming problem for many cities, especially when it remains undeveloped for years or is transformed into garbage dumps and parking lots.  But when designers begin to notice these voids within the activity of a city they are able to unlock the inherent potential in the land.

“That is precisely what ’Not a Vacant Lot‘, as part of DesignPhiladephia, did this October.  Philadelphia’s 40,000 vacant lots are both a challenge and an opportunity for young designers, artists and architects to transform these under-utilized spaces into experiences within the fabric of the urban environment.  In order to re-engage such a space there needs to be a draw – it needs to become a physical destination or a visually stimulating product that adds to the life of the city.  DesignPhiladelphia gave artists the opportunity to acknowledge these vacant spaces and reintroduce them into the urban fabric.

“The focal point of the design intervention was at the University of the Arts lot, just a few blocks from Philadelphia’s center.  It featured a reinterpreted map of Philadelphia by PennDesign students and Marianne Bernstein’s Play House, an 8′x8′ aluminum cube which, in its simplicity, could unlock the potential of this particular lot.”  Full article here, with additional video.

From Hidden City Philadelphia writer Nathaniel Popkin: “Virginia Restemeyer and E.I. Weiner, the authors of the the welcome new book Hip and Hidden Philadelphia: The Unexpected House in a City of Tradition (Probasco Haus Press, 2012), open their introduction with a deep sigh: ‘Yes, Philadelphia is old, and historic, and in many ways still defied by its Quaker reticence. Some of those traits are what make the city interesting, even endearing.’

“Like all of us who have grown weary of this withering narrative, which ignores considerable evidence of innovation, foresight, ambition, and (yes) wealth spread over three and a half centuries, they quickly point out there is much more to the story. ‘Inside Philadelphia there is another Philadelphia.  This Philadelphia is subtle and subversive…the true sign of a different way of thinking.’

“What counts is that Restemeyer, a sculptor, and Weiner, a journalist and writer, have presented us with forceful evidence of a city of startlingly diverse residential architectural expression, well-beyond the standard rowhouse design.  The houses – each illustrated by a few photographs and a short, well-researched and well-crafted essay – are grouped under broad categories: classics, adaptive reuse, incorporated past, facelift, pioneers, etc.”  Full post here.  (Photo credit: Peter Woodall.)

How would you promote small, attached, prototypical, adaptable buildings to build safe, convenient, enduring, beautiful urban neighborhoods?

Would you make a short documentary about the small, attached buildings that compose your favorite neighborhood?

Would you teach an architecture studio class so that young designers learn the creative challenges of small urban buildings?

Would you fund a study of small, adaptable buildings’ financial return, volatility, operating expenses, etc.?

Would you lobby for eliminating parking requirements or other laws that enforce larger, more “efficient” buildings?

Would you publish an ode to fire escapes?

If we put our heads together, we might be able to find some money to make your ideas happen.  Please share them in the comments, on Twitter or Facebook, or send them to freyaa at gmail dot com.  (Photo credit: Jim Winter.)

From NYTimes writer Marcelle Fischler: “New rental and for-sale communities are increasingly being built in clusters: attached townhouses, semi-attached houses and condominium and rental units in townhouse-style complexes.  What with the scarcity of financing and the inventory backlog of single-family houses, said Glen Cherveny, an architect at Axelrod & Cherveny, those developers who are building at all are sticking to the townhouse look.

“Young couples and professionals starting out, as well as empty nesters and divorcees, clamor for the clustered housing, according to Bruce Orr, senior vice president for sales and marketing of Timber Ridge, a developer. This is at least partly because they don’t have to worry about exterior maintenance like raking or shoveling.  Some buyers are also realizing that home values are more secure in townhouse and condo communities, Mr. Cherveny said. With exterior maintenance controlled, there are no worries about a clunker next door.

“Another draw, said Mr. Cherveny, is the ‘safety factor’ of living in a close-knit community.  The townhouse setup also allows for ‘a little more density’ without affecting the school district.  Bruce Orr, senior vice president for sales and marketing of Timber Ridge, said a two-bedroom two-bath townhouse ‘doesn’t lend itself to a family of six.’”  Full article here.  (Photo credit: Kathy Kmonicek.)

From Smart Planet writer Tyler Falk: “It’s a simple question, ‘What would you build in your city?’, but a new Washington, D.C. startup thinks it could transform the traditional patterns of real-estate development.  Popularise acquires vacant properties and asks the local community to vote on what business should open in that location.  Whichever business get the most votes gets to open their store. The idea is to make real-estate development more about what the community wants, says co-founder Ben Miller:

“‘My goal, and I would love your help, is to pull the curtain back on the real estate industry in the same way Food, Inc. did for the agro-business and food industry. Because in many ways, the same financial engineering that transformed how we eat also drove similar changes in how we live, work, dine, and shop.  Basically, real estate development has become dominated by huge investment funds and public real estate companies — most of whom have more than a billion dollars in assets.  While this money brought a lot of benefits, these corporations just aren’t based in the neighborhoods they develop.  So they build cookie-cutter projects. It’s a lot easier to repeat a past success than to risk something new.’

“It’s a simple but fascinating idea that could captivate the imagination of the neighborhood and get the community invested in the decision-making process — a good thing for any new business joining the neighborhood.  And with 10 million vacant properties throughout U.S. cities, it seems like an idea that could spread and bring development that is valuable to communities.”  Full article here.

From Urbanite Baltimore writer  Anissa Elmerraji: “At a dedication ceremony last week attended by droves of supporters, friends, and volunteers, Inger Walker was handed the keys to her very first home.  While the day was understandably memorable for the first-time homeowner, it was equally special for the housing organization that made it all possible: Sandtown Habitat for Humanity.  Walker’s home marked the 300th completed since the organization set out on a mission twenty-two years ago to rehabilitate vacant rowhouses in the neighborhood (see ‘Sandtown Green‘).  With three hundred homes now under its belt, Sandtown Habitat only has fifty to seventy-five more homes to complete before reaching its original goal of rehabilitating all the vacant homes within a fifteen-block area of the Sandtown community.”  Full article here.  (Photo credit: Michael Barb.)

20,000 views!  From Expat Online: “George Town is changing so fast that it’s hard to keep up with the new boutique hotels that are opening.  But no city can survive on crumbs from tourists alone.  George Town has historically been a place of artisans and merchants.  Without this mix of trade and tourism, George Town could run the risk of becoming a sterile ‘theme park’, paying homage to a culture no longer alive.

“Francis Light, the founder of George Town, planned the first streets as a ‘mosaic of ethnic quarters’ and this pluralistic approach has persisted into the 21st century.  The architectural features of the shophouse, are as diverse and yet harmonious as its residents. The basic design is perhaps Chinese, particularly the series of open courtyards, and fan-shaped air vents. The Malays brought their expertise in wood carving and fretwork, the Indians their skilled construction techniques and recipe for durable plaster, the Europeans their French windows, louvered shutters and decorative stucco.

“Shophouses are designed to extend backwards from the street some thirty metres. They were designed as highly practical working/living spaces. The narrow frontages, often no more than six or seven metres wide, give onto a covered ‘five foot’ ways, or kaki lima, often exquisitely tiled, making it possible to walk down the street protected from both sun and tropical rain.

“The downstairs front room, giving onto the street, was where business was carried out. A carved screen protected the rooms behind. Lit by the central wells, these were more private family spaces, such as ‘dining halls’, kitchens and bedrooms. As they were designed with ‘through drafts’, open grilles which encouraged air to circulate, they were surprisingly cool and environmentally friendly buildings.

“George Town is poised to become an imaginative, edgy city if creative people can be encouraged to make it their base. The flexible and trusty shophouse, renovated for contemporary needs, could continue to provide a great working and living space for cultural arts.”  Full article here.

From Inhabitat.com writer Lori Zimmer: “Singapore’s innovative Space Asia Hub is an architectural mash-up that consists of two historic buildings connected by a modern addition. Designed by WOHA Architects, the 40,000 square foot complex incorporates a charming white villa, a modern glass block building, and a larger open plan shophouse.  Situated in Singapore’s Arts District, Space Asia Hub seeks to engage visitors with both architecture and furniture design on an experiential level.  The Villa, a historic white bungalow, has been transformed with a large kitchen.

“The Heritage House is a historic conservation shophouse. WOHA revamped the interior with an industrial tone that compliment the loft-like floors. Natural skylights flood the interiors with light that filters in through wooden rafters as well as an outdoor courtyard that features a three-storey living garden wall for both employees and customers to enjoy.  Connecting the two historic buildings is the modern ‘Glass Block’, which displays colorful furniture collections that can be seen from the outside.”  Full article with image gallery here.