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GRDadof3

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Doesn't this project fall in the Wealthy Street Theatre Historic District? If so, how'd they get away with the design?

I like the design, but I thought the HPC were like rabid wolves. Of course, they let the building on Wealthy where the Fusion Salon is use some crappy looking cinder block facade so maybe they don't care if it looks historically accurate.

Or, it's outside of the district. I prefer my first idea though. ;)

This house is located in the Fairmount Square Historic District.

HPC has a different viewpoint when it comes to new construction versus historic renovations.

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Doesn't this project fall in the Wealthy Street Theatre Historic District? If so, how'd they get away with the design?

I like the design, but I thought the HPC were like rabid wolves. Of course, they let the building on Wealthy where the Fusion Salon is use some crappy looking cinder block facade so maybe they don't care if it looks historically accurate.

Or, it's outside of the district. I prefer my first idea though.

The HPC operates within guidelines. These guidelines are The Secretary of Interior Standards and Grand Rapids Local Guidelines that are approved by the city commission and the State Historic Preservation Office. Both sets of guidelines are what all decisions are based on. The commission does not randomly come to decisions based on opinions. These standards must be adhered to and interpreted by the HPC in each case.

Incidentally, the local guidelines have just been updated and are now in use. You can see the new and improved Local guidelines at the city of Grand Rapids website, under the planning department tab and then the HPC link. I have attached a link to this location, where the PDF is available. These guildelines have been very well done and are a vast improvement over the previous edition.

http://www.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?page_id=2627

The Secretary of Interior standards can be found at...

http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/TPS/tax/rhb/

The local guidelines would be well worth downloading for anyone who is interested in the GR historic districts. The guidelines have some maps showing the boundaries of all districts along with a brief history. It also has a list of all the Historic Landmarks (resources that are not in a district, usually individual buildings).

On page 63 of the local guidelines you will find the information that pertains to new construction. The guidelines for new construction are very different than those that relate to historic fabric preservation.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

The introduction of a compatible but contemporary new construction project can add depth and contribute interest to the district if the new design and location reflect an understanding of and compatibility with the character of the district. The success of new construction within a historic district relies on understanding the distinctive architectural character of the district. The first elements that should be considered are height, form, massing, proportion, size, scale and roof shape. For example, if the street facades of most nearby buildings are vertical in proportion, taller than they are wide, then maintaining the vertical orientation of the building fa

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  • 4 months later...

Alas, more kudos to our friend Sam for highlighting this vernacular in our frequently near-sighted local rag!

Beyond my agreement with the value of this project, it warms my heart to know that I am not an anomaly with my own plans (still in the drawing stages) to retrofit a similar (perhaps a little less bold, but nonetheless similar) aesthetic onto my home in the woods in Rockford. While I do not have historic commissions breathing down my throat, I do expect there may be a few raised eyebrows when (if) shovels start to turn dirt in my backyard next summer.

I do think it is very worth noting that this project on Wealthy is an excellent example of progress on a smaller scale (versus only seeing it in towers and monster projects downtown). It proves that even those with humbler aspirations can indeed make a difference in the local architectural vocabulary! Nicely done!!

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Thanks, guys. Sam's been a big supporter of our work over the years - it's cool that he likes the building.

Getting to this point in construction has been an adventure. Kudos to the Bazzani team - especially Ken Van Dyke - for bringing it all together.

Glass is going up all over the place and the interior finishes have started. We're not too far away now.

Since I still don't know how to post pictures, maybe Nitro can lean out his window and post one.

FilmMaker: One of the dirty little secrets of urban design is that almost all of it is long term and incremental. Very seldom does any one big anything make or correct a neighborhood. True neighborhood creation takes many many projects like this over years and years. There's a lot of work out there still to be done.

APK: We'll hook you up!

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FilmMaker: One of the dirty little secrets of urban design is that almost all of it is long term and incremental. Very seldom does any one big anything make or correct a neighborhood. True neighborhood creation takes many many projects like this over years and years. There's a lot of work out there still to be done.
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There is no yard to speak of: 3' strip on the North and a 4' strip in the back. We have included a deck on top of the garage in back - I have to have room for my Big Green Egg and my Webber. It will be a nice place to have a cocktail.

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  • 1 month later...

We'll see if I finally have this photo posting crap figured out...

decbackga9.jpg

Photo of the back from early December.

girlsroomev9.jpg

The inside is tough to photograph as its a pretty small house and I'm walking through mostly at night. This is my little girl's room. I have a problem with Poulsen light fixtures. I can't help myself.

bigroomnu9.jpg

main floor living/kitchen/dining.

The some of the windows are frosted and they all have a low e coating which gives them a bit of reflectance. We'll have drapes too.

We're almost done. We'll be in by 2.1.07. It's going to be a long couple of weeks.

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