Hands-down, the split-level owns the title of architects' least favorite house to remodel. “It's a difficult type to work with because it's so poorly constructed, and the room sizes are way too small,” says Lane Williams, AIA, a Seattle architect who says he tries to avoid split-levels.
Judging from the high percent-age of architects who live in remodeled bungalows, this house type holds enduring appeal for the design-conscious.
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The center-hall colonial revival is a lot like a well-made tuxedo: It outlasts trends and is perfect for formal occasions. But, as with a tux, it's unyielding for everyday situations.
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Out of the millions of houses built in the United States from the early 1900s through the 1970s, the vast majority qualify as a classic builder-driven house type.
REMODELING asked three architects to design a remodel for a house plan from 1985 not only to suit the needs of a specific family, but to also incorporate features based on the wants and needs of today's customers.
Often, people will go into a home and will really love how it feels, but won't be able to pinpoint why. Many times, it has nothing to do with the size of the house. It has to do with the availability of and accessibility to the outside when they're inside. That's the magic of great architecture;...
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Dormers can add greatly to the exterior aesthetics of a house, as well as provide more space inside. But because of their prominence, poorly designed dormers can mar an otherwise pleasing facade.
Architect Charles Moore's design pulled the front of the house forward 3 feet and added a 6-foot-deep front porch bordered by tapered columns. Extending the house forward allowed Moore to move the living room to the other side of the house and add a foyer and an inglenook in its place.
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The house, built in 1939 of poured concrete and located on the Washington shore of the Columbia River, featured portholes on its lower levels, the sort of step-across doorways you'd find on a submarine, and ships' doors to cover them.
Condemned and scheduled to be demolished by the city of St. Paul, Minn., this house had just a few days to live. Square columns to match those on either side of the house, a round bump out in front, and hefty balusters above create a Classical Revival porch for this once-condemned St. Paul...