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I fear that you’re going to see less interesting, less creative designs out in the marketplace now. I think we’re going to see more big-box looks, if you will, something that serves the purpose, doesn’t inspire people much and isn’t something that’s terribly memorable.
-Kermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of Architects, speaking to Chicago Public Radio yesterday.
This isn’t the first prognosis of this type we’ve heard from a member of the architecture community, but forecasting a rise in “big-box” designs sounds far bleaker than simply predicting a decline in “attention-seeking buildings,” as architect David Chipperfield did a few weeks ago.
Others interviewed in the WBEZ segment find reasons for optimism in the current recession. A cultural historian points out that some of the city’s iconic buildings were constructed during the Great Depression, and architect Joe Valerio from Valerio Dewalt Train Associates says that while projects are grinding to a halt everywhere, the prices of certain materials are also falling, enabling developers to offer certain upgrades that wouldn’t have been possible before.
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My hope is that house building will become smaller and more modern in Chicago. I understand the average square footage of new construction homes nationally is coming down a bit…but you would not know that in Chicago.
For example, in my leafy burg of Ravenswood, a 5 monster home development built on basically 24×150 lots across from the Metra line at Winnemac and Ravenswood was a missed opportunity. Built in a traditional or Victorian style I guess, these giant homes have a decent setback in the front and barely a 15×15 yard in the back…the back outdoor space in not incorporated into the flow of the house (there is a standard door leading to the backyard rather than a deck or patio/courtyard feel.) The front yard although set back, is awkward to use… no privacy.
Of course, somebody bought them… but it would have been great to see them build smaller homes that made better use of the outdoor space. I know that the cost of aquiring the lots probably dictated the need to build rdiculously large boxes to catch the $1M they needed on each house.
But maybe this surge of awarness due to the economic turn-around will produce some much more interesting smaller, efficient homes in the city that incorporate more yard space in the design.
Anybody out there that would like to see a prefab modern home on a city lot? Is this even possible?
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