House needs a Haircut

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

Our new build excavation just confirmed as 30 cm too high. Add in our removal of the reverse veneer and we need to chop about two feet from the highest point to meet our zoning variance.

I'm inclined to just remove the parapet to the right. The alternative is to reduce ceiling heights from 12' and 10'. It's now a build for sale and competitive homes all have 11' or 12' and 10'.

Or even greater heights.

Kitchen in nearby recent sale. Okay, it's a bungalow.

Thoughts?

(Yes, I realized the excavator's mistake immediately on the surveyor's staking for footings. But after three months mucking in the mud and rain amid falling walls, enough was enough!)

Featured Answer

palimpsest

3 years ago

I bet almost nobody who walked into an open house would be able to tell the difference between 11 and 12 unless they read it in the listing brochure.

I would like to say just chop off the parapet but without the height variation I think you lose one of the reasons for the texture variation.

Once you start allowing people to go over height with a good design it opens the door for people to go over height with crappy ones.

Nice old rowhouse blocks have been ruined here by houses with toaster slot proportions where the new front door is close to the first floor ceiling line of the neighboring houses.

We call them Middle Finger houses because of how they stick up in the middle of the blocks. And they are visual FU to the streetscape.

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Comments (14)

PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
3 years ago
What threat is your tall house posing to the city's residents' health, safety, and well being?
worthy thanked Mark Bischak, Architect
chicagoans
3 years ago
Mark maybe they are getting cricks in their necks looking up at it?
worthy thanked chicagoans
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ci_lantro
3 years ago
In my village, the reason for height restrictions on buildings has to do with how the Fire Department is equipped.

Would be an easy choice for me--reduce the ceiling height.
worthy
Original Author
3 years ago
To the top of the roof, 25'6" from grade. Hardly a skyscraper.

It's actually much shorter than the trads across the courtyard, which are 34.65'.

Committee of Adjustment and neighbourhood green eyes hate modernist homes. King Charles would love these people!

Across the courtyard. l. arch. Lorne Rose; r. Richard Wengle.

I'm talking the actual building height from the grade. Allowable height is actually measured from the centre of the street in front.

More modernist pollution in our neighbourhood
ci_lantro
3 years ago
The parapet is what makes the house design interesting, IMO.
worthy thanked ci_lantro
palimpsest
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
On the one hand I always read with

anxiety the approvals and reviews required to get anything built in some places. On the other hand when it comes to single family here they let you build almost any old POS looking thing and may not even notice it's not permitted unless someone rats them out, much to the detriment of some streets.
worthy thanked palimpsest
worthy
Original Author
3 years ago
ci lantro and palimpset

Maybe split the difference: a foot off the parapet and 6" each from the floors.

The architect is on vacation so we can wait to see what he says.
palimpsest
3 years ago
How about 6" first floor 12" second and try the parapet at 18"? I am afraid a 12" step won't be enough.
worthy thanked palimpsest
worthy
Original Author
3 years ago

Note "parapet" is just that. And it tops a considerable projection from the front wall as well.
Kendrah
3 years ago
Hilarious that the modernist one is pollution in your eyes. Your build looks to me like a prison I used to work at.
palimpsest
3 years ago
I think worthy is saying the modernist pollution is in the eyes of his neighbors, not his .eyes.
just_janni
3 years ago
Isn't 30cm slightly over a foot? don't over cut.

Re the parapet - with the projection, would a perspective view help here? as the projection will appear higher ANYWAY so maybe you don't need as much differentiation.

I'd take 6" off each (1st floor, 2nd floor, parapet) . Will be unnoticeable.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
IMO 10' is the max for ceiling height it will save money down the road for heating and cooling and still give the feel of a higher ceiling It also will not affect the overall look of the design proportion.