Finally, we will have a gluten-free specialty bakery in town! We are currently working on the design and renovation for this bakery to be located at 323 Cross Street. Gluten-free birthday cakes, cookies, breads, pizza dough, sandwiches, a place to grab some coffee, a place to hold meetings, classes, a place for the community. DEMPSEY BAKERY – opening late Spring. Pass along the great news.
arch street view
arch & 13th street view
Above is a single-family residence we designed for review and approval in an historic district in Little Rock, Arkansas. We submitted for a design review permit to the Capitol Zoning District Commission and the staff report can be downloaded here 1300 S. Arch 9-1-10. Based on our client’s needs and desires, we proposed a modern interpretation of a dogtrot prototype.
Historically, the dogtrot house consisted of two equal one story rooms on either side of a central hall joined by a common gable roof. The dogtrot was named by early observers who saw the purpose of the passage as an animal shelter – a place where dogs could run through the house. This type was prevalent in the South, where the passage also functioned as a shady breezeway where meals could be taken in hot weather. Richard Hulan in an article for Pioneer America wrote: “The true dogtrot house is not so much a way of framing space as a way of living in space.” Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn described a dogtrot as, “It was a double house, and a big, open place betwixt them was roofed and floored, and sometimes the table was set there in the middle of the day, and it was cool, comfortable place.”
When approaching this type of house and its relationship to the site, the view through the opening (void) onto the landscape of gardens to the south and to an historic cemetery to the north that dates back to 1843, emphasizes the center of gravity of the house. It is the clarity of the opening or void which distinguishes this simple scheme and is an emblem of its character.
Not only is the form important, but also the relationship of the form to the street, the block and the neighborhood. We located the building within the setbacks established by the historic district as well as took into consideration the rhythm and pattern of the existing historic housing along the street. We tend to agree with Steve Luoni, Director of the University of Arkansas Community Design Center on this thought, “From my point of view the most important considerations for establishing compatibility involve relationships more than materials (both bad and good buildings are made from brick for instance). Relationships would be considered at different scales: the block, street and property parcel.”
Regarding materials, we proposed the use of coated metal for the exterior finish of the roof and exterior walls. Metal is a great product that has been used for decades and we have written about the benefits in our other posts, “Metal roofs with ecological benefits” and “Metal roofs/tax credits”. Historically, this material was used on roofs, but is less common as a wall material. However, vertical siding similar to board and batten is represented in the historic district and we thought this approach was complimentary.
During the presentation to the Design Review Committee, Mansion Area Advisory Committee and the Capital Zoning District Commissioners, the conversation revolved around the proposed metal material and discussion about whether or not metal is an approved material for the exterior walls in an historic district. To some, metal need not be considered, instead Hardiplank horizontal siding. But to the majority, the metal was seen as an appropriate use of material for the exterior walls.
To conclude this blog:
“Preservation is not about freezing time and ensuring all buildings never change, and places never evolve. In fact it is just the opposite. Preservation helps people understand the evolution. By maintaining older buildings, a place suddenly has a visible history that you can read by simply walking down the street. Preservation ensures that the city reads with multiple layers of history, rather than solely new development. Attempting to reproduce historic styles in new modern materials and forms is not only confusing, but can also quickly go wrong. Simply put, slapping on a set of columns and decorative ornamentation does not magically create history.” – excerpts from “Will the Preservation Ordinance Stifle Modern Architects?”
Stay tuned for photos during construction.
This public lecture series on architecture and the built environment is free and open to the public. If you are in Little Rock, Arkansas, please come and experience a night of great discussion.
The Art of Architecture
Our house/office/studio is published in the November issue of At Home in Arkansas – check it out here. www.athomearkansas.com Let us know what you think.
Thought we’d elaborate on the features of our office, studio and house. See the diagram below.
We thought we’d put together a list of products and materials that we believe are worthy of mentioning because of their function, design and performance.
Here’s our list of what we feel we can not do without:
Diamond polished concrete floors – easy to clean, feels good on your feet, just plain beautiful. read more »
Metal roofing has been around for a long, long time and worldwide. There are many handmade metal roofs that date back to the 1800’s. So what is it about metal that makes this material so fantastic that they were using it many years ago? Well, the roof of a building is a major component of a structure and it is a component where the product chosen can have a dramatic effect on the life cycle costs and energy costs of a building. Read below for more info/benefits of metal.
Ross Cranford’s Little Rock home – A celebration in preserving a bird sanctuary in a well-established neighborhood and a study in metal for walls and a roof of a new single-family residence is published in September issue of Arkansas Life. Check it out at www.arkansaslife.com
We believe in professional development….and world cup soccer, great food, awesome sights, innovative solutions to homelessness, poverty and pollution, The Museu Oscar Niemeyer (Brazil’s newest contemporary art museum)…so Jeff is traveling to Curitiba, Brazil, as a conference speaker on factors that contribute to good spa design for healing purposes, presenting a case study of a spa we designed, working with an architect and issues on sustainability.
Curitiba has a population of 1.5 million and has the highest density of urban green space in the world. This is not only because of its array of parks but also because since the 1980’s it has had progressive city governments that have been innovative in their urban planning. The emphasis on protecting the environment has produced an efficient public transportation system and comprehensive recycling program that are being used as models for cities around the globe.
We’ve been told that if the Brazil soccer team is playing during his trip, the city will shut down. It’s been tough getting a visa, due to the soccer games and closing of offices when Brazil plays but he has it now and will soon be off to Curitiba.
