Projects

Since its inception, BUILDER has recognized visionary residential architects who took risks and created memorable communities with exemplary, forward-thinking planning and design.

Pioneering architects, such as Barry Berkus and Rodney Friedman, shaped production housing in the '70s and early '80s with volume spaces, asymmetrical designs, high-density single- and multifamily projects, and zero-lot-line designs.

In the '80s, Seaside and New Urbanist concepts turned the tide toward traditional forms and character. Duany Plater-Zyberk's groundbreaking designs became an alternative to the cul-de-sac plans.

In the '90s, a wave of high-end production housing took off. Buyers with fat stock portfolios had the cash for a custom home but not the time. Orange County, Calif., architects like Mark Scheurer and Robert Hidey created new floor plans and small-lot configurations, and experimented with new material mixes and intricately detailed elevations.

So what's next? In response to growth control measures, builders and architects will have to keep inventing ways to make small lots and clusters work. And towns and cities will be forced to respond by changing codes to allow for high-density and multifamily projects. "The cost and availability of land is causing developers to think about densities they would never have dreamed about 10 years ago," says architect Manny Gonzalez of the KTGY Group in Irvine, Calif., "let alone 25!"

According to Gonzalez, single-family home builders in his market are breaking ground on 40-unit-to-the-acre projects. "And three-story, single-family homes are becoming more common, and surprisingly acceptable, even in traditional single-story markets like Phoenix," Gonzalez notes.

In addition, most predict an increase in condominium building now that self-insurance and wrap policies are allowing builders in many states to re-enter the multifamily market, which was all but obliterated in the last decade by litigation.

But all this density cannot happen without proper zoning. "We're still dealing with codes that were created 40 years ago when sprawl was the future," says architect Bill Kreager of Mithun in Seattle. "I predict a major re-study of code systems in big cities that will become models for smaller jurisdictions."

"The great room has emerged as part of the American way of life."— Kreager, architect, Mithun

"We've seen the re-invention of the mudroom as a place to drop keys, backpacks, cell phones, mail, and coats, as well as the small home office adjacent to the kitchen instead of using an extra bedroom far away from the action."— Looney, architect, Looney Ricks Kiss

"Today we're putting floor plans together in entirely new ways; we have stopped designing the 'universal solvent.' Builders, architects, and even financial institutions are starting to ask who the product is really for and how can we design it to best meet the consumers' needs. They're recognizing that the consumer is king, and we need to build the throne that fits his butt."— Agid, builder, Playa Vista Co.

"The most negative thing that's happened in home building in the last few decades is the irrational expansion in the size of houses, despite the reduction in household size. Because of perceived re-sale demand, people buy houses that are larger than they need. I am not against spaciousness, but larger houses require larger lots and contribute to the sprawl effect."— Rybczynski, professor, Graduate School of Fine Arts, University of Pennsylvania

"One great material innovation of the last 25 years is simulated or true divided-light windows. It's amazing to think that 25 years ago you could only get an insulated window as plain or with 'snap ins'."— Looney, architect, Looney Ricks Kiss

"The largest single influence on production housing has been the environmental and anti-sprawl movements, which put pressure on the design and building community to find ways to put higher density on less ground and smaller houses at higher prices."— Kreager, architect, Mithun

"We've been using CAD systems for about 20 years, and it's been a double-edge sword of sorts. They definitely speed up the process and increase efficiency, but in some respects they diminish creativity. When people sketch by hand they are more inclined to try different things— allows more freedom of thought." — Devereaux, architect, Devereaux & Associates

Seaside

Seaside, Fla.

Photo: Steven Brooke

The New Urbanist movement, which has permanently changed the production housing landscape, all started in 1982 on an 80-acre stretch of white sandy beach in Florida's panhandle. The creation of designer and academic guru Andres Duany, Seaside burst on the scene with fresh, candy-colored cottages and detached, alley-loaded garages placed squarely on a grid system of streets. A low-scaled, pedestrian-friendly environment with sidewalks and white picket fences made it feel like something from another era. And America responded to that feeling.

Non-stop media attention made Seaside an international splash, and it has spawned countless imitations since. Today, it is primarily a summer resort colony, and most of the cottages are rentals. Tourists and scholars cruise through its narrow streets to study the design and see the all-too-perfect set of the movie "The Truman Show."

Woodbridge

Irvine, Calif.

Any article on the last quarter century of production architecture and planning would be amiss not to acknowledge the lasting influence of The Irvine Co. The Irvine, Calif.-based developer has carved up thousands of acres of the former Irvine Ranch into dozens of innovative and successful communities with the help of some of the country's most creative architects and planners.

Woodbridge Village in Irvine was a signature community of the '70s that set the pace for the way master planned communities are developed, executed, and marketed. "The Irvine Co. changed the traditional builder/developer relationship by defining the marketplace and assigning builder roles within the master mix," says Ken Agid, formerly Irvine's director of marketing and now with Playa Vista in Los Angeles. "It was a pioneering effort on a massive scale."

The plan called for 9,000 housing units and a significant component of retail, office space, and amenities. Two lakes served as the central element and a major organizing device for the community. The diverse mix of single- and multifamily housing ranged from affordable (30 percent below-market) to luxury lakefront units. The Irvine Co. dictated the architecture to avoid homogeneity and to create diverse streetscapes, something that is commonplace in today's master plans.

Since then, many communities have emulated the Woodbridge model. "It was the first major application of market segmentation to community and product development," says Agid.

"It was an absolute comprehensive experiment in community design, product design, marketing, and integrated planning efforts," adds Tucson, Ariz., builder Tom Doucette. "It shaped the thinking and created the benchmark for planned communities with integration of recreational opportunities, commercial and retail, schools, and housing targeted to specific buying segments, with the amenities equally targeted." Woodbridge's opening featured nine different builders selling simultaneously, and over 9,000 families participated in a lottery for home sites.

Woodbridge has stood the test of time, aging gracefully as it was built out. "It still stands head and shoulders above anything in the nation," Agid says with pride.

In 1994, almost 20 years after it opened, Woodbridge received a national Urban Land Institute award as the best large-scale residential community in the United States. "We had a fabulous array of talent, and it was far ahead of its time in planning and implementation," Agid adds.

Photo: Mark Boisclair

Phoenix

The popularity of America's Sunbelt region continues to grow, and it's not just for retirees anymore. Unlike the World War II generation, baby boomers do not want to ride off into the sunset in a golf cart at an age-restricted community. And families do not want to wait for retirement to enjoy all that a resort community has to offer.

So the nation's most successful developer of master planned active adult communities got the message, and in 1999 Del Webb created a 5,860-acre lifestyle-driven community filled with resort-style amenities for every age group. The grand opening of Anthem heralded a brand-new era for home buyers and for Del Webb.

Addison Circle

Dallas

Photo: James F. Wilson

By the mid-'90s young professionals and empty-nesters fed up with gridlock, hellish commutes, and the isolation of the suburbs, were ready for some alternative working and living arrangements. In response, developers reexamined some old-fashioned planning principles.

Multifamily developer Post Properties went out on a limb with a mixed-use apartment project in Addison, Texas, that included 1,300 apartment units with hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial space, directly adjacent to a 25,000-square-foot office building. The site plan and four-story residential buildings were designed by Dallas architects RTKL. The rich, European-style setting features brick courtyards with fountains, outdoor fireplaces, and pools. Balconies that overlook public areas provide an "eye to the street" at night.

According to Tom Wilkes, president of Post Apartment Management, Addison Circle was the company's largest investment in a mixed- use environment. "It was untried for one developer to provide both the retail and the residential, but our experience in uptown Dallas had proven there was an appetite for this type of development," he says. The project, which offers standard one-bedroom, loft, or three-bedroom luxury product, has been wildly successful. "The benefit is that people can move and change lifestyle and stay in the community," says Wilkes, "and many have."

In the past few years Post has built a number of smaller-scale developments based on the same concept. From Post Paseo, 384 apartments over 500,000 square feet of retail in Pasadena, Calif., to Arlington, Va.'s Post Pentagon Row with 527 apartments over 500,000 square feet of retail, Post has carved out a new niche in the multifamily market. "It's a successful model because it provides an apartment living experience that doesn't feel isolated," Wilkes explains. "With retail just below the units or across the street, residents can easily entertain themselves or friends."

Photo: Mark Scheurer

Promontory Pointe

Newport Beach, Calif.

When the topic of innovative multifamily design comes up, production architects from coast to coast inevitably cite Promontory Point in Newport Beach, Calif., as a prime example of a well-done project.

Architect Rodney Friedman of Fisher-Friedman in San Francisco took a bluff overlooking a bay and carved in a 32-building, 520-unit, tiered complex that reiterates the steepness of the site yet blends into the land.

"Promontory Point was phenomenal for its time," says architect Bill Kreager. "Rodney created something fresh and exciting with great views and a wonderful living experience that is complementary to its surroundings."

These days a motorist speeding down the busy Newport Coast Highway might not even notice the apartments because they have almost completely blended in with the foliage on the hillside. And residents like it that way.

The Kentlands

Gaithersburg, Md.

Photo: Greg Pease

Hilly topography made the grid system a bit tricky and walking to the store even trickier. TND principles require the commercial elements of the community to be within walking distance of the homes, which is not the case at The Kentlands. To get to the store, residents must hop in their SUVs. But they can walk to the community center, pool, and elementary school.

Annual appreciation rates continue to outpace neighboring subdivisions.

Mesa Coronado

Mesa, Ariz.

The winner of four Builder's Choice awards in 1982 and the Gold Nugget Project of the Year award, Mesa Coronado was a great achievement in high-density, for-sale home design.

Architect Barry Berkus squeezed 758 low-profile, Southwestern-style condominium units onto 29 acres. With prices from $38,000 to $64,000, first-time buyers were drawn to the 648-square-foot flats and 1,157-square-foot townhouses.

Berkus created a network of intimate neighborhoods situated around paved courtyards linked by landscaped walkways, courtyards, and a central pool. He solved the ever-present parking dilemma by placing it on the project's perimeter.

Harbor Town

Memphis, Tenn.

In 1989, Harbor Town put Memphis, Tenn., architects Looney Ricks Kiss on the map as champions of neo-traditional Southern styles. Unlike the resort town of Seaside, Fla., Harbor Town was a community of primary residences. Built on 120 underdeveloped acres on the west side of Memphis, developer Henry Turley was determined to create a new neighborhood reminiscent of those in old Memphis. He wanted a variety of housing types with various price points that would appeal to a broad mix of people.

"Everything at Harbor Town was illegal," says town architect Carson Looney. "None of the street widths, intersection radiuses, or setbacks complied with the local zoning ordinances." But because it was a private development, and on the opposite side of town from the growth pressures, the development team was allowed to proceed with its experiment.

Looney says that Harbor Town was a wonderful laboratory to test the limits of what does and doesn't work in New Urbanist design. "There are six different alley types because we kept modifying them," he says. He also toyed with various garage setbacks. He dealt with utilities and service elements and a lack of private outdoor space. "The mistakes were not so large that they harmed the value of the neighborhood," Looney explains. "But we did learn a lot of lessons."

Harbor Town works visually because of its comfortable scale and proportions and its appropriate home styles. "We weren't trying to re-create something," says Looney. "Harbor Town is not so much about style. It's about lifestyle."

The community works on a social level thanks to a mix of rental and for-sale products that appeal to consumers from all walks of life. "You could have three generations living within blocks of each other," remarks Looney.

Today, Harbor Town is almost built out, and the town center, with retail, offices, condos, and restaurants nears completion. The residential appreciation rate at Harbor Town continues to be about 10 percent to 20 percent per year, far above neighboring communities.

Orenco Station

Hillsboro, Ore.

A model for Transit Oriented Development throughout the country, Orenco Station has been honored with numerous awards since it opened five years ago. Portland, Ore., is famous for its urban-growth boundary laws, and this 209-acre community west of town is a smart-growth solution.

A collaboration between Costa Pacific Communities and PacTrust, Orenco Station features 1,800 homes, a town center, office, and retail, all adjacent to Portland's Westside MAX Light Rail system. Extending out from the light rail and town center is a grid of walkable, tree-lined streets and parks, featuring cottages, condominiums, lofts, and townhomes in a broad range of sizes and prices.

"The most noteworthy thing is that it's a greenfield site that we took from scratch and created a community in its entirety including the town center," says Dick Loffelmacher, director of retail development at Pac Trust. "The light rail was the only existing amenity." And people really are using the train as anticipated. The first year, ridership was only at about 4 percent; last year 23 percent of residents used the rail on a consistent basis.

Buyers at Orenco still see the rail system as an amenity that will add value to their properties, but most importantly they are buying a lifestyle. "There's only one true test," Loffelmacher says, "and that's if people like it here, and they really do." The pedestrian scale, parks, and safety that is inherent in this kind of design attracts people who want to be part of a community and know their neighborhood. That attraction is reflected in healthy sales with a consistent absorption rate and only one phase left..

Highlands Ranch

Denver

In 1978, the Mission Viejo Co. acquired an option on a 22,000-acre parcel of property 12 miles south of Denver. It was developed soon after, and in September of 1981 the first residents moved into Highlands Ranch, the area's largest master planned community.

Although it has since become the poster child for anti-sprawl campaigns in the Denver market, and has been eclipsed by communities like Castle Pines and more recently Stapleton, Highlands Ranch remains the largest and most successful community in metro Denver. "If I were a builder and could choose one place to build, Highlands Ranch would be it," says architect and Highlands Ranch resident Mike Woodley who worked for Mission Viejo in the 1980s and is doing some designs for the development's new owner, Shea Homes. "Consumers love it because it's a great place to raise a family and it's got all of the suburban amenities," he adds. Enthusiastic residents choose to stay in the community, routinely moving up to larger homes within the subdivision.

Home to 75,000 people, Highlands Ranch has grown into its own town. If it were incorporated it would be the sixth largest city in Colorado. There are now 25,000 homes in the master plan, and there will be a total of 36,700 at build out, which is slated for the end of the decade.

To meet the needs of this growing community, Shea is developing a new downtown area. An urban transit center and library are completed, and there are plans for a park, civic building, an urban residential product, such as brownstones, and main street retail

Incredible Growing House

America has become the land of the incredible growing house, and whether they need it or not, consumers are demanding even more space. Builders have heard the call and responded by maxing-out lots with bigger houses than ever. The average square footage of new homes has increased nearly 29 percent in the past few decades to 2,253 square feet in 2003, up from 1,750 in 1978.

Photo: James F. Wilson

Cottage Charm

Big garage doors have long been reviled as a necessary evil of residential design, but clever architects have embraced the element and make it an asset to the elevation. Architects who design traditional housing were pleased to see the re-introduction of the cottage-style garage door. "In 1993 we tried to get Overhead Door Co. to make a metal or fiberglass cottage door for the 1995 New American Home, but the company thought it was silly," says architect Carson Looney. Now, a number of manufacturers offer these types of doors, not just the high-end wood door companies. "With the garage mass being so large in comparison to the overall house, it makes sense that the garage doors should look as nice as other materials on the house," Looney adds.

New Towns

Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND), or New Urbanism, has been one of the most influential planning trends in the last few decades. The concept is a logical response to rising land costs and the need for density. "You can take a very high-density plan and wrap it in a character that makes it delightful," says architect Bill Kreager. TNDs also address the 21st-century consumer's need for a greater sense of community involvement and human contact. "They are places which support peoples' true needs," says architect Carson Looney. "With a mix of housing types and price points, they're a departure from cookie-cutter developments."