After the recession stalled production building, competition for home buyers’ limited dollars got tougher than ever. While some builders have rolled out a stock of similar plans that save money and time, others realized that producing single-family houses needn’t mean turning out cookie-cutter elevations, interiors, and floor plans. By providing what most appeals to buyers, standardized construction can edge closer to custom and maintain a moderate price tag. Two winners of the 2013 Gold Nugget Awards show how to reel ’em in on a reasonable budget.
Grand, Custom Home Under 4,000 square feet. Builder: Hill Constr…
Grand, Custom Home Under 4,000 square feet. Builder: Hill Construction Company. Architect: IS Architecture.
Sitting in an old, established neighborhood in San Diego, this American Craftsman emphasizes historic integrity through wood columns, a rebuilt porch and decorative hardscaping.
Larny Mack Photography
Grand, Custom Home Under 4,000 square feet. Builder: Hill Constr…
Grand, Custom Home Under 4,000 square feet. Builder: Hill Construction Company. Architect: IS Architecture.
Unique touches in the kitchen include quarter sawn oak exposed joists, a handmade copper and iron hood façade and antique lighting fixtures.
Larny Mack Photography
Grand, Custom Home Under 4,000 square feet. Builder: Hill Constr…
Grand, Custom Home Under 4,000 square feet. Builder: Hill Construction Company. Architect: IS Architecture.
The home has custom details like a quarter sawn white oak mantle, hand-painted tiles and custom replica antique windows.
James Scolari
Grand, Custom Home 4,000 to 8,000 square feet. Builder: Blue Her…
Grand, Custom Home 4,000 to 8,000 square feet. Builder: Blue Heron Construction. Architect: Blue Heron Architecture.
The New American Home 2013 in Henderson, Nev., features indoor-outdoor spaces and twin pools in its blend of traditional elements of desert beauty and cutting-edge touches.
Tim Griffith
Grand, Custom Home 8,001 to 12,000 square feet. Builder: Lencion…
Grand, Custom Home 8,001 to 12,000 square feet. Builder: Lencioni Construction. Architect: Swatt | Miers Architects.
Built with African mahogany, the OZ Residence in Silicon Valley, Calif., has a floating glass bridge to connect the great room with east and west wings.
Tim Griffith
Grand, Custom Home 8,001 to 12,000 square feet. Builder: Lencion…
Grand, Custom Home 8,001 to 12,000 square feet. Builder: Lencioni Construction. Architect: Swatt | Miers Architects.
The two-story great room, paneled in African mahogany, contrasts with the white stucco wings. It serves as the center of the home and opens out to an expansive outdoor space that includes a swimming pool.
Tim Griffith
Grand, Custom Home 8,001 to 12,000 square feet. Builder: Lencion…
Grand, Custom Home 8,001 to 12,000 square feet. Builder: Lencioni Construction. Architect: Swatt | Miers Architects.
Open planning and strong indoor-outdoor connections give a vacation-house feel to this primary residence.
Rixon PhotographyLLC
Grand, Custom Home 12,000 square feet and over. Builder: Sterlin…
Grand, Custom Home 12,000 square feet and over. Builder: Sterling Bay Homes. Architect: Dahlin Group Architecture Planning.
Overlooking Lake Thonotosassa east of Tampa, Fla., the hacienda-style Misiõn Lago has hand-scrapped trusses made from Ponderosa pine timbers, a hand-painted rolling vault ceiling and hand-crafted tile mimicking the appearance of rugs.
Peter Eckert
Grand, Renovated or Restored Single House. Builder: Petrina Cons…
Grand, Renovated or Restored Single House. Builder: Petrina Construction Inc. Architect: Rick Berry.
Even on a budget, this 1950's ranch house got transformed, and taken into the 21st century.
Peter Eckert
Grand, Renovated or Restored Single House. Builder: Petrina Cons…
Grand, Renovated or Restored Single House. Builder: Petrina Construction Inc. Architect: Rick Berry.
New cedar-stained clear cladding with concrete and steel gave the post-war ranch new life, bigger windows, and a lot more natural light.
Michael Walmsley
Grand and Residential Project of the Year, Renovated, Restored o…
Grand and Residential Project of the Year, Renovated, Restored or Adaptive Re-Use Residential Project. Builder: Belfor Construction, First Church LLC. Architect: Runberg Architecture Group.
A rescued church in downtown Seattle, this former house of worship had a stained glass dome that was preserved. The building was made into a series of modern luxury townhouses. Thanks to the stained glass dome, natural light streams in.
Manolo Langis and W Architectural Photography
Grand, Mixed Use Project. Builder: Bernards. Architect: McLarand…
Grand, Mixed Use Project. Builder: Bernards. Architect: McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners.
With a streamlined design reminiscent of the 1950's, 8500 Burton Way is a mixed-use project with a Trader Joe's store located beneath the residences.
Applied Photography
Grand, Affordable Project – Under 30 du/acre. Builder: Advent Co…
Grand, Affordable Project – Under 30 du/acre. Builder: Advent Companies. Architect: Bassenian Lagoni.
Bush Birch has spacious interiors and community courtyards. At least 20 percent of these Spanish Colonial-style homes designated for families earning less than the area's median family income.
Detlev Peikert
Grand, Affordable Project – Over 30 du/acre. Builder: McGillivra…
Grand, Affordable Project – Over 30 du/acre. Builder: McGillivray Construction. Architect: Peikert Group Architects, LLP.
Bradley Studios has a residential-style façade, so it fits right into the neighborhood. The façade fronts one building enclosing a central courtyard, with housing for special needs residents who earn between 30 and 60 percent of area median income.
Eric Figge
Grand, Multi-Family Housing Project – Under 18 du/acre (For Sale…
Grand, Multi-Family Housing Project – Under 18 du/acre (For Sale or Rent). Builder: Irvine Pacific. Architect: Bassenian Lagoni.
Designed for young couples and new professionals, these Irvine, Calif., homes expand livable space with front porches and side courtyards.
Jeffrey Aron
Grand, Multi-Family Housing Project – 18 to 30 du/acre (For Sale…
Grand, Multi-Family Housing Project – 18 to 30 du/acre (For Sale or Rent). Builder: Shea Homes. Architect: Woodley Architectural Group Inc.
Located in a suburban San Diego neighborhood, these townhouses deliver a modern, urban look for young couples and families.
Thomas Arledge
Grand, Multi-Family Housing Project – 30 to 60 du/acre (For Sale…
Grand, Multi-Family Housing Project – 30 to 60 du/acre (For Sale or Rent). Builder: EYA. Architect: Lessard Design.
Within walking distance of public transportation and shopping, these Washington, D.C., townhomes have rooftop terraces, bay windows and vibrant paint schemes. They fit right in with the neighborhood's 19th and early-20th century townhouses.
Manolo Langis and W Architectural Photography
Grand, Multi-Family Housing Project – Over 60 du/acre (For Sale …
Grand, Multi-Family Housing Project – Over 60 du/acre (For Sale or Rent). Builder: Bernards. Architect: McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners.
The luxury building sits between West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, with a modified flatiron shape that fits snugly on the lot.
Larry Taylor
Grand, Campus Housing Project – Faculty or Student Residential -…
Grand, Campus Housing Project – Faculty or Student Residential – Institutional Use. Builder: Winter Park Construction. Architect: Humphreys & Partners Architects, L.P.
Students at these contemporary apartments, located less than a mile from the University of Central Florida campus, have access to a fitness center, pool, lounges and a community kitchen.
Kevin Maffris
Grand, Multi-Generational Concepts – Built or on the Boards. Bui…
Grand, Multi-Generational Concepts – Built or on the Boards. Builder: Cobalt Construction Company. Architect: John Cotton Architects Inc.
Designed to assist grandparents raising grandchildren, the Vermont Avenue Apartments offer intergenerational arts programs, parenting classes and an on-site garden.
Tom Bonner
Grand, Seniors Housing Community. Builder: Cobalt Construction. …
Grand, Seniors Housing Community. Builder: Cobalt Construction. Architect: Studio One Eleven.
Complete with a fitness center, community theater, dog park and art studios, the Long Beach Senior Arts Colony offers a vibrant example of what senior housing can be.
KEPHART community :: planning :: architecture
Grand, Senior Housing Community – On the Boards. Architect: KEPH…
Grand, Senior Housing Community – On the Boards. Architect: KEPHART community :: planning :: architecture.
Designed to encourage active lifestyles, The Grove at Stapleton's corner windows allow natural light to stream in, while user-friendly stairs and sidewalks encourage activity and engagement.
Frederic Larson
Grand, Community Site Plan. Builder: CP Construction West. Archi…
Grand, Community Site Plan. Builder: CP Construction West. Architects: Studio E Architects, MVE Institutional, Lim Chang Rohling Associates, Solarc.
With buildings oriented for peak solar control and a system of bioswales, the UC Davis West Village in Davis, Calif., is the largest planned Zero Net Energy community in the nation.
Eric Figgge
Grand, Community Site Plan. Builder: Pardee Homes. Architect: Ba…
Grand, Community Site Plan. Builder: Pardee Homes. Architect: Bassenian/Lagoni Architects.
With connections to equestrian and hiking trails, the varied homesites of the Alta Del Mar preserve the plateau's slopes and habitat.
Manolo Langis and W Architectural Photography
Grand, Infill, Re-Development or Rehab Site Plan – Up to Five Ac…
Grand, Infill, Re-Development or Rehab Site Plan – Up to Five Acres. Builder: Bernards. Architect: McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners.
From the private rooftop pool and clubroom, residents of 8500 Burton Way enjoy an exciting social atmosphere in addition to downtown and coastal views.
Eric Figge
Grand, Single Family Detached House – Under 2,000 square feet. B…
Grand, Single Family Detached House – Under 2,000 square feet. Builder: McCaffrey Homes. Architect: Danielian Associates Architecture + Planning.
Featuring 8-foot sliding doors and windows, this Clovis, Calif., home expands indoor-outdoor living areas with a 10-foot-wide side yard.
Jim Kirby
Grand, Single Family Detached Home – 2,000 to 3,000 square feet….
Grand, Single Family Detached Home – 2,000 to 3,000 square feet. Builder: Winchester Homes. Architect: Bassenian Lagoni.
Following the tradition of the late 19th century Painted Lady, this Silver Spring, Md., house, part of a master-planned community, breaks the norm of the cookie-cutter production home.
Jim Kirby
Grand, Single Family Detached Home – 2,000 to 3,000 square feet….
Grand, Single Family Detached Home – 2,000 to 3,000 square feet. Builder: Winchester Homes. Architect: Bassenian Lagoni.
Details like built-in window seats and large outdoor connections give this production home character and appeal.
AronPhoto.com
Grand and Home of the Year, Single Family Detached Home – 3,001 …
Grand and Home of the Year, Single Family Detached Home – 3,001 to 4,000 square feet. Builder: Ryland Homes. Architect: Woodley Architectural Group Inc.
This San Diego home's exterior mix of limestone, glass and wood continues through the interior to blend with wood beams and floor-to-ceiling glass. The house is an update of the style that developer Joseph Eichler popularized starting in the 1950s.
Jeffrey Aron
Grand and Home of the Year, Single Family Detached Home – 3,001 …
Grand and Home of the Year, Single Family Detached Home – 3,001 to 4,000 square feet. Builder: Ryland Homes. Architect: Woodley Architectural Group Inc.
The Fairbrook Estates home offers two different floorplans, including a flared plan that's suited to oddly-shaped lots.
Eric Figge
Grand, Single Family Detached Home – Over 4,000 square feet. Bui…
Grand, Single Family Detached Home – Over 4,000 square feet. Builder: Pardee Homes. Architect: Bassenian/Lagoni Architects.
With casement windows in the livingroom, familyroom and sunroom, Alta Del Mar's construction pays homage to the neo-Spanish style of early 20th century California.
Eric Figge
Grand, Single Family Detached Home – Over 4,000 square feet. Bui…
Grand, Single Family Detached Home – Over 4,000 square feet. Builder: Pardee Homes. Architect: Bassenian/Lagoni Architects.
This solid maple honeycomb ceiling was hand-built in sections, and then stained with a walnut finish to match the home's trim.
Christopher Mayer
Grand, Zero Net Energy Home Design Committee. Builder: BCA Devel…
Grand, Zero Net Energy Home Design Committee. Builder: BCA Developer along with North Orange County ROP – BITA Program. Architect: KTGY Group Inc.
This certified net zero energy home showcases sustainable elements, like gray water management and solar roof panels, and universal design principles.
Frederic Larson
Judges Special, Zero Net Energy Home Design Committee. Builder: …
Judges Special, Zero Net Energy Home Design Committee. Builder: CP Construction West. Architects: Studio E Architects, MVE Institutional, Lim Chang Rohling Associates, Solarc.
Designed to harness the power of the sun and wind and with water management in mind, the buildings at the UC Davis West Village incorporate oversized windows for natural cooling and extensive shades to block intense sunlight.
Michael Svoboda
Judges Special, Responsive Design – Special Needs. Builder: HOLA…
Judges Special, Responsive Design – Special Needs. Builder: HOLA Realty S.A. de C.V. Architect: HOLA Realty S.A. de C.V.
The gated communities in Los Castaños de Choloma offer homes, schools and commercial spaces for the working poor in Honduras.
Salvatore Caruso
Judges Special, Responsive Design – Special Needs. Builder: Sal …
Judges Special, Responsive Design – Special Needs. Builder: Sal Caruso Development Corporation. Architect: Salvatore Caruso Design Corporation.
At San Quentin prison, a non-denominational chapel with mosaics incorporating Christian, Jewish and Muslim imagery encourage spirituality. Worship and faith have been proven to reduce recidivism rates dramatically.
Beijing Dahlin Group Architecture & Planning
Grand, International Residential Project – Detached. Builder: Po…
Grand, International Residential Project – Detached. Builder: Poly Real Estate Group CO, Ltd. Architect: Dahlin Group Architecture Planning.
Each neighborhood in the Poly Lafitte Manor Villas, located in Chengdu, China, features distinct characteristics from English, French and Italian architectural styles.
Li Wen
Grand, International Residential Project – Attached Under 1.0 FA…
Grand, International Residential Project – Attached Under 1.0 FAR. Builder: Minhou Rongqiao Real Estate Co., Ltd. Architect: Dahlin Group Architecture Planning.
Constructed with local materials by stone craftsmen, these classically styled villas, townhouses and duplexes are strategically placed around the natural waterways in Fuzhou, China.
Eric Figge
Grand, Residential Project of the Year – Detached Product. Build…
Grand, Residential Project of the Year – Detached Product. Builder: Irvine Pacific. Architect: Bassenian Lagoni.
Minutes away from Laguna Beach, Calif., this gated community's mix of Italianate, Tuscan and Classical architecture emphasize architectural authenticity.
Michael Walmsley
Grand Rehab., Residential Project of the Year – Attached Product…
Grand Rehab., Residential Project of the Year – Attached Product in an Urban Setting. Builder: Belfor Construction, First Church LLC. Architect: Runberg Architecture Group.
To transform the church's original windows from fixed to operable, crews removed the glass for repair and cleaning, then mounted the windows on rolling tracks.
Caruso Affiliated and W Architectural Photography
Grand, Residential Project of the Year – Attached Product in an …
Grand, Residential Project of the Year – Attached Product in an Urban Setting. Builder: Bernards. Architect: McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners.
In addition to floor-to-ceiling windows, every luxurious unit features walk-in closets and large balconies.
Applied Photography
Grand, Residential Project of the Year – Attached Product within…
Grand, Residential Project of the Year – Attached Product within a Suburban Setting. Builder: Advent Companies. Architect: Bassenian Lagoni.
This transit-oriented development, with homes configured as townhomes-over-flats, is affordable housing that looks upscale.
Five Ways to Make Production Look Custom
Working in volume doesn’t have to stifle creativity. Use these ideas
as a jumping-off point for giving your work some custom appeal.
1. Hire outside architects who are skilled in incorporating eye-catching details rather than sticking to off-the-shelf plans. 2. Offer some features and details as flex options to contain costs. 3. Develop more efficient plans to reflect the way
we live now, rather than rely on outdated layouts that waste valuable
square footage (and dollars) with details like unnecessary hallways. 4. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, adapt footprints to fit a site’s topography. 5. In addition to first-time homeowners, cater to
trade-up buyers who are willing to spend money for extra space as homes
again get bigger.
After the recession stalled production building, competition for home buyers’ limited dollars got tougher than ever. While some builders have rolled out a stock of similar plans that save money and time, others realized that producing single-family houses needn’t mean turning out cookie-cutter elevations, interiors, and floor plans. By providing what most appeals to buyers, standardized construction can edge closer to custom and maintain a moderate price tag. Two winners of the 2013 Gold Nugget Awards show how to reel ’em in on a reasonable budget.
The Inspiration From the 1950s to the 1970s, California developer Joseph Eichler built production homes with open plans and glass walls. Reviving mid-century style to lure homeowners into trading up as the economy improved made sense to Richard Douglass, division president of Ryland Homes. “When the mid-century style first came out, it was a time of America’s ascendancy and optimism,” says Douglass, who acknowledges that existing mid-century homes sell well. Because the style is simple and built on one level, Ryland knew it could be done relatively affordably.
The Splurge Ryland hired architect Mike Woodley to tweak Eichler’s style. Woodley designed separate wings linked by courtyards oriented toward the center. Splurges include large glass windows and 9-foot to 11-foot tongue-and-grove ceilings in the post and beam style.
The Save To contain costs, the flared plan became optional, not standard. Straight and flared plans have similarly sized bedrooms, bathrooms, and hallways to avoid reconfiguring. Synthetic materials that resemble the real McCoy help trim expenses, as did using local concrete.
Details That Seal the Deal The plan offers post and beam–style ceilings using ready-milled materials. In the mid-century versions, the beams were part of the structure and there was no insulation, Woodley says. “Today, we’re using trusses with a small pitch where we can insert the insulation. The beams aren’t structural, so they don’t have to be as thick.”
Lessons Learned The courtyard serves as both outdoor space and a natural barrier between public and secluded parts of the house, allowing for more privacy.
Next Hurdle Keep getting homeowners to buy a house based on how it lives, rather than on square footage.
The Inspiration The Queen Anne style was popular from about 1870 to 1910 because it combined a mix of shapes, architectural details, textures, and colors that reflected Industrial Revolution affluence. The original East Coast version was inspiration for architect Vance Graham when Winchester Homes hired him to design period-style houses for a master planned community.
The Splurge Hiring an outside architect who designs custom homes and understands authenticity took a bigger bite out of Winchester’s budget than if it had worked just with in-house staff. “We wanted to go back to a time when home building represented a craft,” says James C. Pohlhaus, Winchester’s product development head. “Higher costs were relative to the perceived value. We now customize 95 percent of homes.” For the Branford, Graham added a three-story turret as the façade’s focal point; it houses the entry and stair tower. Graham says builder skill was critical for this element. The stair turret, open from roof to basement, needed several scaffolding setups for framing and finishing. The splurge paid off: All 25 in the first phase sold out.
The Save A rectangular footprint is more cost-efficient than a meandering one. So is including only the most-requested rooms and no secondary living spaces. “The key is fewer rooms that are larger and more detailed,” says Graham, who devoted the rear to a great room that features a sitting area with big glass doors and a kitchen/eating area. Period-style elements, such as the master bedroom’s ceiling millwork, were off-the-shelf.
Details That Seal the Deal Top on many homeowners’ wish lists is plentiful storage. Rooms in this plan are loaded with optional cabinetry—a second coat closet, butler’s pantry, mudroom, and kitchen cabinets. “Even we were shocked at the amount we put in,” Graham says.
Biggest Surprise For Graham, it was the builder approving the turret—an uncommon element in production design. “When I sent in the original plan, I crossed my fingers they’d love it,” he says. Winchester did, says Pohlhaus. “We saw its power to excite buyers, especially on a corner lot. Originally, we thought we’d use it only on the model, but it became one of our most popular elevations. Then, we struggled to avoid doing two or three in a row.”
Lessons Learned Pohlhaus advises builders to view an architect as partner—part artist to imagine beyond the usual and part engineer to offer efficiencies. Graham stresses the importance of special features such as a large master bathroom with big shower, his and hers vanities, and a water closet.
Next Hurdle Get banks to appraise houses based on all features like special millwork, and not just square footage.
Barbara Ballinger (www.barbaraballinger.com) is a
freelance writer, author, and speaker who focuses on real estate, design, and family
business. Her most recent book is The Kitchen
Bible: Designing Your Perfect Culinary Space (Images
Publishing, 2014).