Often located in well-established neighborhoods, these ‘50s/‘60s/'70s/80s/'90s homes have lots of glass and often relate well to their mature gardens. Many of these homes seem to have a inherent simplicity and sincerity lacking in the ubiquitous steep-roofed, ostentatious Chateaus now on offer. While most of these are well cared-for, sometimes dated and/or ill-considered renovations have to be undone. Our own home on my jgWebSite (below) is a good example.
About half of my residential design practice for these many years has been helping clients reshape their present or incipient house (that they're considering buying) into a more organic part of their lifestyle. This I've done by making carefully conceived changes to said structures.
On a personal note, I have done a lot of this for my own family- first while raising our three children and then as an empty-nester, in the process coming to really know the varied ins and outs of the remodeling process from the client's side as well as the contractor's.
It's very important that any updating/redoing work be done under the direction of an sympathetic architect, trained and experienced in this type of design and the many Building and other Codes that are in effect. Custom design/residential architecture is a distinct specialty- different from the usual architect's downtown commercial and/or high-rise practice. While the City of Mercer Island is very cooperative and helpful to architects applying for the required Building and other Permits, other jurisdidtions can sometimes be more complicated to deal with. Here's a satisfied client's letter about my services during their recent waterfront building project Click here: JGropp2 - Client's Letter
A lead pencil and T-square in the hands of a sensitive designer are far better design tools than the computer. And most importantly, the clients, architect and builder have to work together closely to achieve a finished result that increases livability- as well as value.
(my JG AIA WebSite)
Above is the first of six projects for a Mercer Island Doctor's family.
Below is a home I designed a number of years ago for clients on
a very challenging West Mercer ravine. When they later moved
back to Texas, a retired architectural publishing executive and
his wife moved out from Connecticut, bought it and have lived
there happily ever since. The Fall colors are beautiful as is the
rest of the garden, mostly natural property on a lovely ravine.
The above residence is in Beaux Artes near Bellevue, Washington.
This project was started a number of years ago & has been redone
several times as family needs and living patterns have changed.
Copyright 2009 Jerry Gropp
Jerry Gropp Architect AIA
7620 SE 72nd Street,
Mercer Island, WA 98040
cellphone- (206)612-7367
Copyright 2009 Jerry Gropp
Comments
Write New Comment ▼
Write New Comment
Sorry! This knol's owner(s) have blocked you from editing, making suggestions, or commenting here.