Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Ask the Architect: Improving indoor-outdoor relationships
I’m thinking of adding a two-story wing to the left-rear side of my 30-year-old stone-and-stucco residence in order to create space for a first-floor family entertainment area and pool house. The wing must complement an existing pool and should offer inviting views of the recreation area and surrounding gardens.
I’m told the house is a neo-Tudor, so I wonder how much license I have to introduce a running wall of windows and other contemporary ideas. What are some guidelines that will help me preserve the style, and avoid diluting its currently well-articulated look?
FM, Great Falls
Few homeowners seem to know much about post-contemporary homes, even when they live in one, so I am impressed that you can identify a neo-eclectic subtype so precisely. This latter-day architectural movement remains quite current. In fact, it was only after the many variants of modernism (for example, contemporary, shed-roof, split-level, ranch) had been thoroughly assimilated that architects began probing for ways to reconcile modernist concepts of form and space with historical styles.
Neo-Mediterranean, Neo-French, Neo-Colonial, Mansard and, of course, Neo-Tudor are among the hybrids that emerged, an aesthetic exploration that began in the late 1960s and continues to fascinate today.
A word of caution, though: Don’t assume that neo-eclectic sensibilities mean that signature elements from different styles can now be mixed and matched with impunity. It’s precisely the disciplined search for balance and restraint that makes this school of architecture challenging and often exciting.
So what’s really new?
In architecture, the prefix “neo” signifies “a new combining of forms,” or “a recently modified design form.” All of which is often interpreted to mean that a "neo-" began as the real thing but somehow strayed from its design fundamentals, as if heedless of the rules.
Do not be fooled by such untutored relativism. It’s essential to know everything about the historical context that informs your home’s core architecture, and you are wise to be circumspect about the design considerations you must now confront.
On this point, be aware that your almost-new 30-year-old home, in fact, draws its style precedents from the handsomely detailed, richly designed Tudors built in the United States during the 1920s-- which, in turn, adhered to an architectural language popular in 16th-England.
Moreover, the American Tudor homes of the early 20th century were beautifully articulated and generously proportioned, and constructed of fine materials. Almost exclusively designed by architects, these homes were built for an affluent class and were often referred to (prior to the stock market crash of 1929) as “Stock Broker Tudors.”
Hence, the neo-Tudor by definition must give a respectful bow to an American classic, yet also claim some of the freedoms of contemporary styles – specifically, the “open” floor plan, the cathedral ceiling and the generous expanses of glass.
The good news, then, is that your proposed two-story addition can be integrated with your existing house, provided you’ve educated yourself in basic Tudor vocabulary. But be careful. Your addition’s design must elaborate point-by-selective-point the home’s Tudor identity – not weaken or dilute the very elements that distinguish it.
Some other thoughts:
Be respectful of the existing home’s style, proportion and materials. It will be beneficial to repeat the use of stone and stucco in the addition because your existing house has those materials.
The addition’s roof should match the steep roof pitch of the existing home and employ the same roofing material. Your architect might experiment with simple roof dormers that are specific to the Tudor.
If executed with restraint, half-timbering can be an effective way of asserting the style’s roots and its eclectic context. A large chimney might also provide an appropriate visual anchor (and a seasonally pleasing interior hearth).
Ideally, your new rear wing will be part of an L-shaped floor plan with views of your garden or swimming pool.
Design the addition’s exterior envelope to be sympathetic to the existing home’s materials and proportions, then you can introduce a contemporary look by using large expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass without mullions.
The use of thick stone walls punctuated by large glass openings will be stunning and appropriate for your Neo-Tudor home. With an exterior that is sympathetically designed to blend with the existing house, you can pursue (guilt-free) your goal for a fully contemporary interior.
Bruce Wentworth, AIA, is a licensed architect and contractor. He is president of Wentworth Inc., a residential design/build company. To learn more about your home’s architectural style, visit www.AskTheArchitect.org or call 240-395-0705.
You must be logged in to post a comment.