JOHN BROWN is the editor of theslowhome.com and the founder of the Slow Home Movement. He is a registered architect, real estate broker and Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary.
i view these "what's wrong with this house" segments with relish. I really appreciate the time you take to share your insights as an architect.
One inevitable critique seems to be the snout garage. Parking in the back of properties is not always an option -- in fact, here in Portland Oregon it is a very rare commodity.
So, i am curious as to what options you would suggest.
Thanks!
Posted by
Greg Haworth
on July 15, 2008 at 10:04 AM MDT
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I don't think it's a good idea to get rid of garages/carports but to view their proper incorporation and sizing as just another design challenge. Here in the Northeast, it's no fun scraping ice off one's car all winter. In the South, you really shouldn't leave your car in the blazing sun. And everywhere, there is the issue of getting wet going to and from your car. In many places, crime is a problem.
The anti-car movement is a political one and I don't think politics belongs in architecture.
Posted by
Gerald Conrad
on August 09, 2008 at 03:08 PM MDT
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We believe that our homes and neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places that uplift the spirit and gracefully fit our needs. We call for an end to poor construction, bad design, misleading marketing, unfair lending practices and environmental neglect in the housing industry. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to create CLOSE, SIMPLE, LIGHT places to live that leave a positive legacy for future generations.
provides design focused information that homeowners can use to improve the quality of how and where they live. It takes its name from the slow food movement which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. The sprawl of cookie cutter housing that surrounds us is like fast food - standardized, homogenous, and wasteful. It contributes to a too fast life that is bad for us, our cities, and the environment. In the same way that slow food raises awareness of the food we eat and how these choices affect our lives, Slow Home empowers you to take more control of your home and improve the quality of how you live while reducing your environmental impact and futureproofing the long term investment value of your home.
We believe that our homes and neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places that uplift the spirit and gracefully fit our needs. We call for an end to poor construction, bad design, misleading marketing, unfair lending practices and environmental neglect in the housing industry. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to create CLOSE, SIMPLE, LIGHT places to live that leave a positive legacy for future generations.
i view these "what's wrong with this house" segments with relish. I really appreciate the time you take to share your insights as an architect.
One inevitable critique seems to be the snout garage. Parking in the back of properties is not always an option -- in fact, here in Portland Oregon it is a very rare commodity.
So, i am curious as to what options you would suggest.
Thanks!
Posted by Greg Haworth on July 15, 2008 at 10:04 AM MDT #
The anti-car movement is a political one and I don't think politics belongs in architecture.
Posted by Gerald Conrad on August 09, 2008 at 03:08 PM MDT #