Blog > Blog > Archive by tag 'contemporary'

February 9, 2010 at 1:57 pm

Tucked away, in the heart of the historic Shaw neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri is a vacant lot. An, unfortunately, common site in this city of ours. But if group of developers has there way, by the end of the year there might something a little different at 4136 Flad: a high efficiently, green home.

This project would be developed by a partnership between The Fit House developers and St. Margaret Housing Corporation in Shaw. The thing that really makes this project stand out, is it’s contemporary design and creative use of natural elements. In this age of technology we live in, people see to dismiss natural ways to control temperature and lighting in homes. This design doesn’t do that. It is laid out in such a way that it will use natural sunlight and thermals to increase the flow of air throughout the house. Not a groundbreaking concept, but a lost art. They also incorporated a green roof into the design to control temperatures.

They will also be incorporating other elements such as solar panels, a hydronic water handler, and lots of insulation to keep energy consumption to a minimum. The design looks pretty exciting too. Very open and modern. And very different from most of the other properties in Shaw. Of course, these differences could be a hurdle in and of themselves. Read more

February 5, 2010 at 2:47 pm

Although they have been leasing units since November, I just now got a chance to take a look at the recently completed Courtyard Lofts at Polar Wave project. Located at 2222 Gravois Ave in the St. Louis, neighborhood of Benton Park, the 14-townhome project is located in the same building as Shock City Studios and Bittersweet Bakery among other businesses.

When driving by the complex along Gravois, you might miss the residential component to the project entirely. That’s because the vehicle access to the courtyard is in the rear, via Sidney Street. There is a gate-entry along Gravois, but any tenant coming to the complex in a car would come around back. From that angle, they can access the underground garage for the project, which provides 2 parking spots per tenant as well as a bike rack.

Most of the units are 2 bed, 2 bath, but there are a few that are 1 bed due to handicap access and site restrictions. Finish levels seen to be of a very nice quality with concrete floors on the first level and carpeting upstairs. The picture gallery below does more just than I can put to words. Overall, I would say the the project is very impressive. I really didn’t notice anything that I didn’t like during my visit. It looks like the commercial and residential additions provided by the Polar Wave project are going to be a great long-term addition to the fabric of Benton Park.

Prices run from $850 for a 1 bed, 1 bath unit to $1495 for the oversized 2 bed, 2 bath. The units are currently be leased by Julia Mittelstadt of Prudential Alliance Realtors. For more on the units currently available, please click here: available townhomes.

October 1, 2009 at 6:10 pm

It’s been a little over two months since I last posted about my ongoing rehab project, but I am happy to say that it will be done in less than two weeks. Trim work is about halfway complete so it will mostly be odds and ends from here on out. Read more

August 17, 2009 at 2:26 pm

Trying for something a little different on your rehab, but limited on your budget? Here is a idea I recently used in rehabbing my office for my door handles. Read more

August 14, 2009 at 4:56 pm

I have been admiring the LEED-certified green projects of Ecourban Homes for a couple of years now, but their new stuff shows even more promise. Continuing to add sensible contemporary elements into their projects, this new lineup of bungalows is all just great. Read more

August 4, 2009 at 7:01 pm

Let me go on the record as saying I love historic architecture. It humbles me to think that with all the technological advancements of the last 100 years, the buildings of 100 years ago display a level of craftsmanship that seems to be lost in the modern day. That being said, our current system of preserving these historic structures misses the point entirely Read more

July 22, 2009 at 7:47 pm

Although my rehab project last summer was nearly the death of me (at least in terms of my social life), I am now underway on my next project. Thankfully, this time all the work is being subbed out. Read more

August 7, 2008 at 6:15 pm

Hopefully Sage’s Art House project will be getting start soon, but in the meantime I thought I’d share the updated website on the project. We need more of  this kind of developmentin town. If you have no idea what I am talking about check out my previous post on the subject.

May 28, 2008 at 2:27 pm

Every now and then I see something implemented in a rehab project that is so simple, yet so effective, that I just wonder why more people don’t do it. About a year ago I was at a furniture store that had a series of translucent walls as the backdrop for their furniture displays. It really caught my attention and I thought it could have some interesting “real world” applications. Read more

March 5, 2008 at 4:51 pm

Forced-air heat systems are really becoming the norm of our current era in this country. While they are not as efficient as some other forms of heat, the fact that a building can be cooled through the same ductwork system is very appealing. However, there are times when a forced-air furnace is not an option. In those cases, your best bet is usually to stick with radiator heating. Bulky, ugly radiators.

Thankfully you do have options. While radiators have been going the way of the dodo in the U.S, they have remained a popular choice in many places in Europe. With this demand, industrious European companies have created a plethora of unique radiator options. I was shocked at the variety of styles and sizes available. You can literally find something for any situation.

Unfortunately, locating these radiators in the U.S. can be a little more challenging. So far, I haven’t found any local dealers that carry the product. Of course, I haven’t done a ton of research on this yet either. I have come across a couple of interesting web dealers though:

Bisque Exports (United Kingdom)
Runtal Radiators (United States)

Personally, I am rather partial to the designs and variety offered by Bisque. Even though they are a British company, their website says they will ship internationally. Orders would probably be easier through Runtal though. They designs are a little less inspired, but they easily beat standard style radiators in the aesthetics department.

There are probably tons of other similar companies out there as well. If these radiators look like a good option for you, a little research would probably turn something up. If you do find any other dealers, please share in the comments section.

February 29, 2008 at 4:28 pm

Seeing as St. Louis doesn’t have a tremendously developed modern architecture culture, I often find myself browsing the web for ideas and news. I don’t have enough time to keep up with every site I come across, but there are a few sites I find myself visiting repeatedly:

  • DWELL – A great magazine and a great website. If you’re into this kind of stuff, check out there website and definitely subscribe to the magazine.
  • METROPOLIS- Magazine and website similar to Dwell. I prefer Dwell to this one, but its definitely worth a look.
  • CONTEMPORIST – This is one of my favorite blogs. It spotlights contemporary furniture, art and housing. They update constantly and are a great source for brainstorming or just browsing for fun. The only bad thing about it is that most of the products they post on are difficult to impossible to buy. Still, its fun to look.
  • 100K HOUSE – This blog chronicles the authors efforts to create an energy efficient home for $100,000. This one has its hits and misses, but its an interesting read.

  • MATERIALICIOUS - Another one of those blogs that show off a hodgepodge of different contemporary related materials.

If you’re into contemporary design, do yourself a favor and check these sites out. They are definitely not for everybody, but you might find a few that you like. If there are any similar sites you read often and would like to share, please feel free to do so in the comment area.

February 29, 2008 at 4:07 pm

Looks like the contemporary infill project in Grand Center, which I posted on a few weeks back, is getting a little more attention. The St. Louis Post Dispatch just posted an article on the Art House project, going into more detail on the projects origins and specs. Here’s the article.

February 22, 2008 at 5:30 pm

I was cutting through the South City neighborhood of Benton Park West a few months back and stumbled across something that was quite a shock to me: contemporary, green infill. The specific house I came across was at 3140 Pennsylvania (picture to the left). When I took a peek inside, I was surprised how nice the place was. It had so many of the features, which I would love to see incorporated in more area developments. It turns out that this building has a been given a Platinum LEED rating (for green construction) and is the product of modular construction. This project is just the 10th in the country to be given such a high LEED rating.

The sale price of $274,900 seems a little high for the area and product, but its great to see a project like this. Design-wise, the project misses the mark on a few points, but I’m still a fan. The home isn’t all that big and I’m still not totally sold on the exterior finish. Stylistically its ok, but the quality of materials and craftsmanship outside seem to be below that of the interior. They did recently add some rather attractive aluminum trim on the exterior, which made an improvement.

The best part is that this just appears to be the tip of the iceberg. Developer EcoUrban has already constructed two additional homes at 3103 and 3105 Magnolia in the nearby Tower Grove East Neighborhood. They also have plans for twelve additional 2 and 3 bedroom townhomes in Tower Grove East. There is also rumor that they are scoping out other areas in the city for similar development. Very exciting stuff. I’ll post more details and pics when they come available. If you want to follow their progress yourself, make sure you check out their website.

February 21, 2008 at 6:45 pm

There are many affordable ways to make your rehab project, rental units or even your personal residence stand out. As you, no doubt, have already realized, I’m a big advocate of incorporating unique features in your projects. These features add character which is worth well more than the money and time put into their incorporation. This post will be the first in a series intended to help you find something unique, which you can utilize in one of your future projects.

For the first post in this series, I’d like to point out a creative door design I found in the February 2008 issue of Dwell magazine. This concept was utilized by a California couple on a budget. Here’s what Dwell had to say about the door:

“Since the couple wanted a modicum of privacy for their sleeping space, yet didn’t want to close off the area with a small traditional door, they decided to use a barnyard type partition for the room. A cheap plywood sheet like those found at any lumberyard became the door, which was mounted onto a sliding metal track attached to the top of the wall. The result is essentially a wall that cleverly slides open to reveal the room inside.”

Such a door wouldn’t fit in every property or with ever motif, but its a clever and affordable way of satisfying this couple’s needs. By opting for such an unusual option in an apartment or rehab project, the property would be able to offer something different to the consumer. People get tired of the same old same old. And did I mention that the materials for this door only cost about $200?

The hardware can be purchased from McMaster-Carr on page 2844 of their online catalog. They also have an impressive variety of other hardware if you wanted to get really creative. In the challenging market conditions of today, consumers are demanding more for their money. Its time to start thinking outside the box. Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it isn’t a good idea.

February 15, 2008 at 5:27 pm

A while back I posted details on a local project, which I thought had a somewhat inspired design. While I still like what they are doing over there, I must say that another developer, Sage, has managed to wholly capture my intention. They’ve done some good things in the past, but the plans for their next project are out of this world.

Details are scarce at this point, but current plans call for 7 contemporary townhomes to be built at 3732 Grandel Square, in Grand Center just to the north of St. Louis University. The project is being labeled Art House. You can see the elevation mockup above, but more details are available on their website.

This is the kind of development we need to be seeing more of. I’m also thrilled to see an infill project in the often overlooked location of near-North City. I think there is a lot of potnential for these kinds of projects in areas like these and its nice to see a developer with the vision to be a trend-setter rather than follow the “safe” road.

The good thing is that these guys aren’t new to the development world, so this project has a real chance of seeing the light of day. Among others, I’ve been really impressed with Sage’s green townhome project in Tower Grove South and I hope this project follows in that development’s path in terms of quality. For those unfamiliar with that project, the company is a little over half way done with 4 green townhomes at the intersection of Gustine & McDonald just south of Tower Grove Park. This is another on of those infill projects that really have their own look and style rather than trying to unfaithfully mimic existing housing. It looks like Sage is taking that concept to the next level with Art House. Let’s hope this one’s not just another architects pipe dream.

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