Street Appeal Is Everything... ...Isn't It?

One of the challenges of residential architecture is getting all of a client’s needs to fit within their lot, budget, jurisdictional, and construction parameters. This starts with the floorplan design – or getting the walls in the right place. The focus is on features like room count, flow, lifestyle, demographics and square footage.  Once the floorplan is set, then we can focus on the exterior or elevation façade. 

How do you achieve street appeal as an afterthought? Rather easily in fact. Unless you are wanting to make a three story home look like a one story, architects can slap anything on the front. We’re not just talking about optioning upgraded stone. Take the case study below as an example. 

Classical Elevation:

Craftsman Elevation:

Tudor Elevation:

French Elevation:

Each of the above elevations demonstrate varying architectural styles. All have the same floorplan.  Really. Changing up roof pitches, porches, materials and window placement can drastically alter the style of the home. This 1900 square foot home maintains the same builder-friendly footprint and floorplan. Note the subtle window mullion pattern changes between the Craftsman and Tudor. These differences can make a plan transportable from one part of town to another, one buyer demographic to another, and one price point to another.

Next time your [homebuyer, developer, agent, investor] demands a distinct style, just reach out to your architect to help refresh your product line. A new exterior may be all it takes to close the deal. This is a great way to be responsive to market trends without having to start from scratch with a new product line. Your estimator will thank you. Of course your architect would love the work either way!

About the author:  Alissa Dyal is the Sales and Marketing Manager for Kipp Flores Architects, a nationally recognized firm specializing in the needs of residential home builders. She can be reached at alissad@kippflores.com or (512) 335-5477.