Architecture and Daily Living

TYPE: New Construction
LOCATION: Old Palo Alto
STYLE: Spanish Revival
STATUS: Available (at time of post)

After spending the past few weeks walking new construction in Palo Alto, I must say, there are floor plans that I really like and floor plans I vehemently dislike. The main level definitely falls into the former category.

Main Level

The main level houses the primary living space, including the living room, dining room, kitchen, family room and study. Think of the flow as a “Q”: the living space flows in a circular path around the central stairs, with the living and dining rooms in the lower-left half, the kitchen and family room in the upper-right half, and the study as the accent stroke. What’s to like?

First, the great room makes an “L” instead of being another box. The “L” pattern is more conducive to protecting space (for example, the kitchen gives enough protection to enjoy a conversation while someone else is watching TV). Second, the family room flows into either the courtyard or rear yard (perfect for casual parties of 20 or more). Third, the formal entertaining area is large enough to accommodate real entertaining. Although obvious, most formal entertaining areas today are too small (and therefore will be used in only rare occasions). Ultimately, the following architectural patterns are used well:

• Floor plan flow
• Outdoor connection
• Windows on two sides or more

Quickly on the kitchen: The kitchen window looks at a old-growth tree and portion of the front yard (compare this with looking at a wall or fence). Moreover the stove positions the user perpendicular to the breakfast nook (compare this with your back to the nook, a position that’s much worse). All in all, it is well designed.

Lower Level

Like many of the new homes in Palo Alto and Menlo Park, the lower level contains the recreation room (in addition to the second kitchen, gym, wine cellar, laundry area and additional bedrooms). All in all, I am not a fan of using the lower level as a recreation area because frankly, the light is usually terrible. I prefer to call them the “media dungeons”. Thankfully, the architect connected the recreation area to the upstairs patio via a wall of glass and wide staircase. Personally, I definitely spend time in the downstairs area.

• Good natural light in recreation area

Site Orientation

Because the front door faces south (leaving the home), direct sunlight moves nicely from morning to evening. Consider the following path:

1. In the morning: casual living space (family room and breakfast nook)
2. In the afternoon: study, courtyard and half the family room
3. In the evening: formal entertaining space (living and dining room)

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LOCATION Old Palo Alto
STYLE Spanish / Mediterranean
ARCHITECT Stephen Pogue
DESIGNER Alex Miller Cole
BUILDER J5 Homes

The home uses the following architectural patterns very well:

• defined space
• outside connection
• windows on at least two sides
• site orientation.

This post is the first in a series of four, with each post describing one pattern in detail. Before I describe how the home defines space, lets look at the overall floor plan.

Floor Plan

Defined Space

One of my favorite features of the Well-Balanced Box is how well it balances the macro functions of formal entertaining, relaxed living and sleep. The structure clearly defines each of these spaces into zones. The formal living space, as below shows, occupies the left half of the first floor. The dining room, living room and outdoor yard are clearly joined.

Formal Entertaining

Small walls define the spaces individually. For example, an arched-barrier separates the dining room from the living room, and a partial wall separates the living room from the outdoor yard. Although protection of space is important for many reasons, with this house, the reason is simple: people feel more comfortable in smaller groups. Imagine a great party someday where four couples stand around the dining table eating food, a large group surrounded by smaller ones occupies the living room, and many conversations of two to three people occupy the outside. Next, imagine standing outside. You move from room to room, finding new conversations, not only in content, but also in number of participants (think back on conversations that are one-to-one versus one-to many. Very different!)

Now remove the dividers. The space becomes one. When it becomes one large space, I’d argue people would begin to feel uncomfortable. For me at least, I much prefer the intimacy of a small room to a massive ballroom. The latter creates too much pressure to navigate the room, say hello to all, and facilitates small talk versus longer, deeper, more meaningful conversations.

Casual Living

Next, consider the relaxed living space. The home partitions two zones: a mini great room on the first floor and family room-spa on the ground floor. The mini great room does a good job of creating three intimate and functional spaces within the room. The configuration below shows the functions of cooking, working (think homework or casual projects), eating, socializing and watching TV.

Sleeping Space

Finally, the sleeping space is divided between the downstairs room and the top floor. Two things I like: first, it facilitates many different room arrangements. The rooms with the Jack-and-Jill bathroom are perfect for younger siblings. I like it because it would make the kids share and take dual responsibility for keeping it clean, and it allows private access between rooms (for late night storytelling, or whatever). The downstairs room is perfect for an older child or office. Or, put the office in the suite adjacent to the master suite or in the room with balcony access. I like the latter because you can walk to your office in the morning by balcony. The master suite allows its occupants to sleep, read, watch TV or relax in the tub with four spaces: bed, sitting area by windows, outdoor balcony or bathroom.

Next time we look the pattern outside connection.

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When spaces are poorly defined, people don’t spend time in them. Define them, and their occupants flourish. What makes a space well defined? Thinking about possible reasons, I identified the following three features:

• Separate spaces with different functions
• Join spaces with common functions
• Build the room only if it achieves its intended purpose

Separate spaces with different functions

If two spaces flow into each other with separate purposes, such as a living room flowing into a family room, then one usually subsumes the other. A new home in Menlo Park’s Willows had the following floor plan:

Join spaces with common functions

When spaces that are commonly used in conjunction, such as a living room and dining room for formal entertaining, are divorced from one another, then the flow is interrupted. Or said another way, the casual thought of moving from the dining to the living space is less natural.

Instead, join these spaces. When these spaces are put together, the “entertaining space” is both defined and protected. Or consider the great room. The most common great room joins an open kitchen and casual eating space with the family room. People love intimate socializing and watching TV (sports, film, favorite shows) with food. Also, imagine a family at work: one child watching TV, one child doing homework at the kitchen table, and the parents(s) making a meal. All three activities, albeit separate, are joined by a common purpose: being together.

Build the room only if it achieves its intended purpose

This concept is less defined that the previous ones. Ultimately it stems from rooms that feel designed as if they were an afterthought. Or the room was designed without thought of its actual occupants.

Again, I refer to the living room. My thought on the living room is simple: its used for entertaining guests. I find conversations between guests ebb and flow between smaller conversations, one on one or one to few, and group conversations where all are involved. In order to accommodate this, the room must provide enough space for multiple seating arrangements. Imagine a central, primary seating area (with two couches facing each other) surrounded by groups of one or more smaller areas (two or three chairs). The problem I see, within most new construction, is small living rooms. If you’re going to build it small, don’t build it at all. Why? The room accommodates three couples or less. If the group is that small, then its likely casual, and casual groups instead choose the intimacy of the family room.

Well-Defined Space: Physical space (actual shape) must be congruent with social space (how people actually use and spend time in a room).

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One of my favorites, from my list of fun, someday maybe goals, is building a home that incorporates a bathtub with a view. Imagine relaxing in a warm soaking tub. In front of you are large, floor-to-ceiling windows. Your gaze wanders naturally through them, not so much focusing on any specific point but instead it takes the scene in entirety. Because its dusk and the lights are off, the room is filled with a bluish almost violet light. The sun sets over the ocean, skyline, mountains, or lake (insert favorite vista). Your eyes close. You focus on the warmth.

I love the visual, and fortunately for me, I enjoyed it in person. About ten years ago, while staying in South Lake Tahoe, my father, with his inimitable charm, brightened the day of the woman booking our room. For a small moment of jovial conversation, she booked us in one of the casino’s nicest suites. And neither of us gambles! The next day, home from skiing, I figured, “I’m on vacation, why not take a bath.” Since a child, I hate light from unnatural sources and love natural light (at home, I turn the lights on only when its completely dark). I jumped in the tub before sunset. Imagine Lake Tahoe before you: star destroyer clouds capping massive white mountains surrounding a crystal blue lake. The mountains changed from yellow to orange to purple to blue. I staid in the tub for hours, and I repeated the experience each consecutive day.

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Over the next few weeks, I depart from writing on broad real estate topics and instead focus on architecture, namely new construction in the Peninsula, specifically new single-family homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Redwood City. What excites me most about architecture in these areas is not the finishes, materials or what we typically see, but the way rooms flow, the floor plan and how space is generally used. In my opinion, the spaces and flow between spaces in a home are one of the most important considerations when evaluating a new home purchase. Why? Whether we spend all of our time or no time in room is usually determined by how well the space is crafted.

Consider the following questions: how many windows, of what size, and how many walls have windows? What direction and view do these windows face? Is the room connected to the world outside or is it isolated? Is the room connected to the rest of the house or is isolated? You get the point. While TV home shows, magazines and pop culture suggest we look at finishes and materials (and thereby become better consumers), I suggest we see what is not normally seen.

So my goal is simple: by looking at new homes throughout the coming weeks, we’ll teach each other how to look at space with a new perspective, a perspective that is sensitive to how well each space compliments the life we live today and the life we are creating for tomorrow (me with my posts, and you with your comments). Imagine walking into a home and instantly knowing whether it sustains life or flattens it. With that said, I hope you look forward to my first post on a very well done, Spanish Villa in Professorville, Palo Alto.

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