Small Project Design

Dear Eric,

Thank you for your opinions and continued enlightenment regarding the American housing scene.  Based on your Oct 20 message........"If more of us could show consistent sales data regardless of neighborhood or builder, then we could make a more credible argument about why we add monetary value to Architecture.", are you suggesting that we need to become spec builder/architects, and produce products worthy of higher valuations in order to positively affect the over all assessed, average values of the homes within a given area and type?

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I believe I read in previous posts that you are doing just that.  If so, how has it gone for you?  Is it working?

Thanks and best regards,

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Richard Skorick AIA
Setagaya-Ku Tokyo
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About 50% of my projects consist of unique, one of a kind, dear I say...actually custom spec houses. I work with about a half dozen builders that sell between 3-6 high end spec house per year as opposed to 30-40 cookie cutters. In the Atlanta/ Decatur area, one used to only be able to find what they claim are "craftsman" style houses when shopping for a new home. Over the last 10 years, the expectations have changed. With just one builder, I have a modern spec house and a rather traditional spec under construction just down the street from where I live. I have several other modern or Prairie style house under construction at spec around town. Agents used to tell people NOT to buy modern just a few years ago and now they're proud to be making nice commissions from them. I can't say I'm the only one working directly with builders to provide better spec home choices for upper middle income earners, but I certainly didn't know many who were 10 years ago. Appraisers are beginning to take notice that a mass produced house isn't the same thing as the type of houses Architects like me are designing to sell. If more of us could prove what I and many others are proving, we could change the attitudes of appraisers. If your design doesn't appraise well, it makes it very difficult for your client to build. They have to come out of pocket for the difference, which really limits the client base that can afford such a project. My homeowner clients benefit from the higher sales I get from my spec houses. I know it sounds crazy, but several other Architects have designed some wonderful modern houses in my neighborhood and I love it. I see them as allies, not competition because together we raise the expectations of the people. This makes it harder for the cookie cutters to keep passing off their lousy product. 10 years ago, no one would have imagined MY neighborhood having any modern houses. It almost became an Historic District.

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Eric Rawlings AIA
Owner
Rawlings Design, Inc.
Decatur GA
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