modern design

Keeping up with the Joneses is a saying that originated in a comic from the early 1900’s, or at least that’s what Wikipedia would have me believe (just confirmed by Toonopedia). The Joneses are the unseen neighbors in the comic and are often referred to with some degree of envy by the strip’s main characters. While those characters and the strip in which they lived faded out of existence, the title remained as a popular saying, a saying which captured the motivation behind much of our consumption-minded culture.

Luxury, size and cost are all purchasing choices designed to help us “keep up with the Joneses.” We are trained to feel that we need a house, car and clothes consummate with the position we have achieved professionally or socially. Unfortunately, for most things, particularly houses, what we need always seems to be bigger and less practical. Prestige measured by the square foot.

Aside from the problems most Americans find themselves in financially after spending a few years chasing the illusive Joneses, the tendency for prosperity to be represented by size also isn’t exactly helping the old planet. We add rooms to houses that are already twice as large as we need. We base buying decisions on square-footage because that is what everyone will ask about at our first party (How many square feet you workin’ with here Bob?). McMansions are multiplying like huge, ungainly, under-insulated rabbits and all this means more energy, more furniture, more . . . everything.

We need to consume less, but as long as the Joneses are out there ahead of us, flaunting all that big stuff, that kind of change is difficult to make. As a culture we are so trained to measure ourselves against those around us that we will use any scale available. The most ready scale, to date, has been size, but perhaps that could change.

If it is going to change it has to change with the Joneses. It has to change with those who everyone is trying to stack up against. If a shift can be made in the thinking of the privileged, adjusting the way in which they broadcast their position, then we might see a change in the way everyone struts their stuff. Horse-power could be replaced with gas mileage. R-values (insulation) could be the new square footage. Solar panels instead of swimming pools, ten speeds instead of hummers, subtractions instead of additions . . . who knows.

According to the New York Times, this shift might be happening in housing. With the advent of modern design and the rising concern over global warming (even among the most impenetrable minds), green houses have become more attractive. Environmentally sound housing is no longer solely the province of patchouli scented hippies. Interesting architecture and the socially conscious appeal of a small carbon footprint open this type of houses to a broader audience with a sense of style to go along with their sense of responsibility.

Conspicuous non-consumption, as the Times article refers to it, may be hard for those used to losing their spouse and children somewhere in their 15,000 square foot castle, but it only takes a few adopters to begin the trickle down (no not Reaganomics style) of change. While there may be plenty of us who have cast off our need to chase the Joneses, the majority are still affected (if only unconsciously) by this race. A change in the measuring stick is key to a societal shift.

So instead of chasing the Joneses, let’s set out to change them. Design for style and efficiency. Make green cool and aim for a new demographic. And, if anyone from the Jones Family is listening, be sure to brag about your tankless water heater, the number of miles you bike and the efficiency of your windows at the next swanky party you attend. I am all for grass roots, but it helps to have a little assistance from the top of the mountain sometimes.

Nic Darling is not a Jones.

In case you haven’t seen the new plans for the 100K House project here are a few links:

• Flickr Slideshow
• Project Page
• 100K House Blog Post

Our architect, Interface Studio Architects (ISA), is finalizing the last changes we made in the last design meeting and should have them ready soon. We are going to open up the ground floor floorplan, create a full second bedroom and add a deck off of the master bed in the next iteration of plans.

There is one company in Philly that most locals know have paved the way for modern and green development in downtown Philadelphia. The company is Onion Flats and I have not been to their website in a while so decided to catch up on their projects this morning. If you’ve somehow never heard of them go their now and check out there past, present and future projects. Their site is all flash or I’d include some nice teaser pics for you.

I say they have paved the way for modern and green in Philly for a variety of reasons.

One, Philly can be especially resistant to modern architecture when it comes to getting the approvals needed to get a new project started. This has a lot to do with trying to preserve Philly’s history and culture, which is great, but the Onion Flats’ projects have now proved that modern architecture can enhance a neighborhood and a community without sticking out like a sore thumb. They have made it easier for all modern developers who follow them to get their project approved.

Secondly, they prove to the lenders that there is a market for modern and green in Philly. There are many architects, developers and realtors who know a virtually untapped market exists, but the banks like to see bricks and mortar + solid numbers to match. The Onion Flats give us nice comps to show that, yes - these homes will sell and everyone involved will not lose money.

Third, they have generated a lot of attention for environmentally responsible development in Philadelphia which helps grow the potential market for green while simultaneously giving great examples to the local and state government to encourage more of the same type of environmental responsibility in their programs.

Keep up the good work, Onion Flats!

That site again in case you missed it above is http://www.onionflats.com/

Apparently I missed out on Blog Action Day last month. Check it out for some good posts related to impacting the environment from some of the most popular blogs on the net.

Since I missed it I will share one of the posts that I really liked from one of the blogs I monitor - Future House Now. John Commoner is the author of a great post for the blog action day about the current green movement and what it means to him and what he blogs about. What I like about the post is it is a very down to earth viewpoint that is straightforward and rarely heard from many of the “green blogs” and proponents of green on the web. Without giving more of my thoughts on it, check it out for yourself and see what you think about it. If you have time scroll through the rest of the blog as John has some great posts on the future of modern housing.

Here are some pics from my recent trip to Barcelona of some cool, modern design elements that caught my eye. I didn’t get to spend as much time exploring as I’d have liked as I was on business but it was still a lot of fun. I love exploring the modern cities of Europe as they always impress me with how far ahead of the US they are in terms of widely accepting modern design and fashions.

It was also great to see a city with so many scooters, bikes and motorcycles. They were everywhere and had plenty of parking for them on roads and sidewalks. It’s refreshing as I probably get 1-2 tickets a month trying to find places to legally park my wife’s scooter or my motorcylce in downtown Philly. Sometimes I feel it’s easier to park a Hummer without getting ticketed that it is a motorized two-wheeled transport!

Full Flickr Set (19 pics)

Greg La Vardera had a great post last week on his LamiDesign Modern House Plan Blog about whether or not modern home design is reaching the tipping point of breaking into the mainstream of American housing. Greg observes that over the past few years we have seen a surge in modern design publications like dwell, modern prefab projects as well as new development companies specializing in modern and green design. He then asks, “Will modern houses break into the mainstream, finally? Will this be the time when everything changes, and anybody who wants to buy a house, build a house, will have modern as one of their legitimate choices?”

This question got me thinking over the past week. I have certainly noticed the same indicators of modern home design’s growth in recent years that Greg talks about and agree it is a growing movement gaining more and more media coverage each month. I want to believe that we are reaching a tipping point but sometimes I feel my viewpoint is skewed from living in an urban environment. More and more people are moving back to cities, including Philly, and modern architecture has always been prevalent in our cities.

Maybe this is simply a matter of the balance of population shifting in America from rural areas to cities. If the majority of the population will be living in cities withing the next decade and modern design becomes the mainstream in our cities, does that mean modern has passed the tipping point?

For modern to reach the mainstream, though, the vast amount of homes being put up by the major builders of the county in the suburbs must be effected. This seems like a harder audience to influence. One thing that gives me hope is many of the new modern developers that have set up shop around the country in recent years. When I read about home builders in the Philadelphia Inqurier’s weekly New Homes section many of them have been in business for around 10 - 15 years and they are working on communities of homes in the low to mid hundreds of units. Many of the modern developers are approaching their 3rd, 4th and 5th anniversaries in business. While they may have started with just a few homes they are now planning larger and larger communities of modern homes. It won’t be long before some are breaking the 100 home development mark and not only challenging the way homes are designed but also how communities are designed.

I don’t know the answers to Greg’s questions but I plan to meet his challenge to be a “connector” for the remodern movement. Thanks for the stimulating post Greg and keep up the great work!

Also check out John’s thoughts on Greg’s post at another of my favorite blogs -  Future House Now - better living in modern green homes.