Passages from the Manifesto: Unbuttoning the Suburban House

This is the first in a series of posts from the manifesto I am working on for housing in the National Capital Region. Suggested accompanying music while reading: Intro by The XX.

The term unbuttoning has more than one meaning. There is the literal one, like unbuttoning clothing. But, there is also the related idea of releasing constraints and restrictions from something. Similar to unbuttoning your top pant button after eating too much, the idea of unbuttoning the suburban house releases constraints allowing for a more relaxed and natural house design.

In many parts of North America, the dream of a suburban living is one that is centred on a fully detached house. This idea has impacted the design of houses for decades, and in recent times has seen large detached houses on very narrow plots of land. The resultant designs are typically long and narrow to fit within the constraints of the lot width. For example, a detached house on a 30-foot wide lot is subject to side yard setbacks (unusable side yards) so the house can only be typically 20- to 22-feet wide. Much can be done with a long and narrow house design, but there are other options, if you “unbutton” this norm.

Detached houses on left side have narrow frontage and side yards that are underused. Attached houses on right are wider, have more windows front and back and no wasted side yard.

An attached house on a 30-foot wide lot can afford the luxury of the entire width with a house 30-feet wide. An extra 8- to 10-feet of width can make a difference in how spacious a house feels and even furniture placement in wider rooms. It also allows for more front-facing windows, and more “eyes on the street”. Additionally, a wider house has more natural light from windows on the facades that are not facing an adjacent house. This concept can be hard to accept in areas where detached houses are the preferred typology, especially with larger dwellings.

Below are some inspirational examples from the past, both in Ottawa and in other cities:

Springfield Mews in Ottawa, built by Hab-Com, Ian Johns architect, c. 1982. There is no unusable side yard with this townhouse design. The rear courtyard is nice and private.

Assaly Villas in Ottawa, built by Assaly, c. 1969. These townhouses are wider than most, allowing for a 2-car garage as well as a wider bungalow design with a front courtyard.

Jackson Court townhouse in Ottawa, built by Campeau, c.1972-73. These attached houses are very wide and are arranged to provide private rear courtyards. Also of note is the fact that they are only attached by the garage.

Jackson Court from above, showing the courtyards created by the designs. Courtesy of Google Maps.

An interesting example where attached suburban housing on wide lot widths is common is in Houston Texas. Here attached houses are designed with remarkable variety, often each house in a row being a completely different custom design, sometimes by a variety of different architects or designers. The result is a decidedly varied streetscape and plans that can meet a variety of needs for different owners. Many of these designs also incorporate interior courtyards, something possible with a wider attached house.

Bolton House, Houston Texas, P.M. Bolton Associates architect, c. 1963. Notice on the site plan house each house has a completely different design with one of more interior courtyards.

American Iron and Steel Institute Demonstration Houses, Houston Texas, Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson architects, c. 1969. These 3 houses are quite wide, but are attached.

In Southern California wide townhouses have been used with cluster planning, proving that high priced attached houses in prime suburban locations can work. By clustering the houses together more space in the neighbourhood can be set aside for common open space.

The Bluffs in Corona Del Mar California, built by Holstein, Richard Leitch architect, c. 1965. Designed for uphill lots, the garages are tucked underneath the houses.

Jasmine Creek in Corona Del Mar California, built by M.J. Brock, Walter Richardson Associates architect, c. 1974.

A re-think is due...it is time to consider unbuttoning the suburban house.

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