Highway6 Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 (edited) When we moved to the Heights a couple of years ago, my (Brazilian) wife was kind of shocked that people here actually build and live in timber-frame houses (she calls them cardboard), so the idea of a masonry house ought not to be considered radical. Concur. The CMU isn't the issue and hardly radical. CMU can be beautiful. One of the goals was privacy. One was apparently industrial loft look. Well, the first could have been better implemented. Privacy doesn't have to mean zero street facing windows. The 2nd goal.. think they achieved it a little too well. That front facade is just harsh. In contrast: Zemanek's house - Privacy? Check. Somewhat Industrial Loft feel? Check. Beautiful use of CMU? Check. Landscaping and terracing used to soften CMU? Check. Not a Brake Check? Check. Edited April 6, 2011 by Highway6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Concur. The CMU isn't the issue and hardly radical. CMU can be beautiful. One of the goals was privacy. One was apparently industrial loft look. Well, the first could have been better implemented. Privacy doesn't have to mean zero street facing windows. The 2nd goal.. think they achieved it a little too well. That front facade is just harsh. In contrast: Zemanek's house - Privacy? Check. Somewhat Industrial Loft feel? Check. Beautiful use of CMU? Check. Landscaping and terracing used to soften CMU? Check. Not a Brake Check? Check. I can picture this building aging gracefully. Vinyl siding and fake stucco? Not so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seoid Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 At the end of the day, it looks not so much like it was designed by a committee as designed by a committee of car mechanics and their wives. It's not quite as bad as I thought it would be inside, though it could use a bit more staging... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 At the end of the day, it looks not so much like it was designed by a committee as designed by a committee of car mechanics and their wives.Oh, good. Classist AND misogynistic. Wait. I don't mean to sound smug. It's a clever turn of phrase, yet rather unkind. The other observations you made about this property were well thought out. To fall back on stereotypes isn't convincing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Oh, good. Classist AND misogynistic. Wait. I don't mean to sound smug. It's a clever turn of phrase, yet rather unkind. The other observations you made about this property were well thought out. To fall back on stereotypes isn't convincing.Wasn't meant to be classist (it was more based on things like the big Ford sign and the toolbox drawers in the bathroom, the latter of which I kind of like) or mysogynistic (I was kind of envisioning trade-offs like: "You can hang that Ford sign if I can paint this wall lavender"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlf715 Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 We are selling the house due to a divorce. The big FORD sign has to due with my last name. The Craftsman tool cabinets are because I am a car nut.The house has not been staged because I still live there. The lavender room was my grand-daughters room. Any other questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I'm sorry to hear that you are forced to sell. Your brother stated that this was a house you'd always dreamed of building. I know it must be tough on you and your soon-to be ex.I, for one, have always kind of liked your house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 That does really suck, sorry to hear that. I do kinda dig the interior. Can you share the designer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porchman Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 We are selling the house due to a divorce.I am sorry for that. May you both find healing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Wasn't meant to be classist (it was more based on things like the big Ford sign and the toolbox drawers in the bathroom, the latter of which I kind of like) or mysogynistic (I was kind of envisioning trade-offs like: "You can hang that Ford sign if I can paint this wall lavender").I retract. Thanks for the explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlf715 Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 The interior we did. The house was designed by Brooks Broyles & Thacher Focke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickfence Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 The interior we did. The house was designed by Brooks Broyles & Thacher Focke.rlf715--Have you had any water penetration issues? What about efflorescence on the exterior or interior? On the interior walls where there is sheetrock, did you put any waterproofing on the interior face of the CMU?Thanks,Brickfence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlf715 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 The only water penetration issues we had were during hurricane Ike. The water blew thru the mortar in about 4-5 places, but it was just drips nothing big. The outside is sealed with a penetrating sealer. The inside walls do not have sheet rock on the block. The interior side of the block walls are also sealed. The efflorescence appeared during construction. While we were building the house it rained almost the whole month of January. I think that cause mot of the efflorescence. I had not sealed anything at that point. I tried cleaning it in my closet where nobody could see it and it looked worse. So I just left it alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiko Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 http://swamplot.com/selling-a-midblock-modern-blockade-in-the-heights/2012-07-13/#more-43595 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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