Mayfair Manor Phase II

[Rpuddy]

Guys,

Its been a while since I posted anything on my Mayfair Manor renovation, but we started our garage addition last week and my contractors got to work!

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We should have all the block work done for the addition by Christmas, then the roof! Stay tuned...

[PixelPixie]

Exciting! Keep us in the loop!

[Rpuddy]

Here a few more - ready for my roof guy to get back in town!

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[not really haver]

What have you done to this house?????????????

[Rpuddy]

What have you done to this house?????????????

I can't tell if that's negative...?

Edit: I just noticed whatever this reaction was, was the first post... passion playing a role here!

[Circa50]

Does this clear it up?

[Rpuddy]

WOW! I had no idea... I'm paying a ton more to copy the exact Haver details with the wooden beams atop the exact same brick that he used. Tying the roof in at the peak, copying the original house to a "T"... maybe its the small workshop area that people are reacting to? Oh well - its feels amazing in person!

[Circa50]

Like so many of Ralph's designs it had a carport, not a garage.

~ Bucky Haver
October 3, 2004

[Rpuddy]

Like so many of Ralph's designs it had a carport, not a garage.

~ Bucky Haver
October 3, 2004

Which would be great had the previous hacks that owned it not filled in the carport so that it only holds half a car. Also would be great if security this day in age weren't an issue; puts a little mystery into whether someone is home or not. Times change.

[Turtle_biker]

Sad... Too many of these little treasures are being lost. This is why we need more historic designations/overlays.

If you are concerned about security, I recommend an alarm system, a dog who barks (but doesn't bite), and one of these: https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... s_id/59353. Crime happens in neighborhoods with garages as well.

Enclosing a carport is one thing, this is a whole other story.

I think the preservation guidelines for the Town & Country neighborhood in Scottsdale explain the negative reaction to your addition.
Guideline 1.2-An addition should be subordinate in scale and character to the main building.
Guideline 1.3-New construction should be set back from the street the same distance as adjacent structures.
Guideline 1.5-Expansions of the existing floor plan should be made at the rear of the house, so as to maintain pattern of building seen from the public right of way.
(Above on page 24 of the document)

Guideline 4-Additions should follow the same pitch/slope and maintain the overall scale and visual effect of the roofline.
(Above on page 26 of document)

Page 32 has some good comments/guidelines on carports and converting them to garages. It emphasizes that the carport opening even if converted should "still [be] visible and [be able to be] read as a recessed space integrated into the design of the house."

Perhaps most important is the guideline on additions at page 33: "Additions should be . . . designed to extend to the side and rear of the property. This will maintain the overall orientation and standard setback, which are important to retaining the planning and site plan that define the neighborhood identity. Additions should not impact the primary facade, or protrude into the defined front yard setback.

http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/Publ ... ountry.pdf

I'm glad that others spoke out about this. I will probably be banned for saying this, but I feel like lately this site has been praising flashy, new, and contemporary modern additions/modifications/remodels and as a result the culture of preservation is being lost. Let's cherish and preserve what we have. Adaptions to present day life that are respectful of the original style and design are possible and probably add more value to the home in the long run.

[PixelPixie]

Hi Turtlebiker! Just so you know, my editorial policy is to present both sides of the story (Progress/Preservation) and let people decide for themselves. When I do opinion pieces, however, I'm more in favor of preservation -- I think everyone here pretty much knows that -- however it is disheartening how few true preservations are going on out there. I tour a LOT of homes and everyone's in pursuit of some modernization or other to make these small spaces livable.

I think you're going to find this year's Expo talks are heavily skewed toward preservation, because that's just what's been on my mind this year with all the losses. Hope to see you there!

Thanks for posting the design guidelines. It is entirely up to each owner in Phoenix to determine whether they wish to adopt Scottsdale's design guidelines, and until our midcentury overlays are in place it is going to have to be an individual effort.

[Rpuddy]

I'm all about preserving certain aspects of the original design, after all that is what makes MCM timeless in my mind. However, let's face it - if you look at Haver's work over time, especially the house on the S Side of Camelback mountain, he wasn't exactly stuck in the past!

I took this house, and pumped up the qualities that make it unique - things like duplicating the sloped ceiling and "fake" center beam when gutting and remodeling the master bathroom area. If we truly kept it original, we'd be using sinks at 28" high, short toilet bowls, casement windows from WWII era, etc. This isn't functional (at least not for me)! I can understand if my neighbor's house in the the photo were being criticized for his second story addition or the guy down the street who razed the Haver and replaced with a building that looks like a fires station. This renovation has been thoughtful and is simply updating the original. I imagine one of the main details inciting this negative reaction is the scored face block. Who knows if this would have been used if it were around when this building was built originally; we'll never know!

For now, I will continue to share... just keep in mind that I haven't busted out the stucco! Oh, and those windows and doors came with when I bought it!

[Tinman]

I think your building material and thought processes are just fine, but it seems that the majority of the negative opnions are based on the obscurement of the home itself (hence the moustacheod Mona). I myself wish I had a garage like you're building, only in my back yard.

[KARLITO]

Trying to compare putting a garage on an average ranchburger to defacing the Mona Lisa is just ridiculous. It's nothing more than a 50 year old tract house not a "work of art" by any standards. Some folks on this board need to get over it... Things like this are why I hardly post here anymore.

[matthew]

I think this is a valuable discussion even though we will never reach a consensus. I'm glad this discussion has found its way to civil discourse.