hx87 t1_j6jzr3c wrote on January 30, 2023 at 9:38 PM

Reply to comment by pillbinge in Maura Healey wants to solve the state’s housing crisis. Here’s step one. by _Hack_The_Planet_

99.9% of the new 5/1 apartment buildings that get built would look beautiful if developers 1) stopped trying to push windows as far to the outside as possible (because residents have a window sill space fetish, apparently) and inset windows 4 inches from the wall and 2) used strong, saturated colors instead of the bland shitty beige/gray palette.

pillbinge t1_j6k2xww wrote on January 30, 2023 at 9:58 PM

My take is this. How many streets in Charlestown look beautiful? The brick and tight streets with shade. Beacon Hill is famous. One of the most famous streets in the country is Elfreth St. People want this.

People have sterile white, gray tones because that's easier to sell. It's ironically easier to sell because it's easy to paint over.

We just need to force developers to develop what we want. They aren't going to build to the vernacular anymore. They keep building stuff that makes no sense to me.

hellno560 t1_j6kmhp6 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 12:09 AM

No it's just that alucabond (the material those are made of) comes in that color. Alucabond is cheap, easy and fast to install.

Vivecs954 t1_j6l38j7 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:12 AM

Or if they stopped using hardi cement siding, and used an actually good looking exterior like brick.

Also if the buildings weren’t so huge, like they could build two slightly smaller adjacent buildings instead of one monster

hx87 t1_j6l715c wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:41 AM

Good brick looks much better than the best fiber cement, but bad brick can be much, much worse than the hackiest fiber cement installation. Think of the column bases of City Hall, or the average 1960s public housing project--acres of nothing but running bond red brick. No depth, no detail, just monolithic liminal space hell, like somebody was intentionally trying to build the backrooms IRL. Brick and architectural minimalism just don't mix.

To make brick look good you have to have contrasting brick bond patterns, actual lintels or arches above doors and windows (not some fake looking row of vertical bricks), actual sills that protrude beyond windows and aren't made of brick, and some depth to the brickwork. At least corbel the cornice, for goodness's sake.

Vivecs954 t1_j6n2s3l wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:35 PM

I’m not an architect or have any construction experience so when I said “brick” I meant good looking brick or other material. I see all sorts of new traditional style buildings built in Europe and they look beautiful and look like a part of the neighborhoods they are built in.

All the 5/1’s in Mansfield are a story taller than any other building, and are way more massive too. They stick out like a sore thumb.