Take a look at the photo above.
What's wrong with this picture?
Nothing, if you view it from a developer's
perspective. Clearly, the house
is too big for its lot, but that's a zoning
issue, and one can't blame the designer
for trying to maximize his return within
the law. In addition, the house will
sell for a fancy price, it's a "safe" style,
and it appears better constructed than
the average.
But looking at it from the perspective
of an architect, I see a lost opportunity.
To show why, I developed an alternative
design for the site (see Figure 1).
No Cookie Cutter Solutions
It's hard to make generalities about
hillside lots. Even on a flat