From The Other Side of the Mirror

When is something big or large enough?

I live in a quiet 1940’s neighborhood, and on a street round the corner something large is growing. A brand new McMansion is rising. While I’m sure the house is being built to city codes (that’s another matter altogether), what struck me about this house is its abject lack of suitability for its surrounding houses, or apparent lack of consideration for its new neighbors.

The developer has built the largest possible house on the lot, and on both sides, the house is built right up to the property lines, towering above its long established neighbors.

BTW (click on any photo for the McM in full size glory).

The stone facade stuck onto the exterior, smacks of nouveau riche modernism, in stark contrast to the wooden sidings of just about every other house on the street and in the neighborhood.

I mean it’s as if someone just dropped it smack down in the lot with no forethought for the feel, scale, or aesthetics of the place. Maybe I’m letting my inner curmudgeon get the better of me, but would scaling the damn thing back 10-15% really mean whoever buys it would “suffer” from only having 4,000 sq ft instead of 4,500?

Use the savings to upgrade the environmental aspects, install appropriate xeriscape landscaping or use better quality materials. I’m sure a smaller place would have a more efficient green footprint, made the neighbors on each side a whole lot happier, and helped preserve the feel of the neighborhood.

Is that too much to ask these days?  The application of a little common sense and neighborly consideration?  Bah humbug…..

~ by john on September 8, 2009.

Posted in green, neighbourhood, personal
Tags: austin, mcmansion, quality of life