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Teardown 3 of 4, Can a 4-Square Go Anywhere?

It was a Morningside post-war minimal traditional, about 1,376 square feet, on 1/5 acre, built in 1947. Thrive Homes built a new 3,000 square foot "4-square" in it's place.




2012-03-20--1140-Spring-Valley-Ln-Morningside-Teardown-before-1
This defines post-war Morningside style. The house on the right was "done" with bump-outs and pop-tops about 1988.

P1050978-2012-03-20--1140-Spring-Valley-Ln-Morningside-Teardown-Demo-in-context-from-West-full
The house on the left has been "done" too, I suspect a pop-top and big windows, probably very cool on the backside.

P1100996-2012-08-09-1140 Spring-Valley-Ln-Morningside-Teardown-complete
Here we go. It isn't exactly Morningside style, but it is a Virginia-Highland style, and certainly a familiar American style.

We wouldn't be surprised to see a house like this anywhere in the US, rural or urban.

My impression is that this house could have been here before there was a neighborhood. It's as if the neighborhood was built around it. A European style house can't quite do that however beautiful, however old.

P1100997-2012-08-09-1140 Spring-Valley-Ln-Morningside-Teardown-complete-West-elevation-full
It's a good bet for spec houses and for custom/semi custom house, a good bet for design/build firms.

You start with proven shapes and proportions, fit it to the lot, then tweak the size, materials, and detailing.

P1100999-2012-08-09-1140 Spring-Valley-Ln-Morningside-Teardown-complete-in-context
I particularly like how it sits on the lot. It's welcoming, you can get out of the rain, you don't have to hike up a hill. It's passes my grandma test: would you send granny to the mailbox?

Wherever you think about teardowns, this one is better than most.