Progress on New Infill Houses on 4th at Alexandrine

While cutting through side streets to get to the Lodge, I came across several new houses being built on 4th Street. This effort had been previously mentioned on DetroitYES, can't find the mention just now, but asking prices are in the $400 K range.

I find the designs architecturally interesting, being a bit of a riff off the other early 20th C [maybe older] nearby structures, with a contemporary flair. Steel roofs are a nice touch too.
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https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/4th-St-Homes2.jpg

https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/4th-St-Homes3.jpg

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https://detroityes.com/webisodes/2019/4th-St-Homes5.jpg

Nice to see those empty lots filling in, but those homes look like long term maintenance nightmares. Peaked metal roof with no overhangs means water runs right down the side and around [[And eventually into) the window openings. The gutter chains are a nice touch, and as they're just feet from the sidewalk I'm sure they'll be incredibly popular with the athletically inclined neighborhood kids. :D

I appeciate the interesting designs. It may be easier to appreciate them when you are on Alexandrine seeing them. Twenty years, who would have
thought that you could build and sell homes in that neighborhood for
prices in excess of 400K? Interesting change.

Actually these homes are in excess of 500,000, 1357 sq. feet, there is only 1 bath 1/2 in them. , 2 bedrooms, 1 car garage, 230.00 / monthly condo fees... amazing..

https://www.estately.com/listings/in...-4th-street--1

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Originally Posted by DetBill

Actually these homes are in excess of 500,000, there is only 1 bath 1/2 in them. , 2 bedrooms, 1 car garage, 230.00 / monthly condo fees... amazing..

https://www.estately.com/listings/in...-4th-street--1

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$376/sf woof!

I guess that’s what it costs for new “low maintenance, energy saving, amenity accessible housing”

Seems very pricey for what the house offers.

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Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Nice to see those empty lots filling in, but those homes look like long term maintenance nightmares. Peaked metal roof with no overhangs means water runs right down the side and around [[And eventually into) the window openings. The gutter chains are a nice touch, and as they're just feet from the sidewalk I'm sure they'll be incredibly popular with the athletically inclined neighborhood kids. :D

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Too funny, but so true..also your dead on about examining possible water and snow runoff issues. Most people don't think about this when looking at a house design, a good architect does...major damage can occur down the road.

Looks like there's a tiny overhang, no? The cedar shingles look real but then they're black on my favorite house of the bunch.

Just 12 years ago I saw a man get murdered next to these houses. I'm so curious to see which developments are sought after in 15 years and which are passed over.

Those are 50K cookie cutter faux pole barns.

Nothing innovative at all. I see barns just like those every day out here in the sticks.

The fourth picture down with the green outhouse in front looks two half houses that if turned around could have been one whole house.

Does the 500K include the outhouse?

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Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Nice to see those empty lots filling in, but those homes look like long term maintenance nightmares. Peaked metal roof with no overhangs means water runs right down the side and around [[And eventually into) the window openings. The gutter chains are a nice touch, and as they're just feet from the sidewalk I'm sure they'll be incredibly popular with the athletically inclined neighborhood kids. :D

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The fawn colored one is interesting,above the porch,the main roof looks like it has a built in gutter,directs the flow along the left wall of the second story and dumps it out left side of the porch.

They have chains coming from the down spouts to the ground to break the water flow but it still looks like it is splashing up against the foundation,yea unless they put some kind of French drains in there that is a lot of water to be dumping right at the foundation.

Down here we use metal roofs a lot they last 50 years verses the 15 years with shingles,they do reflect heat and tree branches in storms and are pretty much maintenance free.

Those look like standing seam roofs where the screws are hidden under the seams,I am not sure how they would stand up with freeze thaw cycles and unless they wired heaters ice dams.

You can see the green insulation board by the windows like they are going to infill with another building material.

I can see low maintenance with the metal roofs and fiberglass “cedar” shingles but agree there could be some serious unseen until it is to late,water penetration issues.

By me there was a two story duplex that was built in the 80s that just collapsed.Water penetrated around the second level windows ran down the inside of the siding and settled and rotted the sill between the first and second story.

The outer walls just fell out from under the second story.

If those are selling 1 bedroom $500k it looks like a good market for 1920s style stick frame bungalows 3 bedroom in the $150 to $180k range.

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Originally Posted by DetBill

Too funny, but so true..also your dead on about examining possible water and snow runoff issues. Most people don't think about this when looking at a house design, a good architect does...major damage can occur down the road.

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These homes were designed by a good architect. A team of good architects, in fact. Water runoff is likely managed by an underground cistern and stored to be used for irrigation and/or black water in the home.

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This is in the link provided.

extended roof overhangs to minimize thermal gain & maximize solar orientation; energy efficient windows & doors; rain gardens a& ground swales designed to intercept storm run-off; rain barrels for runoff capture & supplemental irrigation; & extensive drought tolerant plantings.

Ground swale definition

• A swale is a depression created in the groundthat carries rainwater by gravity away from your home and property. How does the water get into the swale? A swale is designed to collect rainwater on your property and the only way to do this without a pump is by gravity flow.

So they dug a trench for the water to drain to the street and use rain barrels for collection for irrigation.

I guess okay in the summer,but when it gets cold up there does water freeze in the barrels and does it rain in the winter?

They do list solar panels on the roof but not really seeing the extended roof overhangs.

So is the asking price relevant to market value for that location or is it enhanced because it is considered energy efficient and maybe offset by energy tax cuts?

I thought I seen in the old house thread there was an architect that built some homes back then,that used multiple building materials and textures to create a style on the front facade,I wonder if this is Was was inspired by that?

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Originally Posted by gpp1004

Water runoff is likely managed by an underground cistern and stored to be used for irrigation and/or black water in the home.

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Maybe there is, and that might help with the water issues once it reaches the ground, but the path it appears to be taking to get there is what would concern me. Maybe I'm totally off base here and I'd be interested in seeing what else they have done. Perhaps there's some hidden drainage system in the siding or roof, but all I see on the left sides of these home is the short, egg rock border which looks to have a corrugated plastic drain to the curb.

They appear to have tried to mitigate the issue by adding foam sheathing on the outside, and I can see large vertical furring strips that are likely behind the steel paneling. Both are great, but instead of basically designing the exterior wall to carry the water it seems like adding a short overhang or gutters to keep that water away would have been far more important than that little touch of modern style they gained by leaving them out.

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Originally Posted by hybridy

$376/sf woof!

I guess that’s what it costs for new “low maintenance, energy saving, amenity accessible housing”

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It's all relative. It would be tears of joy if prices were $376/sf here in Santa Monica, unfortunately we are at about $1500/sf

I get the price point is high, but honestly - I'm not complaining at all. Those look really interesting and this would've never been built a decade ago. Cool stuff.

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Originally Posted by Johnnny5

Both are great, but instead of basically designing the exterior wall to carry the water it seems like adding a short overhang or gutters to keep that water away would have been far more important than that little touch of modern style they gained by leaving them out.

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And this is a key difference between architects and the general public. Pragmatism and design should be in harmony with one another - pragmatism should never trump design.

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Originally Posted by stinkytofu

I get the price point is high, but honestly - I'm not complaining at all. Those look really interesting and this would've never been built a decade ago. Cool stuff.

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Very true. Case in point, North Pointe Village.

http://www.detroiturbex.com/content/...nte/index.html

I good architect wouldn't have designed houses that look like this!

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