Thursday, June 20, 2013

Homes on Tour of Homes Look Pretty Snouty, all Garage-Centric

Once again, the most interesting home on 2013 tour of homes is out in Monmouth!

Olsen Home - 2013 Tour of Homes
In Monmouth!
Sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Marion and Polk Counties, the tour features homes almost all located on the periphery, in car-dependent neighborhoods, and featuring big garages front-and-center.

Walkability isn't at all a draw of the neighborhoods nor a feature of the homes.

The most notable exception, as it was last year, is the home by Olsen Design & Development, Inc.  Situated on a corner lot, it has a wrap-around front porch and a mother-in-law apartment in back over the garage.

It takes its styling cues from the craftsmany homes of the streetcar era.  It's still maybe a little over-sized and blocky, so I'm not sure it's really lovely - but the emphasis clearly is on a house in a walkable neighborhood or one that should become walkable.  It implies a situation where you make a trip by car once a week for the big grocery run, but the other days you walk instead for that last cup of flour and the other odds-and-ends to fill out the pantry.  Not car-free, but lower-car.

Interestingly, the home in Dallas also deemphasizes the garage and makes a generous porch the focal point of the front elevation.  (What's going on in these outer communities!)

In Salem?  It's all about the garage, the modern hearth.

3 Car Garage for a 3 Bedroom House!
The tour ends on the 23rd.

5 comments:

Jeff McNamee said...

Not when you build with these guys! http://bilyeugreen.com/portfolio/

Look, no garage!

Salem Breakfast on Bikes said...

You spammer!

But seriously, why don't they have a house on the Home Builders tour? They appear to be members of the Home Builders Association.

Anonymous said...

We appreciate your high marks and also would agree that the Bilyeu Boys (Larry and Blake) have contributed as much as anybody to advancing green building in this area...they are real gems...Eric Olsen (Olsen Design and Development, Inc.)

Salem Breakfast on Bikes said...

Over at On the Way, there's a color photo of the Olsen house! It's nice to see the local art angle, as well. Cheers to you, Eric Olsen, and thanks for stopping by!

Jeff McNamee said...

The houses they design and build are a unique niche. They did not build much in 2012. They currently have four homes they are working on. Plus, they kinda buck (although quietly) the good ole' boy climate within the HBA.