Urban Legend

The first Custom Builder Design Challenge is over, and I want to offer a heartfelt thank you to all who entered. I understand that creating an original design for CB was a labor of love undertaken on your own time.

I also appreciate your efforts to comply with the requirements of the challenge: to create a 2,800-square-foot, single-family home for a family of four on a city lot. When the rules of the competition were first announced, my inbox was flooded with questions about site conditions, setback requirements, easements, garage access and architectural style. To level the playing field as much as possible, we allowed complete stylistic freedom; specified a front-loading garage and a flat, non-corner lot; and directed designers to use setbacks and easements typical of their local municipalities.

Even though the contest requirements specified urban infill, few entries had the starkly modern look you might associate with a city dwelling. Traditional, eclectic and even indigenous styles prevailed. One home, designed for the Hawaiian island of Oahu, intrigued us with its simple, clean lines accented by dense tropical foliage.

Although designers weren't required to incorporate sustainable concepts, many did. The green ideas included stormwater collection systems, cool metal roofs, solar panels and bioswales (gently sloped, vegetated ditches that slow the flow of rainwater runoff into the sewer system). And there were clever suggestions such as the Sometimes Screened Porch, a rear porch equipped with dual rolling hideaway screens.

Of course, not every design was a home run. Some were only feasible for warm climates; others didn't allow sufficient outdoor space for the children to play and the adults to relax. Because the home also had to accommodate the boys' grandmother, a frequent visitor who was likely to move in sometime in the near future, there were heightened concerns about noise, privacy and accessibility that weren't always adequately addressed. And the judges simply found certain elevations mundane and some plans overly complicated.

But considering that the designs were created for fictional clients and there was no opportunity for discussion and revisions, the first crop of "challengers" was impressive. I congratulate all the entrants for their hard work and imaginative solutions. We're already working on the program for next year's challenge and, although I can't reveal too much just yet, I promise it will be significantly different. I hope you'll try your hand again and encourage your friends and colleagues to enter. In the meantime, enjoy reading about the three designs that made the cut.

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