Is this where the industry is headed?

[P. Fritz]

[RicodJour]

Modular homes, modular components, why not modular designs?

I was in a Microcenter the other day. IMSI now has a design application called "Instant Architect". I wonder what their motto is..."When _any_ wait is too long!"

R

[Bob Morrison]

Paul:

Well maybe. Every time I get one of those "stock" plans I have to do so much work to it the owner might as well have had it custom designed. People think they are saving money, but they really aren't.

A house plan that is well laid out by a good architect needs almost no engineering. Most of these "stock" plans don't fall into that category.

[P. Fritz]

Actually, they contacted us....wanting us to provide some plans.......we passed on the "opportunity"

[P. Fritz]

I can understand the market for stock house plans......but stock office buildings, rec centers etc?

They tend to be site specific

[P. Fritz]

I had a builder client (built spec homes) that would often bring me a stock plan of one house, and a stock elevation from another and tell me to put them together. :-) It always ended upa new design, but there was a starting point. The commercial projects we have worked on always end up a delicate balance of building size and needs, parking, open space and zoning requirements, rarely is there enough land just to plop a 'stock footprint' onto the site.

[P. Fritz]

One of the townships we do work in requires 50% open space for commercial......BUT, you cannot include any wetlands, or ROWs as part of the

50%. The result is that you may be allowed to build on less than 25% of YOUR land.....including paved surfaces. The result is such a vast sprawl as more and more land is consumed to meet these ridiculous requirements.

[gruhn]

City near hear brags about how much "open space" it has. As if we are supposed to be impressed by the number and ignore the actual character of the place. "This place looks like hell on a stick." "But look at the open space numbers you are not complaining all is well." "Wow, great numbers, all is well."

[gruhn]

Aside from the fact that they get to take it back if you don't pay your rent (that is, it isn't _your_ land at all) of your land, when you start to factor in all of the things that they demand you do with it and the parts that you must not use but must maintain... for their exclusive use... how much of "your" land is really "yours?"

Which is what the green space people are trying to prevent. Of course, a quick retelling of the rules makes it obvious

"In order to prevent a vast sea of fussy little buildings to the horizon, you must build a fussy little building."

Want to prevent sprawl? Declare all the land a park and allow no building OR demand urban densities. No, not Phoenix, but NYC. Actual urban.