The Housing Resources Board unveiled a dramatic redesign of the Ferncliff affordable housing project late last month.
The 48-unit community land trust project’s cutting-edge look has given way to something that HRB admits is cheaper, smaller and more traditional.
“This won’t look any different from any other residential development on the island,” said Charlie Wenzlau, an architect and chairman of HRB.
Read the story here.
Above, you can see a before (left) and after (right) of the project’s proposed design. The earlier design was crafted by Bainbridge architect Julie Kriegh. The new design is by Central Highland Builders, a Poulsbo company that will also build the units.
Part of the reason for the change is to get costs lower as the Great Recession slims down the available grants for housing projects.
HRB also want to make the homes more likely to sell so the nonprofit group isn’t saddled with empty houses.
Changes were also made to appease neighbors, who prefer a more traditional look and more parking for the project’s residents.
More of the newer designs can be seen below, as well as the project’s new site plan.
Weigh in on which design set you like best in the poll to the right. For a more detailed critique, head down to the comments below.
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Below is the project’s new site plan.
How do the costs compare?
The Central Highland Builders models are much friendlier looking. If I were going to be living there I’d definitely go with those designs. The other design looks like an office park to me.
Can we vote for none? Already too many people for the infrastructure. We don’t need any more housing projects on the Island.
Dave
I vote for the contemporary plan. If Bainbridge is supposed to be “ahead of the curve”, why not cutting edge architecture too? I hate faux-faux craftsman. (I admit I stole that line from someone who had previously commented on a related article)
The original designs are ugly just like the Gateway Project.
The new designs are more in keeping with historical Bainbridge
architecture.
I don’t really have a say since I don’t live on the island but I like the traditional over the stacked tenement appearing buildings. The traditional look ‘homey.’
If we take the landscaping away from the design of the buildings, they look like the rows of tenements that we see in WA DC going into and out of the city.
They are nearly as ugly as the group of stark plain houses Poulsbo has alongside the highway. Maybe if they hurry up and add landscaping it will help. Otherwise add a high fence to block the view of them. Please.
Sharon O’Hara
It’s too bad they didn’t use the same picture ‘style’ for the two choices. Showing 4 of the newer style and how they would sit together (like in the old style picture/drawing) maybe with a nice couple or a family with a dog enjoying a BBQ of ribs,corn,and beans on the stoop (looks crowded even empty) of one of the houses would help.
The picture of the newer style makes the house look like a truck backed up and dropped a box on a slab or the house just fell out of the sky. Not very appealing. Kind of looks like a two story garage (and has even less windows than a lot of garages). I suppose I could just drive through North Town Woods and squint while looking at those places (to make them appear smaller) to get an idea of how they would actually look but I can’t afford the gas. Hopefully, whatever choice is made, a little creativity into paint choices will be employed.