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Urban Residences
T
he urban residence presents the architect with a unique opportunity, albeit one rife
with constraints.
Cities, which have evolved over a long time, are comprised of buildings which are not
only designed for their untended use, they create a symphony of architectural sound that
we call the public realm. The architectural timbre of each building reflects and contrasts
the rich mixture of its surroundings, either subtly or conspicuously contributing to that
symphony. The urban residence is a vital instrument of this civic orchestra, providing
a harmony that enriches and continues the music of the city. Reflecting rhythms of
repetition, scale, and texture, and the "threshold" spaces between the private and
public world, adds to our work in a rich and compelling way, all the while contributing
wonderful harmonic complexity to the symphony around you. Its gorgeous melody is
apparent at the moment of dusk, as commercial activity shutters and, one by one, the
windows of people's homes begin to cumulatively luminesce and warm their streetscape.
Within those windows lies the inner world that is our client's. Each home is imbued with
the client's tastes and desires, designed to facilitate and f rame their varied rituals of life.
Often it is challenging to physically fit all the desired amenities of contemporary life into
an urban lot; even larger lots, which may provide dimensional relief, tend to have an even
greater scarcity of natural light. Further, zoning and historical restrictions produce a
complex web of restrictions, all of which compel inventiveness. Odd adjacencies emerge,
rooms that are starved for natural light seek relief, and architectural languages blend in
unexpected ways.
All of these things, when embraced, produce enchanting moments which, instead of
being compromises, become the kind of thing that elicit the response, "That's amazing,
how did someone come up with that?" And we hope that is the question you ask yourself
as you take in the designs of the Urban Residences chapter.
Pamela Butz & Jeffrey Klug
BUTZ + KLUG architecture
Boston, MA
see page 457
Butz + Klug architecture, Boston, MA, page 457
