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Melissa Loughridge Savenko 
Member since Sep 17, 2012

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Re: “Out of View”

Very interesting comparisons to be made between the comments made by Chris Fultz and those made by "developer." Just the most glaring:

1. Chris Fultz used his own name, while "developer" wasn't quite so courageous.

2. Chris Fultz articulated a reasoned, rational position. "Developer" wrote an ad hominem attack full of misspellings, lack of punctuation, without even bothering to capitalize. If this is someone who is adapting historic buildings, with all the care and attention to detail that should require...well, that scares me more than a little.

But "developer" did everyone a favor by laying out there for all the world to read the position many - not all, and I hope not most - developers in RVA take.

Let's call a spade a spade. No one can rationally argue units without external windows and NO natural light are as good or better than units with external windows. Scott Bass's human example featured a young man who lived in a windowless apartment unit without any natural light.

Then Scott took the next step, to ask if apartment units with some form of natural light, but no external windows, are problematic also. The developer Tom Wilkinson and the architect Walter Parks took the position that units with no external windows but other sources of natural light are at least just as good, and perhaps even BETTER, than units with external windows.

Reasonable people can certainly disagree with that position. I know I do. But "developer's" vitriolic and poorly written attack on Chris Fultz as some dreamy architect who doesn't know what he's talking about is misplaced. I don't know Mr. Fultz personally, but he was formerly Director of Design for one of the best architecture firms in town, and it is my understanding that he has significant experience working with developers on multifamily projects. But perhaps those developers he works with take advantage of Mr. Fultz's design talents, aren't in the same camp as "developer," and have figured out a way to design and execute projects that actually have external windows.

My parents insist that you can do well while doing good. I firmly believe that. Good design may not be easy. It is certainly not as easy as pulling out a cookie-cutter set of plans or slamming X units into a space because that is what generates "acceptable" profit margin for a developer. But I agree with Chris Fultz, thoughtful design is better for everyone - the apartment dweller, the neighborhood, and RVA.

Melissa Loughridge Savenko

20 likes, 4 dislikes
Posted by Melissa Loughridge Savenko on 09/17/2012 at 10:20 AM

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