Comparing Townhomes In Miami

Posted on: June 1st, 2010 | 34 Comments

This is Day 133 of the Slow Home Project and we need you to join us in our quest to evaluate the design quality of houses in nine North American cities in nine months. This week we are analyzing townhomes in Miami, and today we’re going to help a retired couple choose a townhome to buy.

For today’s “Which House Should I Buy?” episode, we are trying out something a little bit different. We need you to help select which of the two townhouse units you think would be best for our clients, Harold and Cathy.

Harold and Cathy are empty nesters that are retiring to South Florida from Philadelphia. They need a 2 bedroom home because they often have friends and family come to visit. They both like to cook and are looking forward to the warm climate that Florida has to offer!

They have selected the community of “Cascada at Monterra” in Cooper City. They really like this low rise development of courtyard style town-homes and Cathy is excited to be living in the same community as her close friend Barbara.

After a long time looking, Harold and Cathy have narrowed their options down to 2 units. The first unit is the “Avila” which is 1461 sq ft and has 2 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms as well as a roof terrace.

The second unit they looked at is the “Castilla” which is 1543 sq ft and also has 2 bedrooms and 2.5 baths and a 2 car garage.

Use the Slow Home Test to evaluate these plans, and given what you know about these clients, which unit do you think they should buy? When you have made your decision, post your comments to the site and tell us which you have chosen for them and why. When you are ready, you can watch John and Matthew’s analysis of both properties in the player below.

Join us tomorrow for the Design Project where we will be re-modeling a badly designed townhouse plan from the Miami area!

  • Murray

    I’ll weigh in for the Avila, though I gave it only 13. The Castillo got an 11. If I really liked Harold and Cathy I would tell them to keep looking.

    For me, despite some drawbacks the corner unit is a no-brainer.

    If Harold and Cathy want to enjoy outdoor living then the Avila offers more options. The Castillo is very limited with the upper balcony only accessible from the front bedroom.

    I think the kitchen in the Avila is more workable. It is not ideal, and the lack of more dining space is an issue. I might suggest Harold and Cathy haggle on the price and put some money into a kitchen reno.

    There is only about 3 feet between the island/eating bar and the counters in the Castillo and it would be very awkward for more than one person to be in there at a time. The oven door is an issue with the narrow corridor, as ist standing at the sink, as is the fridge. Both the kitchen and dining area will be dark and uninviting.

    The entries in the Castillo are nasty and the powder room looks cramped.

    The bedrooms are fine in either unit, but I prefer the slightly more modest 2nd bedroom in the Avila, and can see it functioning as a study when guests are not visiting. Accessing the closet through the bathroom is an issue, IMO, so the Castillo loses out there, too.

    I hope Harold and Cathy have no mobility issues, now or ever, or Barbara or the rest of their friends and family. There are a lot of stairs to climb in the Avila, especially with the laundry downstairs. That said the Avila basically offers one floor living whereas the Castillo does not.

  • Terri

    Am I really the first one to make a choice here?!
    John and Matthew, you’ve really made it tough for us, because both of the other units in this townhome complex are better designed, IMO. But I’ll stick with what Harold and Cathy have narrowed down to,the Avila and Castilla.
    Both got 13 when I did the test. But they scored differently in some categories, as follows:
    Avila:
    Siting–0 (because the bedrooms are over the garage of the unit beside, which could mean for a lot of aggravation if the neighbour chooses to go in or out of the home a lot or at odd hours)
    Dining–0 (dining space is rather small for every use)
    Laundry–0 (not convenient at the basement level)

    Castilla:
    Organization–0 (because the dining and kitchen do not have a good connection to the outdoors)
    Entry–0
    Garage–0 (because the garage interferes with the house, blocking light to kitchen and dining and creates a problem with entry)

    So, the test doesn’t exactly indicate which is the better choice. Considering that Harold and Cathy’s main needs, which are to cook and entertain (sometimes with overnight guests), I choose Castilla. The Castilla offers a much roomier kitchen and a true dining space. It may not have windows, but there is room on the patio to put a small patio table and chairs, so they could entertain out there. This patio looks larger than the rooftop one in the Avila.
    There is also more privacy for their overnight guests with the two separate bedroom/bathrooms upstairs.
    The convenience of laundry near to the bedrooms instead of down two flights of stairs would also be a benefit to a retired couple.

  • Terri

    Murray, you must have been typing your post while I was working on making mine clearer. Looks like we didn’t agree on the choice, except to say that we think they should look further. I’d suggest unit D from the same complex if they could go the extra $15 grand.

  • JessicaD

    I would recommend the Castillo! I gave it a 9 and the Avila a 4. The Avila has many problems including the laundry, patio, and the awkward hall space between the bedrooms and bathroom. The Castillo is more suited to Harold and Cathy as it provides a large and open kitchen, a strong connection to the outdoors, and a comfortable space for guests. Normally, the second owner’s suite would seem wasteful, but due to their specific lifestyle it seems appropriate. The entry spaces in the Castillo are poor and the stairs in both units could prove to be difficult for Harold and Cathy down the road. In the Castillo the main floor laundry is great and the patio with access from both floors will create two outdoor living spaces for this couple.

  • Matthew North

    Terri – I am interested to know which of the other units in the complex you would have selected for Harold and Cathy – could you let us know which plan you think and we can have a look as a group?

  • Tara

    I picked the Castilla for Harold and Cathy.
    I like its kitchen/dining room layout much better for them – I think the island is a good place for them to socialize while they are cooking and there is also a dining area that is not right in the kitchen so that guests can feel like they are out of the way.
    I also thought the guest bedroom, complete with its own bathroom, was much more effective in this unit as it offered more privacy for their visitors.

  • Murray

    Hi Terri,

    Beat ya by this much!

    I looked at “B” for Barcelona (not much to recommend), but overlooked “D” for Dorada.
    Yes, I agree, I like the Dorada and it is also an end unit. I think the kitchen is not great, but there is a better organized main floor and the entries seem considerd. The upstairs bedrooms are a bit compromised with the inclusion of a third, but still fine. Also upstairs laundry.
    I wonder if this is a case where the staircase configuration and location has helped out in a townhouse plan.
    Well spotted.
    I thought is was Castillo as in “a man’s home is his …” – I see it is Castilla as in Castile.

  • Hawerchuk#10

    For Harold and Cathy I surely hope they are not bothered by climbing stairs daily to get anywhere in their unit of choice. This is a huge drawback in my opinion for an elderly couple looking to live any easy life.
    The Avila is my recommendation for the couple. The roof terrace offers more of an outdoor life and I do agree the functionality of this unit seems more conducive for them.
    I would score the two units respectively, Avila would be 11/20 and the Castilla would score 9/20.
    For me the edge had to go to the Avila simply because of one floor layout which I believe is more suitable for the needs of the clients.

  • Paula

    Neither of these units is good for older people.

    As we get older, stairs become more objectionable – they add a difficulty to life that just does not need to be in our homes. Even if Harold and Cathy currently live in a home with stairs, it should be part of their list of requirements that there be no stairs for daily use. It is nice to think that we will always be physically able but climbing stairs on a day when your knees or hips do not want to cooperate makes one grumpy, is time consuming, and takes a lot of energy.

    Because of this, the Avila does not even merit going through the exercise of the Slow Home test. You have to go up stairs just to get to the living quarters. Carrying groceries up the stairs and garbage down will quickly become a pain – and carrying the laundry up and down the stairs – yuck. And negotiating the spiral stairs up to the study can become a safety issue as well as creating a space that might not be accessible for long.

    Garages for both units seem a bit tight. As you get older it is nice to be able to swing the car door completely open for ease of getting out of the car. The car with the driver side up against the other car presents real problems: difficulty in getting out of the car and a lot of dings in the other car. Helping someone out of a car requires more space also. These are basically one car garages for an older person.

    If these homes are built for older people, I do not see attention given to the needs that people may (probably will) have as they age. Consider: walk-in showers, wider doorways, floors without wall-to-wall carpets.

    Based on just these considerations, neither can be rated by a future thinking older person if they consider the likely possibility that they might one day not even be able to get into either unit.

  • Cnick

    Avila

    Location-0
    Environmental Performance-3
    Siting-2
    Organization-0
    Entry-1
    Indoor living-0
    Outdoor living-0
    Kitchen-0
    Dining-0
    Bedrooms-1
    Bathrooms-1
    Study-1
    Laundry-1
    Parking-1

    I gave the Avila an 11/20. I didn’t like how there were two seperate staircases. That makes furniture arrangements tricky and takes up a lot of space in a small unit like this. The mezzanine is a nice feature in this unit. Like Paula said, this unit is worse than the other one as they age with the two sets of stairs. Especially the spiraling narrow staircase…this might be hard to use in the later years of their life making the mezzanine a completely unused room.

    Castilla

    Location-0
    Environmental Performance-3
    Siting-1
    Organization-1
    Entry-1
    Indoor living-1
    Outdoor living-0
    Kitchen-1
    Dining-0
    Bedrooms-1
    Bathrooms-1
    Study-1
    Laundry-1
    Parking-1

    I gave the Castilla a 13/20 on the slow home test. I like the entry on this unit and the small seperate laundry room . The big difference between this plan and the Avila is that the second bedroom in the Castilla is like a second master bedroom. It has a large bathroom off of the bedroom. All of this extra space devoted to the second bedroom could be a complete waste depending on the type of company they have and how often. Patio and balcony are far to small to be enjoyed properly though.

  • Allie G

    I’m going to put a vote in for the Castilla as well. Although I agree with everyone else that there must be some better choices out there, I’ve come to decide that it has the upper hand.

    I also agree that the stairs could be an issue for an elderly couple, but based on the needs of Harold and Cathy, I think it would be slightly more appropriate.

    I think the Castilla is optimal if you’re going to continuously have guests, with both main bedrooms having their own en-suite bathrooms. I also think it’s much better have the laundry on the second floor. Not only this but I think the kitchen/living room design are better than the Avila. I also prefer the Castilla as it allows much more privacy to the homeowner and the guests who may visit.

    Although on the Slow Home Test I rated both houses almost the same, because of the uses that Cathy and Harold have for the home, I think it’s an easy choice to take the Castilla.

  • Terri

    Matthew,
    I thought that D, the other end unit was better. Not perfect (entry is bad) but otherwise, more light and clearer organization. Murray has sort of agreed with me. The name of D is Dorada.

  • bbhorner

    This weeks “what house to buy?” was really fun with the addition of the characters. Perhaps we should do these more often.

    The Avila seems like the clear choice to me. I agree with the other posts that neither one is perfect but Cathy and Harold want a unit so they can cook, entertain friends and family, and enjoy the Florida weather and this unit delivers. It has a fairly large and efficient eat in kitchen so they can continue mastering their culinary skills. They have a spare bedroom for when guest visits and the bathroom is located nearby. Also the mezzanine area would be a big hit with the grandchild and also provide a space for them to stay that is out of the way and not on the couch. The three outdoor living spaces also provide them with many possible areas to soak in the Florida sun.

    Other advantages of this unit is that it is a corner unit with provides a lot of light. The living and sleeping area is all located on one floor which both they and their knees will appreciate in a couple of years. Also this unit provides both a bathtub and a shower, an option not available in the other unit.

    The only downside of this townhouse compared to the other is the location of the laundry room not being on the main level.

  • Catherine Taney

    Avila.
    First, in terms of these units I think that the stair climbing and old age comments, while completely valid, are moot point. Both units have some stairs to climb – either you’re doing it when you go out and come home, or you’re doing it when you go to and from bed. Further, if it was all about life after knee or back problems, then Harold and Cathy would be only looking at Ranch houses or elevator-accessed condominiums. While the personal elevator is an option, the idea of it just makes me cringe – the thought of everyone operating their own private lift is excessive (oh but what if the elevator was operated by geothermal action or by PV cells on the roof? – go read Thomas Homer Dixon’s The Ingenuity Gap).

    I think that in terms of living space, the Avila has a much better organization and is much less impacted by the requisite 2 car garage. The Castilla’s main floor is crammed into the front of the house, without even so much as a pause to take your shoes off before being thrust into the dining room or living room (depending on what door you entered). I agree with the Castilla’s obviously better kitchen layout, but I think that the dining space is rather questionable. The Avila’s dining space is completely open to the kitchen, but it will get much, much better light and air than the Castilla – and it won’t be cluttered up with junk from the back door. Yes, the Avila has a not-so-nice stair landing entry, but at least it’s separated from the main living area! Neither have a great outdoor space, but at least the Avila’s isn’t accessed through a bedroom. One nice thing about the Castilla is that the second bedroom is a full second master suite, which means that if you had a guest, they have a lot more privacy than in the Avila. That said, the Avila’s second bedroom is really more of a true guest suite and thus will not charge the same amount as that second, possibly overspec’d, possibly underutilized, master suite.

  • Hilda

    Hey All!
    I vote Castilla.
    While some people consider the place got eveything crammed together, if you look at it from another point of view, it’s easier access for the couple. Sides the two main points they are looking in their Townhouse is: Cooking space and Guest rooms. Castilla offers a better choice in the two areas. Since in the Avila, it feels like their guest won’t really have much of a privacy and the stair way access to the rootop looks really short on space.
    So detail wise, both houses needs some serious work, however when considering the points that Harold and Cathy are looking for in their retired home, Castilla comes out on top.
    I gave Castilla a 14, and Avila a 10.
    Cheers!

  • autobrad

    Autobrad: Harold and Cathy’s Realtor

    First unit: The Avila

    1 Location
    The walkability is poor unless Harold and Cathy plan on living only, virtually, on their island going to the pool and games room. 1

    2 Environmental Performance
    Good to see the level of attention paid to environmental considerations. Not sure if seniors care as much as younger generations so it is not a great selling feature. 3

    3 Siting
    The rooms in this home seem well organized. I like that the kitchen and dining are adjacent while the rest of the living seems private. Good if you entertain a lot. But the location of the house in the complex seems cramped and isolated. 0 .

    4 Organization
    The rooms are organized well. 2

    5 Entry
    Good size entry but too many stairs for seniors. 0

    6 Indoor Living
    The organization is good. 1

    7 Outdoor Living
    Having the balcony and patio and mezzanine are a good way to sit and chill in the Florida heat. 1
    8 Kitchen
    The kitchen has all appliances and is great for cooking as it has a lot of space. Looks like you could hang a pot rack and even put in a chopping block. 1
    9 Dining
    A good size space for furniture arrangement and a larger table that seats 6 or more. I don’t like that the fridge is outside the perimeter of the kitchen table. It would feel like you are eating in the kitchen 1

    10 Bedrooms
    I like how the bedrooms are situated but the bathroom across from the guest bedroom might provide for some shocking midnight rendevous with naked guests scurrying across the hall to the bathroom. The bedrooms are a good size but the lack of windows in the “owner” bedroom seems too little to let in that Florida fresh air. 1
    11 Bathrooms
    The bathrooms are an adequate size, especially for the Harold and Cathy’s bathroom, although the natural lighting is poor. 1
    13 Laundry
    The laundry is cramped and down the stairs. Too many stair trips for seniors unless Harold and Cathy are mountain climbers. 0
    14 Parking
    The two car garage is great but do retired seniors usually have two cars? Perhaps the extra space could be for water toys and golf clubs. 1

    I thought the Avila was not a great unit for them. It has good space and scores well on the SHT but when you take the buyers into consideration it is not that good for seniors because of the stairs.

    Onto the ‘Castilla’

  • autobrad

    ps_ I scored the ‘Avila’ a generous 13

  • PeterB

    The Castilla gets my vote ahead of the avila. First of all, the general organization works nicer in the castilla considering the private attached guest bathroom. In the Castilla’s guest bathroom there is also a shower rather than a bathtub which is what is found in the avila. I feel older couples depending on their health would not like to have to step into a tub in order to wash up. The castilla also wins because of the amount of storage it possesses, which is almost double the avila. As well the kitchen/dining area in the Castilla looks roomier than that of the Avila as you arn’t forced to sit in the kitchen area.

    I gave the Castilla an 11 and the Avila a 9

  • MarisaM

    After reviewing both homes and scoring them according to the Slow Home test, I choose the Castilla!

    The Aliva and Castilla both scored 15/20 but had different problems with each layout.

    The Castilla I found troubles with the entry (there really wasn’t one) for either the garage or front door, with no storage space. I thought the living room was well-laid out and could be re-arranged easily unlike the Aliva was cut with staircases.

    The Castilla’s had nicely laid out bedrooms but wasted space in both bathrooms, since they both had double sinks. Neither townhomes had a studies.

    I choose the Castilla because I love the kitchen lay out, its effective and can hold the two of them cooking together in one space. Also there was a terrace but by the looks of the grounds they can easily walk and enjoy the outdoors that way.

  • Matthew North

    Terri – I had a look at the floor plan for the Dorada and I agree with your assessment that this unit would be better for harold and Cathy. The kitchen and dining layout is more appropriate for their lifestyle. the only downsides that I see from this is the higher price and the extra bedroom, which Cathy may perceive as a burden if she gets too many guests at once!

  • autobrad

    I think Harold and Cathy are really going to like the ‘Castilla’.

    I gave it a 14 nearly 15. I think the layout is much more suitable for Harold and Cathy because, firstly, the kitchen, dining and living area is configured well for entertaining with all three together. I like the size and separate nature of the bedrooms compared with the Avila. The laundry room is better suited for seniors but there are still a lot of stairs. I question the size of the walk-in closets and the joined space is big enough to be another room. Still, not sure about the need for two cars but maybe because the walkability is so bad although having two cars detracts from the fairly green environmental footprint of the unit. The entry way is poorly designed as it goes straight into the unit…no real room for greeting guests. Is the entry closet the lines above the stairs or is there none? Or perhaps that is the job of the covered balcony? I like that both bedrooms have attached baths as that solves the naked guest problem. Overall I think this is the best unit for Harold and Cathy.

  • JPHH

    So I scored them both at 13 points. I picked the Castilla because Harold and Cathy like to cook and have people over. The kitchen in this unit provides lots of space to prepare food and a eating bar for guests to sit and talk. The front has lots of windows so there would be plenty of natural light. I also like that the guest room would be more private and has a separate bathroom. One down fall to this unit is the entry as there isn’t one. The other unit being an end unit should have more windows in the living room and kitchen area. The first floor has more windows then the main living floor. The nice thing about this unit is the outdoor living which is not present in the Castilla.

  • Deng

    They both received very similar scores (14- Avila and 13- Castila)
    The Avila has quite a bit of outdoor living- the terrace and balcony- which the couple would love but the house as a whole for a retired couple would be a hindrance on their daily activities. Such as downstairs laundry room, L-shaped kitchen and the many stairs. This home is the corner lot which is one shared wall- this is a positive.

    Castilla has the better kitchen and laundry space. Although, the parking impedes on the house as a whole and the power room is in an awkward location.

    Both entry spaces are poor: stairs in Avila and no space in Castila.

    For a retired couple with similar age friends, I would choose the Castilla. It has the less amount of circulation and more efficient space.

  • Tiffany

    My vote goes to the “Castilla”. I feel that it is the better buy for
    Harold and Cathy, especially given their requirements for cooking and entertaining. The kitchen and dining room are heads above the Avila. The bedrooms are more conducive to adult guests (likely their children are grown and any other guests would be adults). I think that it is also very important to consider the location of the laundry room, near the bedroom is a major asset. Additionally, I feel that they both have lots of stairs, but in the Castilla you are not forced to go up stairs immediately and thus allows for guest to visit that may not be in the same great shape that Harold and Cathy are in.

  • Bell604

    I feel that Castilla would be the better buy for this couple, if the couple had no other choice but to choose from these two homes. If they did have another choice, they should keep looking.
    Castilla allows for most of the living to be on the same level, minimizing the amount of travel between levels. However, having two master suites in a retiree facility seems strange.
    For a younger couple, I would suggest the Avila, as it is has the roof top terrace. The terrace provides more outdoor living space that would be important to people living in Florida.
    Both plans generated a 14 slow home score, and on that level are equal. Each plan also shares its own downfalls.

  • Grace Coulter

    Sorry for the late post everyone. There has been a lot of interesting discussion already and its hard to not get swayed but what I am reading. I wrote my response before going over the discussion so please forgive the repetition.
    Castella gets my props for having a garage in the back but the entry into the dining room is a remarkably poor design decision. Similarly there is no front entry. The toilet under the stairs in interesting but I would wonder what the height restriction would mean (is a 6’ person smacking their head to sit down?). Overall the front level is cramped but smaller furniture for only two people could help this. Downsize the dining table and the space will seem less cramped. Not having windows in the dining space is a big drawback of having the parking at the back….something to consider. The second floor is a lot better in my opinion. Its too bad the balcony is in the front though.
    Avila is also very cramped for a space. I think homes should be small without looking or feeling small. The spiral stairs to the roof are interesting….Not my style but efficient for the space. Also I love the use of the roofspace. Personally this is so important for me I can start to overlook the poor entry, cramped living room and tiny kitchen because in this climate it is like having another room because of the climate. I don’t like the two bedrooms pressed against each other but because this is an elder couple maybe they would use this only occasionally or as a study. That is one strange little balcony off the second level though. Not sure what the architect was thinking but at least you could put a bit of furniture out there…..The light quality in the living room is also poor.
    This is an extremely difficult decision, complicated more by trying to meet the needs of actual clients. I think the outdoor space is critical as these people are obviously retiring somewhere for the climate so I am going with Avila but I would have a hard time endorsing either project as professional designer.

  • Kadoman

    I scored the Avila at a 13 and the Castilla at 9.

    Avila
    I felt this unit had better siting but poorer organization. I also found the entry and indoor living to be separting points from the Castilla.

    Castilla
    This unit suffered because it is an interior unit. It lost organization and siting points because of this. Very little natural light in places, and shared walls make the negatives. Though, overall I think the unit is better designed.

    The kitchen and the better living and dining spaces (the Avila didn’t really have a dining space) were the lynch pin factors for me. Even though I scored it lower, the Castilla should be the unit the empty nesters go for. It does the things they want it to, better. Even down to the larger guest bathroom and powder room on the main level. And last but perhaps not least, the fact that this aging couple won’t have to carry groceries up a flight of stairs every time they want to cook a meal for guests, let alone themselves.

  • Dan M

    I’m also going to say stairs are an issue here for older retirees, the avila is better plan in my opinion (they both score about the same on the slow home test from me), BUT as there are older people I cannot say I’d recommend either, especially considering the spiral stairs in the avila plan are asking for broken hips later on… The benefits of the avila are that everything is basically on the one level (except parking and laundry and garbage), which improves efficiency and flow. The openness is really useful here as well, the mezzanine is kind of useless to this couple though, again stair issues for me. If this were for a young couple or small family I could easily recommend it as a consideration, but I’m not sure of the accessibility into the future for an older couple, I’d need to be convinced that they are in really good shape.

    It is refreshing to finally see a developer who extols environmental performance as a selling point in Florida!

  • nicole

    Avila – score of 13

    1- Location 0, not Walkable
    2- Environmental Performance 3 (Should market this more predominantly!)
    3- Siting 2
    4- Organization 2
    5- Entry 0 no closets
    6- Indoor Living 0- not much of a connection to the outdoors, no focal point
    7- Outdoor Living 1 – small balcony shown
    8- Kitchen 0 feels stretched out
    9- Dining 0- small
    10- Bedrooms 1
    11- Bathrooms 1– main bath a bit small for storage, but storage may not be needed
    12- Study 1 – no study
    13- Laundry 1 (concern with it being in the ‘basement’)
    14- Parking 1

    Little bit concerned with the stairs at the entry-for a retired couple, that amount of stairs might be too much.
    Very few windows in the space.

    Castila – score of 12 (even though this scored lower, this would be my choice for the couple. Better kitchen and living layout.

    1- Location 0, not Walkable for the clients (not going to work every day)
    2- Environmental Performance 3 (Should market this more predominatly!)
    3- Siting 2
    4- Organization 2
    5- Entry 0 no closets, and
    6- Indoor Living 1- not much of a connection to the outdoors (just the front windows on the main floor)
    7- Outdoor Living 0 – small balcony shown, but covered – so may infringe on the sunlight
    8- Kitchen 1 Placement of the fridge feels off
    9- Dining 0 Would be nice to have a window, but because of the inner unit and only front windows
    10- Bedrooms 0 Very large closet and bath for the guests, which would probably not be used that often. Wasted circulation space in owners suite #1
    11- Bathrooms 1– guest bath is very large (for not being used very often). Appreciate the powder room on the main floor
    12- Study 1 – no study
    13- Laundry 1 -better location than the avila
    14- Parking 1- but takes up window space being on the main floor

  • SangeetaG

    My scores turned out to be 14 for both Avila and Castilla.

    Considering the client and their lifestyle choices, I would recommenced the Castilla for a few good reasons.

    I know three or four senior couples and for a fact, no matter how many features a house provides, at the end of the day they want to live in a home that has a direct connection to the outdoors, as less circulation as possible, and ease of access to the kitchen, laundry and other areas that are used often. For me, Castilla does all of these right.

    Although the Castilla is located between other units, the spaces are larger in the living room and bedrooms. I think the kitchen is not a bad size. It looks constricted because of the larger dining table. I gave a point for the dining room thinking, like the Avila, they can put in a four chair dining table.

    Circulation – Oh my. The number of stairs in the Avila will certainly be inconvenient for Harold and Cathy. If they want to go to the outdoor patio or do laundry, they will always have to come down a flight of stairs. The Castilla in this case has direct access to the outdoor patio from the main living areas. They can easily come out on the patio for drinks and enjoy the outdoors while entertaining guests it acts a little outdoor deck for them.

    I do think that the entry in the Castilla is not well defined but the home has a good wide space behind the living room seating for circulation upon entry. The entry feels more breathable than the one in Aliva, where the problem of stairs upon entry persists, making it a uncomfortable tight space. The upstairs laundry is in a great location in the Castilla, the couple will not have to go down for laundry, it is easily accessible form the bedroom.

    I really believe that the couple will find the access from the garage and entry shared with the living and kitchen area in the Castilla really convenient for them. Although the scores are the same for Avila and Castilla, it really comes down to how easy the couple will find to circulate in the house and entertain visitors.

  • Alison G

    The Castilla gets my vote almost purely based on the location of the laundry. As retirees – ie presumably older with impending physical limitations – the laundry in the basement is a nightmare, if not a looming accident. I also think the kitchen and living area is more suitable for entertaining, as is the substantial guest suite. The Castilla also has adequate outdoor space – with the spiral stairs the Avila’s mezzanine might become unusable with mobility issues.

  • Jessica

    I won’t give a play by play of my slow home scoring, but suffice it to say that I believe the Avila is most livable for Harold and Kathy–at least for the early years of their retirement.

    While Castillo’s kitchen has a better layout, the Avila kitchen does not have a direct garage door entry–I think this is a significant discrepancy. If the clients have identified outdoor living as a priority, the Avila’s plan provides this both with the balcony off the master suite, and the rooftop garden accessible from the main living space. Laundry placement is admittedly poor, but a quick glance at the Castillo second floor plan reveals a significant portion of floor space devoted to walk-in closets. This could be advantageous to retirees who are downsizing, but I think it also is indicative of wasted living space.

    The Avila’s plan is, while certainly not perfect, better suited to Harold and Kathy’s desires.

    (PS I like the new ‘character’ spin–makes the exercise more sincere).

  • Neogi

    My vote goes to the Avila, however both plans scored 14 on the slow test. I fell that the Avila really has that outdoor terrace working towards it while the Castillo’s kitchen is really pleasant so i think the perfect home for them would be the Avila and the reason for me choosing that is, you can definitely change the kitchen of the home to make better efficient and to meet their lifestyle while its harder to add outdoor space to a townhouse. Another point is that the Avila is a corner unit which allows them to add more windows to the space if required. Another think that i would have to disagree with John and Matthew would be about the spiral staircase, i think a spiral stair case (if done correctly) can be act as a type of sculpture is a room, thus adding to the room’s character. There is nothing more trendy than a metal spiral staircase in a contemporary/ modern living space. I also like how there is a balcony that accessible from the public living space unlike the other plan and this house also has a more defined foyer. One of the main flaws that i really disliked in the castillo’s plan was the garage entrance into the kitchen or the front entrance into the living space. There is no defined space for the foyer. The bedrooms/baths were both relatively equal in both plans. In conclusion i would hight recommend that they purchase the Avila and put in a few renovations to the public space(kitchen and windows in the living room) to personalize it. The roof top terrace is and corner unit is unbeatable.

  • DJS

    Avila got a 14
    Castilla got a 12

    While the organization and kitchen space of the Avila isn’t great, it offers great ourdoor living and lots of light along with a nice entrance. The Castilla has almost no light due to the fact that it’s an interior unit also it has no real outdoor living. I would choose the Avila since it has way more light nice outdoor living a good entrance and an ok sized kitchen.