Comparing Single Family Houses In Miami

Posted on: May 18th, 2010 | 46 Comments

This is Day 119 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 single family houses in Miami, and today we are going to compare two single-family houses in the community of Ventanas Del Sol.

For today’s “Which House Should I Buy?” design exercise, we would like you to review these two houses that have had their prices greatly reduced due to the collapse of the Miami housing market. We know that there are significant problems with these properties, but we are still interested to know which one you think would be the better real estate choice, if you had to make a decision between the two of them.

This exercise is timely, because in the weekend edition of the New York Times, we came across an article by David Streitfeld titled “Building Is Booming in a City of Empty Houses” which looks at why construction is ramping up to full speed in both Miami and Las Vegas when so many existing homes are still sitting vacant due to the economic collapse. We think this points to a significant problem and we need the Slow Home Movement to draw attention to this issue! We would like to hear your opinions about this article – post a comment and let’s have a discussion.

The two houses we are comparing today are the “Carisma“, which is 2,246 sq ft and has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was $357,900 but has since been reduced to $210,900.

The second house is the “Brillante” which is 2,010 sq ft and has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It has also been reduced in price from $335,447 to $205,900.

These seem like amazing deals, so if someone asked for your guidance as to which house they should buy, what would you tell them?

When you are ready, click on the player below and have a look at what John and Matthew think of these properties and what scores they gave them on the Slow Home Test.

Make sure to join us tomorrow for the “Design Project” episode where we will be taking a badly designed single family home in Miami and re-working it to make it much better!

  • Murray

    [img]ventanasdelsolcarisma.jpg[/img]

    I don’t wish to take away from the general point of the exercise, however I believe we have the wrong location for the “Carisma”.
    The SH Communities Hot Deals lists it as unit 43A – this is the lot I have circled on the attached image. The listing says “oversized lot” but the house at the end of the cul-de-sac doesn’t seem to match the Carisma floor plan – I am focusing on the distinctive notch off the living room – this is apparent in the Google Map image for this house off to the right side.

  • MollyK

    I actually submitted the Carisma yesterday with a score of 3/20.
    I submitted the Aurora (the 1-car version of the Brillante) with a score of 6/20.

    First, it is important to note that the actual conditioned square footage for the Carisma is 1709 and 1530 for the Brillante. So these aren’t “big” homes. The square footage mentioned in today’s exercise includes the garages, patios, and covered entries which are not conditioned spaces.

    My scores were lower because I didn’t chose the same lots which certainly plays to the notion that lot orientation is a key factor in “slowness.”

    I stand firm in the belief that closets are essential to entries and that neither plan should receive a point in this category.
    My other main area of contention is the dining space. Although the dining table in the Carisma has a view into the backyard, it floats with 360 degrees of circulation around it. It feels like a traffic median…that can’t be slow.

    (It is beyond my comprehension how such small square footage could initially command such a large price tag…ok, got that off my chest.)

    The sale price difference between the two homes is only $5000, with the Carisma having an additional 179 square feet of conditioned space and a larger lot for better privacy. Carisma would appear to be a better deal than Brillante, unless the lake view usurped everything…which it could do, depending on the personal whim of the buyer.
    Given that neither floorplan comes anywhere close to slow I would pick Carisma for the reasons I mentioned above.

  • John Brown

    Murray,
    Thanks for this.

    We looked at the site plan on the project’s website and thought we had the right lot number. I see that the link to the project website is missing. I will have it added this morning so that everyone can look at the site plan. If we are wrong then everyone can adjust their scoring accordingly on the test. I appreciate your diligence.

  • MollyK

    Murray,
    What great sleuthing…this could change everything. Thanks so much for your “eagle eyes.”

  • Allie G

    I believe that the Carisa is a badly organized house. The way the floor plan is designed, it almost seems like there can be no real flow through the house, but that every room seems to be disjointed. There isn’t really any distinction between the living room, family room, and dining room, only however the buyer decides to situate furniture around the house. The entrance is plain and has no closet space at all and almost seems to be wasted space. As with so many lots I’ve seen in Miami, the garage is overbearing and takes up a lot of space which could have been utilized better. And I’m definitely not a fan of the laundry being only accessible through the garage.

    The Brillante has many of the same issues, in my opinion. The transitions between the rooms is slightly inconvenient/odd, but I prefer how the garage is situated, it doesn’t seem to waste as much space as the garage in the Carisa. I find it quite odd that the kitchen is sectioned off by walls, which seems to isolate the room, and probably decreases the amount of natural light which could flow through to the dining room. It also seems as though the dining room is shoved into a small corner, and would probably not be very light or attractive. Again, I believe that the entrance is wasted space and does not provide any storage room, and I am not fond of the laundry being situated in the garage (but maybe I’m too picky). I agree with John and Matthew that both master bathrooms are a disaster in both houses… but I think we all will.

    Overall, again, I agree with John and Matthew and would choose the Carisa house for two reasons – the lot size, which allows more privacy, and that there is open space which will allow light to more easily access even to the very middle of the house. I always need a bright house or else it feels like a well-decorated dungeon :)

  • Matt B

    If Murray is correct, this changes how I would rate the Charisma, due to the closer spacing with neighbors and side yards. That being said, the lack of good daylighting on Brilliante (kind of ironic) is the deal breaker for me. I can’t imagine eating breakfast in a dungeon! In the end, if I had to choose one of the two, even with the smaller side yards factored in, I would pick Charisma.

  • Terri

    I still don’t see a link to the project website to check out Carisma’s location, but it probably doesn’t change much in my rating since I already gave 0 for siting. Even though Brillante got 2 for this category, there were so many other problems with it, that it lost to Carisma anyway–Carisma is the one I’d recommend (I gave it a 7).

  • Alejandro

    Hi all! Just found a link worth sharing – it’s about Miami-Dade county’s first LEED Platinum accredited home. The interview is with the owner and architect.
    http://florida.green-real-estate.com/video/Miamis-First-LEED-Platinum-Hous

  • Terri

    After watching John and Matthew’s commentary on these plans, I realize that I had the two houses switched. This changed my score for Carisma to an 8 (added 2 for siting, removed 1 for bedrooms).
    As for the Brillante, I felt it didn’t deserve marks for siting just because it enjoys a lake view–it’s too close to its neighbours, IMO. The only window/patio door facing that view is moderate in size. I also marked down for outdoor living for the same reason–it’s difficult to access that patio door (final score for this house is 3). The Carisma offers far better access to that covered patio. Now that I realize that covered patio is facing south, I see why it’s covered as it is (didn’t make sense for west light).

    As for Carisma, I also felt that they’d missed an opportunity to put the master at the south end instead of using that space for a closet and bathroom, but now I see that it would make the house cooler to not have the bedroom getting south light. The Brillante, on the other hand, will get hot west sun into its master bedroom. Neither situation is ideal in that climate.

  • Terri

    Re: David Streitfeld’s NY Times article on the building boom in Las Vegas.

    I’m thinking that this must be a temporary blip based on gov’t incentives and the current investor climate (bidding on repossessed homes being so hot). What is going to happen when those investors can’t rent those homes? They can’t just keep building houses to fuel an economy. You have to recoup those costs eventually, and at some point there won’t be buyers, I’d think.

    So, although this current trend sounds crazy to me, I can’t see it lasting all that long. (But then, what do I know? I’m no economist!) It’s still troubling to learn that the new homes are incorporating even more unnecessary features such as elevators just because the labour and other costs are lower right now. There is no end to human want, it seems.

  • MollyK

    John & Matthew,
    A great article by David Streitfeld. My initial thought is why?…why do the real estate agents and developers think continued building is smart? Well, I concluded that just like anybody trying to make a living they are motivated to (#1) sell houses for their livelihood and (#2) satisfy customer desires for home ownership. Somewhere down on the list is the notion of scaling back the new developments to reduce the housing surplus and strengthen the industry (and ultimate help the economy). You know for most of them it is in the back of their minds but it isn’t at the top of their list.

    I wish there was more incentive to demolish aging, energy-hog homes in neighborhoods that have good sized lots and are located close to amenities. This seems more prevalent in urban centers, but in smaller cities and towns you can find old neighborhoods that could be revitalized in much the same way.

  • MollyK

    Alejandro,
    Thanks for finding and posting the link to the LEED home in Miami. My husband was explaining the construction of the concrete walls to me just this morning. (I wanted to understand insulation ratings better.) The nice thing (besides the energy savings) is that the walls are constructed in such a way that the outcome can be a traditional-looking home or something more modern. This is a good selling point if the homeowner wants to go “green” yet maintain a traditional look to the home.
    Thanks again…I really enjoyed it.

  • JessicaD

    I think the Carisma is a better buy. The flow of the home is much nicer, the spaces are more efficient and the patio provides a great connection to the outdoors! Bedroom 3 would provide a great office/study with tons of natural light and a private location. The Brillante has a good size entry with a closet and a slightly smaller kitchen, which is a more efficient use of space. Neither home is perfect, but at the reduced price the Carimsa isn’t a bad deal.

  • BradW

    OK, last week I was ranting about about everybody was scoring homes to high and now I am thinking you guys are being a little harsh. I don’t know but am thinking that room by room these places aren’t so bad – certainly not deserving of a 2 or a 3. Throw in a mark or two from the overall categories and you could easily be in the 9 or 10 rating for each of these homes. I must be in a good mood this week! Anyway, I like the Carisma kitchen, dining and family space. I would prefer if the master bedroom was at the rear as in the Brilliante. For me I would choose which ever one had the best lot but based solely on room by room a slight edge to the Carisma.

  • Alejandro

    Thanks Terri, glad you enjoyed it.
    I have to go with the Brillante. My main reasoning for this is access to views and light. In the Carisma the master bathroom and closet are against the rear wall of the house, a rather unsuitable place for them since it means that the master bedroom has to look at the neighbors. The family room connects much better to the outdoors in the Brillante and is connected nicely to the kitchen. The living room, while suffering from the same sideyard condition in both plans, isn’t cut through in the Brillante plan. It also looks like the entry to the Brillante could have a closet if you reversed the storage in the garage to be storage for your coats/umbrellas/dog leashes. Anyone else notice how bad the laundry space is in both? I’m also thinking that the Brillante could accomodate an addition on the left side to put in a proper laundry room, expand the cramped kitchen, and have a more spacious family room (costly, I know, but with the savings you get off the price of the home you could do something I suppose).

  • Tiffany

    So reading the posts and based on my own analysis I think that this exercise is coming down to the lots. We can all agree that neither house is great and deep down they are actually fairly similar in the layout. Each of the houses has elements that work better and a hybrid of the 2 would likely be fairly good. Therefore, my decision comes down to the lot, and as with most people I would choose the over-sized lot (and in turn the Charisma).
    Also, I agree with MollyK that the entries should not receive points due to their lack of closets.

  • bbhorner

    The slow home test results for the two homes are:

    Carisma – 10/20 (differing from John and Mathew on Bedrooms. I don’t mind the side window in the master bedroom on a large lot. However switching the master bedroom and bathroom would be better)
    Brillante – 8/20

    Of the two houses, the Carisma to me is the better choice. It has the oversized lot with additional room on the sides and in the back. The lake view would be nice but since the houses are so close together it is not the best option. In the Carisma I quite like the back entry with the covered terrace and think it is a nice transition between outside and inside. Of the two master bathrooms I also feel that the Carisma’s is better, however I would switch the locations of the master suite and ensuite. The living areas are better laid out in Carisma and seem to be appropriate sizes and have nice flow, unlike the family room in the Brillante. So in the end, go for the Carisma because you will be happier in the long run.

  • Hilda

    Going with the minority currently and saying that I like the organization of the rooms better than Carisma, it still needs work, but there are opportunities for great lighting in the house. Both houses got strong sense of people movements, but that Carisma make me feel I will be working in the dark most of the time.

  • Catherine Taney

    Interesting tidbits:

    May 20/2010 Miami’s new zoning code and growth plan goes into effect. The video on Saturday (which was great I might add) seems right on schedule. If anyone knows of the “New Urbanist” community Seaside, FL, the town was master planned by DPZ Architects. They were selected by the City of Miami back in 2004 to be the prime consultants for the overhaul of the City’s zoning code and future plan. The new code is a dramatic change from being land-use based to form-based. This means more multi-use, more phasing of projects, and a denser urban fabric.
    According to the Miami21 description:

    It is further the purpose of the Miami 21 Code to promote the public health, safety, morals, convenience, comfort, amenities, prosperity, and general welfare of the City and to provide a wholesome,serviceable, and attractive community,including without limitation protection of the environment; conservation of land,energy and natural resources;improved mobility; more efficient use of public funds; greater health benefits of a pedestrian environment; historic preservation; provision of recreational and open spaces; reduction of sprawl; and improvement of the built environment and human habitat.

    Sounds Slow doesn’t it? I highly suggest checking this out since it is very similar to changes made in other cities, and comes at a key time! Since the crash caused a halt to a lot of growth on the edge of our cities, this is a perfect time to demand change through policy. Coupled with our growing ability to scrutinize plans with the goal of becoming better consumers (IMO), good policy doesn’t curb growth it channels it to make better communities.

    I admit that this is a passion of mine and I’m up a bit on my soapbox, but this kind of thing is an important correlate to the Location and Environmental Performance points on the test, and as well has an impact on built form and cost. Under this new code, there is likely to be more, smaller, better located, infill type projects like we saw with Cherokee or Rock Row (just to name two). Fingers crossed, of course.
    Here’s the links!

    From the Architects
    http://www.dpz.com/pdf/0425-Miami21ProjectDescription.pdf

    The official site
    http://www.miami21.org/

    A small explanation of Form-based code from 1000 Friends of Florida
    http://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/planning/miami21.doc

  • Tara

    Initally I had stronger feelings about the Brilliante. However, once I stared to disect the spaces more, I think I would have to go with Carisma.
    The circulation and organization are better in the Carisma because you are not walking through the centre of spaces as much.
    The Brilliante has a space carved out for the dining area moreso than the Carisma, but the lack of natural light in the area makes it a bad space.
    I agree with others that the locations of the master bed and bath should be switched.
    Living rooms in both spaces are without major light sources which is a shame. If garages were detached at back, the light issue would be improved. I supposed if I lived in them I would spend most of my time in the family rooms which are well lit and the living room would be widely unused.

  • BradW

    I have heard some people actually don’t have maid service and, therefore, must use a vacuum cleaner, mop, ironing board and iron. Could somebody tell me where these things can be stored in these houses?

  • Hawerchuk#10

    Well to decide which I would purchase was a difficult one. The Brilliante won out simply because of the lake access. In this case the choice is taking the leftovers or going hungry I would claim. I dislike both floor plans with very problematic organization and layout design. The walk ability issues also is undesirable. Not too much to like about either dwelling. The two bedrooms off the main entrance. The one positive is the bathroom in the middle offsetting each room.
    Kitchen is not a good size, needs to be larger.

  • cnick

    The first thing that I found odd with the Carisma is the circulation of the house. I did not like the fact that you had to walk through the living room in order to access the main node area of the house (kitchen, family room, eating area). I thought that would be intrusive if people were already in the living room and someone’s kids friends came over or in situations like that. I would also have to agree with the kitchen being way to closed off with that slanted wall facing the living room. It would make more sense to push the kitchen out so that could be a potential island counter if you moved some appliances. Then instead of walking through that living room there, you could move a dining room into that corner area which would allow for walking space through to the family room/kitchen area. The family room could be then moved to where the old dining room was located. The master suite is very awkward at the back of the house and discourages the house owners from walking into their backyard from their master bedroom and enjoying a potential deck of their were french doors leading from the bedroom outside. Instead it discourages this as noone is going to go through their bathroom out to their backyard.

    The Brilliante is better as there is an area to walk towards the kitchen and family room area of the house without walking through the middle of a living room. There should only be one family/living room in the house as one will not be used and it is a waste of space to have two. Living rooms are never used and simply places for old antique furniture that isnt comfortable or attractive. If these two rooms were combined, it would make more sense to move the dining nook which is currently not located near any windows towards the back of the house facing the backyard. The small bit of excess space saved by combining the living and family room may allow for a smaller bathroom with just a toilet and sink. This could be a third washroom in the house for everyone and then the bathroom between the 2 bedrooms could be converted into a jack and jill bathroom accessible by the bedrooms only. It doesnt make sense to have your company use a bathroom that is home to many personal hygiene products of the kids living in those two bedrooms. Its better for them to have a separte bedroom.

    In the end though, I would pick the Brilliante.

  • SangeetaG

    In my review, the Carisma scored 10 on the slow home test which definitely gives the home an upper hand compared to the Brillante that scored an 8.

    I found the location of both homes problematic for its close proximity to the freeway. The homes could be subject to noise from these high traffic roads.

    Both the homes in my opinion had fair siting and organization. I personally don’t like gated communities that isolate itself from the rest of the neighborhood. Given that, I consider the homes to have good relationship to its neighboring homes. The Brillante home has good views to the lake. On the inside, both homes have separated private/public spaces.

    I did find the master bedrooms, the master baths and the walk in closet to be extra large in both homes. In the Carisma, the fact that the entrance to the master bedroom is through the dining area was a little bit of a concern to me. So much for a private entrance! I too, like some of the comments before, would have preferred an entrance closet in both homes. The Brillante has a notched wall inside the garage, that would’ve been a good closet size for the foyer instead.

    Kitchens have been the main design focus of many homes that I’ve comes across. In the case of Carisma, it surprising how they completely closed of the kitchen to the dining area and the living space. It would have been nice to have an open bar area facing the dining, of course, with some adjustment of the floor area and rearrangement of the appliances, fridge and sink. In the Brilante, I think the kitchen is crammed and has too many awkward walls making it difficult to really do justice to anything in that space. For example, there’s really no point of that super narrow pantry.

    Hence, I would go with the Carisma if I really had to go for one, for its organization, clean circulation between spaces and lesser wasted space than the Brillante.

  • Terri

    Hawerchuk#10,
    I agree with you on Organization. The bedrooms and living areas are somewhat separate (especially by the hallway to the two front bedrooms), but the master bedrooms are badly located off the family room (Brillante more than Carisma). But what about the travelling through the living, then dining areas to bring groceries to the kitchen, or going from the family room to the bathroom, or from anywhere to the laundry, or… No matter how you slice it, the Organization is poor, IMO.

    Brad,
    Take another look at the Brillante”s kitchen…How do you like the position of the sink beside the stove? You can’t see this as adequate, surely? BTW, I completely agree with you about the lack of storage. The garage will end up being one big mess, I’m willing to bet.

  • Deng

    I like the location and the lot size of Carisma compared to Brillante however, I thought the orientation of the bedrooms were far better in Brillante than Carisma.
    In Carisma, the master bedroom opened directly into the dining room and the transition into private space into public space is too sudden for me. I also agree with Matthew that the dining room table is an obstruction to the circulation of the house.
    Also in Carisma, the master bedroom and bedroom 2 share a similar wall, which causes some privacy issues for me. If the master bathroom switched locations with the master bedroom, the washroom would act as a noise barrier without spending any extra costs noise reduction materials.
    I do like the orientation of the bedrooms in Brillante than Carisma but I choose Carisma for its location.

  • Athena

    I got 6/20 for the Carisma. I found that they shouldn’t have put the walk in closet and bathroom at the back of the house since the bedroom could have been there and would’ve had a nicer window view. I thought the Dining Room disrupted the flow, and the kitchen counter space was not sufficient. Walk score was bad for both houses. Also, it’s odd how the laundry rooms are in both garages, this is very inconvienient.
    For the Brilliante the master suite and family rooms are in the back of the house which will provide better natural lighting and views. I don’t care for the kitchen since it’s closed in from the Dining and Living Room. Also the Dining Room is tucked away with no access to natural light, not a pleasant space. Also the shower in the master bath seems oddly placed.
    Thank you,
    Athena

  • Athena

    woops for the Brilliante I got 7/20!

  • MarisaM

    Both of the homes scores were very similar, with the Carisma scoring ten and the Brillante scoring eight. Initially looking beyond the houses layouts I would typically lean towards the over sized lot looking onto the green space. The other lot is appealing since it looks onto a lake but there would be much more recreational traffic and noise pollution coming from lake.

    Besides the lot location the Carisma layout would be my choice simply because it is better laid out than the Brillante. The Carisma had used many windows for natural light which would provide more than sufficient light through out the day. Although I found the front bedroom to front outer wall shape would be difficult to furnish but provide more than enough natural light. I noticed both bedrooms besides the master bedrooms are a good and proper size. I felt like the living room could have been taken out slightly farther since it has the inlet if it was farther away from the neighboring home.

    Overall I was unsatisfied with the location of the community and homes. The homes were positioned as far as possible from any essential services and could only be accessible by car. I am finding this more and more in Miami.

  • PeterB

    Both these house do have problems of course. Looking at lot size vs location, it’s hard to differenciate which i’d rather like because i don’t know whats past that green space and whether or not it would be more pleasant to look at than the water. For that purpose I’d probably go for lot size.

    The carismas layout is much better than the Brilliante. The weirdly located dining room could easily be swapped with the family room and make an oversized living/dining room, but i am by no means advocating this as a solution to the problem. I think it’s just better than it was.

    The garage laundry locations leaves a lot to be desired but that may just be personal choice. What sells the charisma over the brilliante is the lot size and semi open kitchen area. The kitchen of the brilliante seems too british and i dont think a hidden kitchen would be nice in any circumstance.

    With no other options i would choose the charisma over the brilliante strictly based on lot size and extra square footage for as little as $5000 dollars extra.

  • Bell604

    “Carisma” seems to be heavily divided, having bedrooms to the left, and family/living/kitchen on the right side. This home also has a bedroom off the foyer, which I really dislike, and don’t believe it could act functionally as a bedroom. Thus is should be labeled as a den/study. I dislike the two car garage also. The placement of the dinning room is strange, and seems like a last minute addition to the project.
    “Brillante” has the same problem with division down the middle. I don’t like this at all and think it takes away a lot of the flow that a house should have. The master suite is way to large, as it takes up about a quarter of the house, with the garage taking up another quarter. Bedroom wise, the two bedrooms seem nicely appropriated to themselves. However, they are segregated from the rest of the house. The living room is tucked in behind the kitchen. The kitchen is a good size, and has a good relationship with the dinning room.
    Overall, I like the “Brillante” layout better. However, I would not recommend either houses for purchase

  • Cat

    About the article…
    No one wants to live in a neighborhood that is full of vacant foreclosed homes. And evidently, buying a foreclosure is not an easy process. So, it’s not surprising that there is still a market for new homes. The question remains what will happen to the vacant foreclosed neighborhoods.

  • MarisaM

    I agree with the point on the kitchen in the Carisma house being dysfunctional although I believe that could be easily renovated. By moving the appliances to onto the two walls and ripping partially down the wall looking into the dining room would open the space up more. Therefore an island or oversized island could easily be added into the kitchen area. By changing around the kitchen it could greatly help the flow of the house and improve the kitchen work area.

  • Matthew North

    Welcome to all the new Slow Homers – there are a lot of new people posting today! We really appreciate you taking the time to contribute to the discussion.

  • Kyle

    If I was looking to purchase one of the two homes we are looking at today I would have to go with the second home, the Brillante. The Brillante floor plan has its master bedroom facing towards the lake and this would make for great viewing from both the master bedroom and the patio alike. The lake access I see as being more valuable than an over sized lot. I also like the fact that the master suite is isolated from the other bedrooms in the house, unlike the Carisma. This isolation can give the occupants of the master suite a noise buffer from the other bedrooms in the house. The foyer, garage, and entrances on both homes are similar and do not offer any advantages for either house in this area.

    One more aspect of the Brillante home which I believe would be enjoyable is that the patio and backyard face west and would receive enjoyable sunlight and heat towards the end of the day. This combined with lakeside access is enough alone to sway my vote towards the Brillante.

  • Kadoman

    I scored the Carisma 3/20 and the Brillante a 5/20

    I guess my decisions about siting and organization maybe didn’t agree with some peoples!

    For the Carisma I disliked the Organization. It seemed to me ther ewas wasted space, especially at the foyer entrance, with awkward circulation throughout the living room and dining room. I also find it odd to locate the master bedroom off the living room and thought the family room and dining room could have maybe been switched to get a better fit with the kitchen.

    I gave it a point for entry as the front entrance seemed appropriate though there is still no where to put anything! I also found the back entry straight into dining room awkward.

    I gave it zero for indoor living as the organization came across as poor with a dark entrance and side view rooms. Even on a bigger lot, it’s pretty much a view of your neighbor. Though the larger lot did mean better views for the rear rooms.

    I said the outdoor living was a problem as there was no real use of the larger lot. No patio, nothing really.

    The kitchen definitely has awkward angles but I gave it a point for the cupboard space, and positioning outside of the circulation (a rarity here!)

    As said before dining was a problem as there was circulation issues. Felt more like an oversized hallway.

    The bedrooms I felt were sufficient and deserved a point, even with one being a side view. Whereas the bathrooms I considered quite bad for the same reasons as John and Matthew.

    The study and laundry were prettymuch non-existant. Who wants to do laundry in the garage…

    I also gave it no parking points.

    The brillante suffered much of the same ailments I found. Though I gave it points for outdoor living as it has a lake view and a small patio to view it from. I also gave it indoor living points for the same reason.

    Although I found the kitchen awkward, I felt it deserved a point as it seemed to have adequate storage and work space. And was in a fairly appropriate spot.

    The bedrooms got points for being pretty standard. And I gave my first points for study, as they actually listed one and it has a window.

    Even though the scores say otherwise. I think I would choose the Carisma. The family room and Master Bedroom view of the lake in the Brillante are enticing though, as well as the seemingly better circulation. But the Carisma has a better kitchen, a bigger lot, a slightly less awkward Master Bathroom and a Master Bedroom separate from the family room.

  • Kadoman

    As per the article. I think the American Dream has been given a shot of steroids the past few decades. It seems that no longer is it enough to have a home, but it has to be the biggest and newest one can possibly get. Quite frankly, this is absurd. People are swayed too much by this notion and need to actually think about their choices, ala Slow Home.

    If people started to do this, they would have more fulfilled lives and longer lasting fulfillment. I personally think the empty neighborhood argument is a falacy. If one person joined the empty neighborhood it would be that much less empty, which correspondingly (according to the aforemention argument) would make it that much more desirable. As well, new developments would not have buyers, as they are empty by default, and who would then want to live in the empty new development.

    Truly, I think it is just the steroid infused version of today’s american dream that drives people to buy new, on a simple level. Ofcourse, there is more that play’s into it, but I really don’t think the lack of neighbors plays a role. After all, isn’t that massive estate home on the gigantic-lot-so-your-neighbors-don’t-annoy-you the ultimate steroid dream?

  • nicole

    Both houses scored 6 / 20 (Have to say that I find these colored plans distracting to read)

    Carisma
    _no storage in main bathroom
    _bedroom 2 lacks light
    _entry to mbr is off the dining. Would suggest revising this
    _could be reorganized to minimize circulation
    _no closets for either entry
    _living feels small, + not too sure about the connection to the exterior – not enough
    _outdoor living too small
    _Kitchen is not overly big, but is very dark and enclosed in
    _laundry located in the garage- not a very convenient location
    _walk in closet is enormous

    Brillante
    _no closets at the entries
    _outdoor living, too small
    _kitchen is better than the other, but still feels cramped
    _dining would be very dark + in the way of traffic
    _no storage in main bath + large wasted space in ensuite
    _again another large walk in closet (wasted corridor space)

    But if I had to choose, because there were only 2 houses available on the planet, I would choose Brillante.

    As for the article, it is not just in housing that people want ‘new’. We live in a throw away society. Why fix anything when we can just go down the street to replace the item we had.

  • JPHH

    Slow home test scores
    Carisma – 10
    Brillante – 9

    I found that both plans aren’t the best but I am going to pick the Carisma because it has a better flow through the house and I like the large kitchen. The only thing I would change would be to move the master bath to the other side of the room so that the master suite gets the view of the backyard. The large lot is also nice even if house 2 is lake front. Bedroom 3 would also make a nice study with all the windows at the front for natural light.

  • Grace Coulter

    Carisma versus Brillante
    ….
    I understand that these designs were both understood to be seriously lacking before they were picked and I must say its hard to choose a better home out of such disappointing options. I would like to see a similar exersize with two very good units in the near future.
    For today I am voting along with the majority Carisma is slightly better for reasons everyone has discussed above.
    This is my two cents.
    Cheers everyone

  • Hilda

    About the article…
    I find it interesting that as soon as a new community is planned for an undeveloped area, a strip mall is quick to appear. While it is essential, but it does begs the question: Once that Strip mall is fully developed, wouldn’t that attract more development in the area?
    Also, on a personal note, find it amusing that they (agents) see the lull of development as horror. Environmentally and city health wise, development isn’t that helpful in a long run.

  • Jessica

    Being pressed to choose between the Carisma and the Brilliant, I would go with the Brilliant. Having a south-facing lot is integral to the enjoyment of the indoor environment. A balmy Floridian climate not withstanding, we spend a great deal of time inside, and not only is the the siting of the Brilliant challenging to the Carisma (whose proximity to neighbours will impede the transmission of natural sunlight throughout the day–I think superseding proximity to water), but its floor plan presents several challenges where Brilliant (though not significantly superior) appears more successful.

    The focal space in the home–in both cases–is the dining room. In Carisma, this space is little more than a beefy corridor, lacking definition. Otherwise, problems with the plans exist simultaneously in both plans… laundry in garage, lack of storage space and entry closet, master suite entry from family room or dining room…

  • Neogi

    Both designs are somewhat disappointing, but if i did have to choose it would be the second house. The second house has a better foyer as it is wider and feels more spacious. The outdoor living space is a disappointment in the plan, its very small and doesn’t take full advantage of the south facing yard. The kitchen flows nicely to the family room and dinning room. The master bedroom and bathroom is a decent size, but the master closet is massive. Bedrooms 1 and 2 are decent sizes but are on the smaller side. The two car garage is questionable, since a one car garage would have have also worked considering the overall size of the house. The plan also has a lack of storage since the room are small and the entry has no coat closet.

  • Andrew

    Though clearly neither home is master piece, I would recommend Charisma over Brillante. One of the biggest difference I see between the 2 is the dining space. In Brillante, the dining space is a bit of a dead zone and feels a bit like it has been swept under the rug and ignored. But in Charisma I like how the dining space is oriented towards the covered terrace. And since this is Miami, I can see how activity in the dining space could be easily transitioned to the terrace, and vice versa. Furthermore, this terrace is large enough to accommodate some outdoor furniture while the patio in Brillante is really only large enough to fit a couple of seats. Other than the dining spaces and outdoor living spaces, the organization of both houses is quite similar and they suffer from the same problems.

  • DJS

    Carisma – 10

    Brilliante – 8

    Both have nice sized entries except no closets, Good sized bathrooms in both except Carisma has no storage. Brilliante has a poorly oriented living room since the window is facing another house there will be little natural light. Both have huge walk in closets which is a waste of space. Carisma’s garage is bad since the door opens outwards and both houses have A/C in garage. Overall Carisma scored better because you aren’t squeezed inbetween other houses giving it better siting and room scores.

  • bstone52

    I think that this contest rests entirely on location – Brillante on the green belt and Carisma on the lake. Due to these home’s similar square footage, I would discount the floor plan as a key player here due to their similar prices and instead focus on the orientation of the properties. To start, I would assume that the neighborhood is meant to be a “lake town” themed space, and any lake front property would retain higher value in the long run – Carisma being the choice here. Brillante on the other hand, is located with its backdoor facing a large greenbelt – scenic perhaps, but could there be plans for future expansion of surrounding developments possibly compromising the greenbelt itself?. Both lots are highly un-walkable and based simply on retention of value I would have to say that Carisma is the better choice here.