Comparing Single Family Homes In Philadelphia

Posted on: June 29th, 2010 | 20 Comments

This is Day 161 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 is our last week in Philly which means we are analyzing single family homes, and for today’s design exercise we present “Which House Should I Buy?”

For today’s “Which House Should I Buy?” episode, we need you to decide which of two houses would be the best real estate choice for Jose and Rosa. Jose and Rosa are a retired couple with a home based internet business. They want to live in a quiet, adult community and have their adult children visit and stay with them from time to time.

They have narrowed their search down to two options.the first is the “Westridge“, a 1,690 sq ft bungalow with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.

The second option is the “Stamford“, a 1,720 bungalow that also has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.

Both homes are located in the “Regency at Providence” development in Montgomery County.

We need you to study the floor plans and post a comment to the site about which you think would be the best home for Jose and Rosa and why. When you are ready, you can click on the player below to see which house John and Matthew think would be the better choice.

See you tomorrow for our Wednesday “Design Project” where we need you to re-work the floor plan of a badly designed single family house from Philadelphia and turn it into a Slow Home!

  • BradW

    Westridge – living area, kitchen and bedrooms have good access to light

  • MollyK

    Seems that Stamford would be the obvious choice given the study and the clients’ home-based internet business but a closer look reveals a less than satisfying organization.

    The organization in Westridge allows a more cohesive K/L/D area and no sideyard views from the bedrooms. However, I still worry about where Jose and Rosa will “set up” their business. John’s idea of using the dining room as a flex space is great unless the couple plans to entertain frequently and wants the dining room for that purpose.

    From the Slow Home point-of-view I would suggest the Westridge. However, given that I don’t have more information about the clients’ likes & dislikes I can’t (with confidence) suggest one or the other.

  • nicole

    Westridge
    score of 12
    Kitchen – could make work space inside of the kitchen smaller and add a island with seating – will open the whole house up. Formal dining area could be converted to an office area.

    stamford
    Score of 8
    bedroom’s lack of light could be a drawback.
    Don’t like the study being in a prime location of the house. Would rather give that prime space to the living area.

  • autobrad

    I scored Westridge a 14 and Stamford an 8.

    I think Westridge was well designed. I like how each space is well defined yet not jammed in together for example the kitchen has good space, good counter space keeping the triangle into consideration and the eating area is a good size with great light. I like the circulation.

  • Terri

    I chose Westridge because of the front/back access to light and its clearer circulation as well as generally better functioning rooms (laundry, master bath, kitchen). The dining room could very easily be turned into a home office with sliding doors or even a wall partition with doors, as the room “squares off” nicely with kitchen and bathroom walls on either end. (I see Molly says John mentions this possibility too.)

  • Terri

    Forgot to add that the breakfast room is ample for dining with friends, IMHO.

  • Mid America Mom

    The Westridge is a better plan overall. Good circulation. The kitchen is not the best layout and the master bath looks like has some wasted space. At first I am like do a flex on the bedroom but then I realized they probably cannot share this space with the guests. The Dining room is an idea but it is not closed off from the rest of the space and I worry on noise.

    The Stamford has issues. The back entry is not that good, the kitchen eating area is too small, the light and views in the great room are on the side. The living area seems to be full of circulation. If you pick the right lot (I think I see a few) that do not have a neighbor on the side or one that does have a large green space next to it- that point is mute.

    I would suggest the westridge. I would get a carpenter in and close off that dining room to the kitchen and living. I would have them place large double interior french glass door that swings to the circulation space. That work would be less in price (about 2k US) than the other model. If they have a little more cash by using the design your own home feature these folks could do an alternate kitchen and master bath layout. (They also should try to haggle in this economy- you never know).

    Mid America Mom

  • Jessica

    I would suggest the Stamford. The plans are quite comparable, but in the Stamford, there is a nicely defined study space. Since Jose and Rosa will be operating a home-based internet business, it is important that any plan they select have space for this, in order to prevent the flow of work into the living space.

    There is no such space in the Westridge, unless you locate the study in the guest bedroom, but this then challenges its function of providing a room for adult children to use when they visit.

  • Manolo

    There are fewer problems with the Stamford as a home, which is important, but if this is about a place to live AND work, then a good study is essential. It’s really a tough decision. While the Stamford has an official study space that could be set up for their business, it is very small for 2 people to work comfortably in. The Westridge has no officially labeled space to set up an office, but there is that second bedroom which is quite good as a home office. If a client came to visit they wouldn’t be paraded through the house to talk business (as is the case in the Stamford). But if you used the second bedroom as a home office it would be better than the size of the study in the Stamford, but you would be losing the guest bedroom option. I would say that as a downsizing couple that means they likely had kids and it is good to have a room for at least one of them to stay for holidays or whatever. So while it is small, you could be efficient, or you could steal some space from the living room and enlarge the room.

  • Manolo

    Whoops, I mean steal some space from the master bedroom!

  • Grace Coulter

    The Westridge

    Location 0/3
    Enviro performance 0/3
    Siting 2/2
    Organization 2/2
    Entry 1/1
    Indoor Living 1/1
    Outdoor Living 1/1
    Kitchen 1/1
    Dining 1/1
    Bedrooms 1/1
    Bathrooms 1/1
    Study 1/1
    Laundry 1/1
    Parking 0/1

    Total 13

    The Stamford
    Location 0/3
    Enviro performance 0/3
    Siting 2/2
    Organization 2/2
    Entry 0/1
    Indoor Living 1/1
    Outdoor Living 1/1
    Kitchen 1/1
    Dining 0/1
    Bedrooms 0/1
    Bathrooms1/1
    Study 1/1
    Laundry 1/1
    Parking -0/1

    Total 10

    I would suggest the Westridge. The front bedroom is close to the entry and nicely separate from the back bedroom. This would be beneficial if the space was used as an office/guestroom. While I agree with some of the omments that the layouts are similar, when you start analzing the details I think the Stamford becomes more problematic. Laundry in a hallway, master bedroom entrance etc.

  • Tara

    Like many others, I scored the Westridge higher. I think it is a better designed house.
    Originally I liked the idea of the study in the Stamford because of the buisness that the clients want to run out of their house. However, once I looked into it I figured that one of the two dining areas could be converted to include this function. I think that where the dining room is labeled in the plan could make a good study. It is enclosed on three sides and could be made more private through furniture such as bookshelves which would serve to divide the space further.
    I also liked the placement of the second bedroom, with ensuite, in the Westridge and also that one did not have to walk past the laundry machines in order to enter the house from the garage.

  • Dan M

    I too suggest the Westridge. The Stamford has some nice features (the study and the bathtub in the master ensuite). i also like the ‘feel’ from the street of the westridge more as well (judging from the available options for exterior leastwise).

    I tried to think of the stamford as the one, but, as pointed out, while similar in some aspects, it begins to fall apart once you look at circulation and details.

  • Andrew

    While I would say that Westridge is a better designed home, I would have to choose Stamford for Jose and Rosa. Since this couple wants to work out of their home, the study in Stamford makes this a more practical choice. The breakfast space in Westridge has the potential to be converted into a work area but other than that the couple might have to work out of their bedroom or another room in the house, which would not be ideal. Unless Jose and Rosa were willing to renovate and convert an existing room into a study/office I would have to recommend Stamford.

  • Frances GF

    [img]3_stamford1.gif[/img]

    My recommendation would be for the Stamford. I find the kitchen in the Westridge too small and awkward, the foyer too large. I do however prefer the laundry in the Westridge unit but not enough to choose this plan.
    The study in the Stamford is just what Jose and Rosa need for their home based business. I have made three alterations in the plan, as a new build this is something the builder may allow.

  • Frances GF

    Sorry, I should have detailed my changes.
    1. Relocating the fridge and pantry, and adding a butcher block island.
    2. Adding doors to the laundry area.
    3. Reducing the size of the master bath tub.

    I just read the all the comments and I am in the minority. Are my changes enough to make the Stamford plan a more desirable choice?

  • Matthew North

    Frances – I am impressed that you took the time to change some of the details on the Stamford – I like all your changes and it is a testament that sometimes it only takes some subtle moves to vastly improve the quality of a fast house floor plan. For the kitchen…I wonder if there is a way to keep the fridge where you placed it (I like it as part of a pantry block) but get the appliance triangle tighter? Your island is a step in the right direction to reduce the floor space issue – I wonder if enlarging it and turning it parallel to the stove top would make a difference….I am feeling the need to break out the sketch paper…Slow Homers? Thoughts?

  • Mid America Mom

    HI Matthew and Frances.

    Ideas. If we were confined to the actual room I am thinking a tighter g design with the cooktop on the peninsula facing the eating area.

    But I like the fridge outside the circulation and would go with U.
    Looks like 9 on shared wall with dining room. I would go with a 5 foot center making it 9. Place the fridge where the dishwasher is and move things around from that.

    Add teh cherry on top :) Terri and I fav’s- add a banquette at the front. Perfect with that 2 foot bump out.

    Mid America Mom

  • Mid America Mom

    OOPs forgot to add about laundry. If I could modify a bit I would move the garage entry door to the corner with the front entry.

    But my feelings with any modification you would need the right lot, which I spied few, to make this side orientation on the great room work.

    Mid America Mom

  • Neogi

    i like the westridge, it is a better designed home, i find it organized more efficiently. The main argument against the house is that there is no official study space, however the clients will be spending most of their time in the other parts of the house ie kitchen/ living areas so it would make sense to go with a house that serves the major functions of your life and and find a minor solution to the office situation. I really like idea about converting the dinning space into the office space and with some clever wall to wall built-ins the entire office could be tucked away and there would be still room for a formal table if they wanted. I really like the entry and bedroom i think it works well for what they are looking for.

    kudos to Frances for the redesign, it does solve some of the issues that was holding the unit back.