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1. Catherine
   Member

   And I agree. Editorial, Raising the Bar:

   http://www.rblandmark.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=3&ArticleID=2982&TM=84426.63

   "What a design review committee could do, and what developers we think are often loathe to do, is raise the architectural bar. Instead of rehashing or reinterpreting a library of historic styles to fit older downtowns seen throughout the Chicago area, villages like Riverside, with rich architectural heritages, should encourage exciting contemporary buildings, both residential and commercial.

   Instead of looking to architecture as a vibrant, living art, we too often settle for designs that are the architectural equivalent of comfort food. As proof, we submit the village's own list of local landmark buildings. Of the 60-odd landmark buildings in Riverside, just a handful were built after 1930. Just one was built after 1950."

   Posted Tuesday Sep 18, 2007 22:27 #

2. MikeT
   Member

   Here is a fine piece in this week's Landmark from Tom Jacobs expanding on and responding to the Landmark op ed. above.

   9/25/2007 10:00:00 PM Email this article —¢ Print this article
   Letters

   Owners, developers key to good architecture

   Kudos to the Landmark for raising the topic of what should be learned from the Village Center experience and how we raise the architectural bar in Riverside ("Raising the Bar," The Landmark View, Sept, 19).

   Design by committee, no matter its intent or purpose, is a guarantee for mediocrity. To assume that a design review committee would be inclined to raise the architectural bar by encouraging exciting contemporary buildings is wishful thinking-it would be as likely for committee members to have as many opinions as the village commissions had when evaluating the Village Center, or demand designs that are referential to whatever architectural style they might prefer that year. The question of architectural aesthetics, by its very nature, should remain entirely outside the purview of government.

   see more

   http://www.rblandmark.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=17&ArticleID=3003&TM=5912.056

   ....
   My comments:

   An example of what committee design can yield are those out-of-proportion boxes that stick out like some kind of velveeta cheese boxes on the east and west ends of the VC. I saw an earlier picture of the VC design and I noticed that the boxes had a proper margin around the perimeter. The next design I saw pictured, the current design, the boxes did not live organically in the gable space since the gables were reduced in size, but the boxes did not seem to get reduced. This was probably due to the many people forcing design inputs.

   original picture (see box under left gable)

   

   new picture (box does not sit as well in the gable space)

   http://villagecenterriverside.com/

   .

   the other example of what a committee can yield is the improper corner roof angles of the VC. They have now been addressed.

   Posted Friday Sep 28, 2007 01:05 #

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