RI's Celebrated Architect St. Florian Breaking the Code in Fox Point – Architecture Critic Morgan
Will Morgan, Architecture Critic
RI's Celebrated Architect St. Florian Breaking the Code in Fox Point – Architecture Critic Morgan
The process of securing permission to build new housing in the densely filled historic neighborhood of Fox Point demonstrates how discussion and cooperation can lead to a design with integrity that maintains the historic spirit of the setting.
The proposed development on adjoining lots at 6 John and 59 Williams Street has tested residents, developers, preservationists, architects, and the city's planning and historic district commissions. This is hardly surprising in a neighborhood with sophisticated citizens who fear that any sort of change can lead to a diminishing of hard-won values.
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This is not to say here that there is not some unhappiness for all parties concerned. But the outcome will be worth all the angst. It is not, as some critics have suggested, the beginning of the end of the city's historic character, but rather a sensible and instructive solution to a complex problem.
Last year the surprisingly large undeveloped lot was separated into two parcels. Developer Joseph Furtado proposed a three-story, two-family dwelling on John Street, and also shifting the small Italianate cottage on the Williams Street lot. The idea of even a slight re-location of the late 19th-century house was anathema to the guardians of the historic district.
Preservation-minded neighbors were concerned that moving the Victorian cottage would destroy its picturesque context, mature trees would be lost, and an unfortunate precedent would be set. While the Historic District Commission can make recommendations, it cannot prevent new development, so the Providence Preservation Society wisely counseled that everyone should work with the developer and the architect "to ensure the best design possible."
Fox Point is lucky that the Furtado's architect for the project is the respected Friedrich St. Florian, called the dean of the profession in Providence. Whether or not one admires St Florian's work, choosing the retired RISD professor was a brilliant move. St Florian has designed both modern and classical homes on the East Side and is skillful at inserting them into older neighborhoods.
St Florian's plan for the cottage is to raze the thoroughly non-historic four-car garage, move the cottage closer to the street, and add a wing that would not be visible from Williams Street. St Florian rightly believes that the addition should be modestly contemporary, just as the cottage speaks of its 19th-century heritage.
This solution, while elegant, did not at first mollify critics who felt that moving the cottage would lessen its historical significance. Nevertheless, the city planning department agreed it would be impossible to develop the site meaningfully without moving the cottage a short distance.
Because of concern over the details of the cottage, less attention has been paid to the design of the two townhouses that will be erected on John Street. This is where having an experienced and sensitive architect pays real dividends.
In this proposal, the townhouses each will have approximately 2,500 square feet and they will share a common lobby. Also, each townhome will have its own elevator and service entrance leading to the garages at the rear of the property. The ground floor plans will be open, with two bedrooms and baths on the second floor.
But the most distinctive elements of the 6 John Street houses are the top stories, which feature bedroom suites opening onto outdoor "loggias" with fireplaces. These elevated perches offer splendid views of Narragansett Bay.
This double house will clearly be an addition to the Fox Point townscape, rather than more cheaply constructed multiplex rentals. It is ironic that flimsy new faux-colonial boxes mostly go unchallenged, but anything by an architect who is perceived as "modern" kicks up a storm, with residents demanding some specious traditional paradigm.
On the other hand, Friedrich St Florian is an architect who understands scale, materials, and urban context, and is a designer who knows that a style is only one aspect of a successful work of art. St Florian, a master of both classical and modern can be trusted to integrate a new residence into an older neighborhood.
If this block of John Street is one of the city's finest, then putting up houses here requires a greater responsibility to the community than just the ability to raise financing. Having the expert knowledge of a good architect is essential if new construction is to enrich the neighborhood and create history for the future.
