Kansas City, Missouri
After the Beacon Hill neighborhood was strained by the impact of the recession, redevelopment efforts gained new life with the returned strength of the housing market. Pendulum was commissioned to design two new homes to help fill the blight of the community.
Targeted to young professionals, the pair of houses are located adjacent to each other and display similar approaches to massing and materials. Due to the unique forward sloping site the street level entry only accommodates pedestrian entry access. A large concrete planter box adjacent to the front entry encourages gardening and creates privacy for the front bedroom window. All three bedrooms are located on the street level floor with two full baths. Scaling the stairs to the upper level is where the kitchen, dining, living and balcony give opportunity for a view shed to downtown Kansas City. The garage is accessed from the alley on the second floor. The second floor ceiling follows the vault of the gable roof pitch of one house and single shed pitch of the other. Exterior hardy and cedar siding display efforts to simplify materials and consider economy. These spec homes demonstrate an alternative design approach to traditional housing of the surrounding communities and attempt to redefine the identity of Beacon Hill through it’s creative look at the built environment.
