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OK, rich guys: I know that you aren't really going
for this Traditional City stuff.
"Look, I am THE MAN. Get it? I'm not going to live in some 800sf jail
cell just because some Internet dweeb calls it the
'eco-freaking-metropolis'"
"Plus, after last year's big loss, it might be hard to convince the
Board of Directors that they should pay me my $30 million so I can be
maintained In the Manner To Which I've Become Accustomed, if I get accustomed
to a 800sf apartment. You can only get away with that folksy-guy stuff when
you own the damn company, like Sam Walton and his beat-up old pickup, or
Warren Buffett at Borat's Steakhouse."
"Besides, even if I did go for it, my wife would leave me and take the
kids. That
could be unpleasant."
Three bedroom, 822sf apartment.
I understand completely. Up until now, I've been focusing mostly on the
middle- and not-quite-middle-class -- which is to say, about 98% of the
population. (The 98th percentile is a household income of about $230,000 per
year, which is "upper middle class.") Most people need shelter that
most people can afford, without a lifetime of debt slavery. First things
first. But if you can afford something special -- and pay cash for it -- then
why not? (Mortgages are for Nick Cage and other suckers.) Things being what
they are, the habits of the wealthy tend to set the standard for everyone. If
the top 0.1% are dreaming of 20,000sf in the 'burbs, then so will everyone
else. I want to get you guys on my side. So, let's spend today looking at how
to live The Good Life in the Traditional City.
1) The Greenwich Village Brownstone.
Doesn't look too fancy from the outside, but ...
... nice on the inside. These can easily be 3,000-4,000+sf.
Luxe enough for you?
The only real problem with the Greenwich Village Brownstone is that
the streets are too wide, and that hypertrophic front stair (the natural
consequence of trying to put a buffer between the house and the Hypertrophic
street).
See what I mean? Obviously too wide (West 19th Street.)
2) The Lowrise Apartment: This is essentially the same as the Greenwich Village Brownstone, but
in an apartment format. The building height is typically 3-5 stories, maybe 7
stories on the tall side.
The interiors are basically the same as the Greenwich Village Brownstone.
Note the street width here compared to West 19th street. Kinda different, no?
This is a properly sized pedestrian street.
3) The Highrise Apartment. You know this one. Lots of glass, somewhere
high above New York (or Singapore or Moscow or Miami or wherever).
This actually comes from an article from an Architectural Digest story called
"Simply Sustainable: a 45th Floor Aerie on the Upper West Side Goes Green."
Which fits right into our Eco-Metropolis theme.
Giselle is modeling the proper use of the High Rise Apartment.
You can live in the Eco-Metropolis and not be a granola girl.
4) The Courtyard House. You don't
see this in the U.S. much, but it is common elsewhere. This is an urban house
that surrounds a central courtyard of some sort.
Large courtyard, Marrakesh, Morocco.
This courtyard has been enclosed, but normally it is open to the sky.
Another courtyard in Marrakesh. A courtyard is a fine place to introduce some
greenery.
Courtyard in Florence.
Another courtyard in Florence. Obviously, you can make a very, very large
courtyard house. For those of you who just need 50,000+ square feet.
You can also make the apartment equivalent of the Courtyard House. Then you
would have a bunch of apartments surrounding a courtyard. This is a good
format for hotels too, and even offices, hospitals, and restaurants.
Florence. This gives an idea of how the Courtyard House fits into the
Traditional City.
Courtyard of the Frick Museum, New York. This was originally a private
residence, and the courtyard was originally open-air.
Courtyard of the Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Modeled after an ancient Greek
estate. You can go as big as you wanna go.
Courtyard house in China. Nice!
I like all the wood in China.
Lots of lovely courtyard examples in China.
A compact Chinese courtyard. Have some tea?
Nice street!
Demonstrating the proper use of the Chinese courtyard.
5) The Venetian Palazzo.
Big enough for ya?
I'd say we're looking at around 20,000 square feet here, just as a guess.
Nice house.
It ain't no crummy McMansion.
6) The 18th Century Paris Apartment. Let's go to the party with Louis
XIV!
Actually, this is no different than the Venetian Palazzo (which itself is a
scaled-up version of the Greenwich Village Brownstone). We just do without
the canals, and in a bigger city, and with a bit of French flavor.
These sorts of buildings, which are everywhere in Paris, often date from
before the Industrial Revolution. The lords and ladies of the Ancien
Regime lived here. And boy did they have a good time.
The interiors are beyond opulent.
All of these photos represent 18th century style.
I believe the cover of this loveseat was hand-embroidered by Marie
Antoinette, the Queen of France.
How's that for opulent?
Are you still fantasizing about your manor in the country? The lords and
ladies of France left their country manors for apartments like these. Much
better parties in Paris.
The embroiderer herself, as played by Kirsten Dunst.
"Versailles Shmersailles. Let's go to Paris."
7) The Kyoto House. This isn't really any different than the Greenwich
Village Brownstone, just a different aesthetic tradition. Often comes with a
courtyard. The point is that the basic format (multi-story townhouse,
entrance right on the street, no green space, maybe a small yard or
courtyard) can take the form of many different architectural styles. Just
like clothing. When you get the basics right (two sleeves, hole for your
head), you can have fun with the decorative bits.
Note the street width here.
Kyoto houses tend to be narrow in front, but stretch a long way back. Some
are called "eel houses." This was because houses were taxed based
upon the width and opulence of their street-facing side. So, they tend to be
rather modest from the street.
Ener the door and ...
These Kyoto houses often have courtyard and gardens, hidden out back where
the tax man can't see them.
These generally date from before 1850. Some are 400+ years old.
Another garden in a private Kyoto residence. The Kyoto stuff isn't flashy,
but ultra-sophisticated.
8) The French Post-n-Beamer. This is another version of the basic
Greenwich Village Brownstone format, but again with a different architectural
style. A little more rustic, maybe appropriate for smaller villages and
towns.
These are not small houses.
Rather more decorative than your basic brownstone.
"All I really want is a 400 square meter, three-hundred-year-old post
and beam house on the water."
All of these styles fit right into the Traditional City, like a cherry on top
of a hot fudge sundae. (We'll talk a little more later about how to integrate
the High Rise Apartment, which is not a traditional Traditional City format,
into the Traditional City.)
Have
fun with it.
Nathan Lewis
Nathan Lewis was formerly the chief international
economist of a leading economic forecasting firm. He now works in asset
management. Lewis has written for the Financial Times, the Wall Street
Journal Asia, the Japan Times, Pravda, and other publications. He has appeared
on financial television in the United States, Japan, and the Middle East.
About the Book: Gold: The Once and Future Money (Wiley, 2007, ISBN:
978-0-470-04766-8, $27.95) is available at bookstores nationwide, from all
major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher at
www.wileyfinance.com or 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797.
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