The drawings and banner for a pair of townhouses now rising near Echo Park Lake have featured walls of glass overlooking Echo Park Avenue. But, as construction has progressed, its clear those townhouses (pictured above) on the sloping lot will have a less revealing look. Instead of an expanse of glass, there are narrow bands of windows that look out from second-floor bedrooms. What happened? Developers and brothers Kevin and Harde Wronske of the Heyday Partnership said they decided to replace the giant west-facing windows with smaller openings to shield the occupants and rooms from the intense afternoon light and heat – and maybe stares from passersby. “Just imagine walking upstairs in your boxers,” said Kevin Wronske. “Most people don’t want that much glass in the bedroom.”
Heyday caters to buyers who are open to contemporary design. But feedback from those same buyers indicated that they remained old fashioned about bedrooms – they want them to remain private. The Wronskes said the big windows were not their idea. They were part of the plans that came with the lot they purchased in the 1100 block of Echo Park Avenue. Harde Wronske said they did some more tweaking inside the two houses to make for a more efficient floor plan, but the size and basic shape of the structure that was reviewed by city agency and neighborhood groups remains unchanged. Those smaller windows facing the street will be surrounded by a wall sheathed in cedar. “It gives you a nice framed view looking out, ” Kevin Wronske said. And less opportunities for people to look in.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks like they may have stalled a little. Windows were in a while ago…they should have started on siding by now
They are so ugly and stick out like a sore thumb on that stretch of the avenue. I say it takes them a year to sell any, if that. Why in the world would they build something that has no correlation to its surroundings?? Mind boggling.
susan hit the nail on the head, i live about a half block away on the same street. these just don’t match the neighborhood at all! i think anyone buying these better get used to the tagging & loud noise… i think that the prices won’t reflect the reality that a buyer would expect for that kind of money (you can call that new development syndrome, ep style).
i like them and i live in a standard ep style 1910 bungalow. barring an outrageous asking price, i think they’ll sell.
And by the way, people LOVE big windows – if you’re facing the ocean or a vast empty space or countryside. Who wants big windows when your neighbors across the street are homeless people? Sheesh. These are the worst designed homes in the neighborhood yet.
I walked past this the other night and felt sorry for the people that live next door in the beautifully restored Craftsman. I don’t have anything against contemporary architecture, but the way this new building is situated really impinges on their space.