Building Review: A Room With a View?

A Strictly Architectural Review of This Year’s Building Project

The 2025 Jim Vlock First Year Building Project is a structure born of two programs. The first, a community center, is a simple yet effective space. With its glass corner opening to the surrounding foliage and the street—inviting both nature and passersby inside—the space declares its raison d’être with aplomb. The second program, a house, is considerably more timid than its attached counterpart.

Despite the lovely view, its openings barely let visitors look outside. Small sliding doors to the backyard could have taken a hint from the ample glazing of the community center below. Where windows do appear, they are placed at awkward places throughout the house. The one above the kitchen sink is like a television screen for anyone walking up the driveway, and the lack of other openings on that facade draws the eye directly to whatever is happening in the kitchen. Though outwardly private, the interior reads as the exact opposite: there is no bedroom door, and the open staircase could facilitate a spill in the bedroom through all levels of the house.

The entry sequence, however, is noteworthy, coming straight from the Frank Lloyd Wright playbook: a condensed, slightly hidden entryway that opens into a large, airy space forces the guest to pause and see the entire building within its site. Despite its flaws, the project succeeds in moments of spatial generosity and thoughtful sequencing.