Not a fan of the new condos...
 

This is an interesting topic, assuming the thread can stay on topic, 3 years later....

Now that the new condos are up on the site of the old Barton's Motel on Paugus Bay in Laconia, I have to say I'm not a fan. The multiple 4-story cubes/monoliths block any view of the lake and the Mansard roof design looks totally out of place, to me. I would have thought the designers would have gone with a more "Adirondack" stone and timber type of design.

Same with the condos that are going up adjacent to Cumby's in The Weirs. Some of them are only framed at this point, but it appears to be a contemporary-type design. I guess it's better than the vacant lot that it was or the storage garages that it could have been, but jeez, what are architects thinking when they create their designs?

And, what is up with those massive piles of gravel on that site? It looks like a damn sand pit / gravel yard....

It was the people pushing us toward Adirondack (which is a fake term sense the Addies built in our area do not meet the design elements) that created the look.

Neo Modernism block structure was the first design.
The Weirs condos we were able to keep the design.

I see a lot of the new lake's region construction leaning towards contemporary design. I think research shows the wealthy buyers are coming in from other countries and this is the design they prefer because it's what they come from. It's all about today's buyer.

Actually more about space and cost.

It is why the units at the old Barton's Motel are not clad in faux stone as originally conceived.

Wood elements like fir beams are harder to upkeep, and though getting better, at the time were priced upon landing in the lumber yard. So you had to purchase what they sent... and didn't know the price until it arrived. Return policy has increased restocking charges, so development teams are adjusting to those market conditions.

LookOut was also conceived with some of that rustic lake appeal... but aesthetic and build out plans are evolving depending on market availability and costs.

You are totally right and I completely agree. I don't like the contemporary style.

Modern fugly or is it contemporary fugly?

It's still fugly...

Condos on Paugus Bay
 

It seems as if some architects draw their plans with a certain amount of "far outness" rather than making the plans fit the area, simply so that if they get hit by a big bus crossing the street they will be remembered for their last piece of work.

The architects' focus on the internal space layout.
We can clad the building as desired by the developers.

I can take any architectural design and change it to a multitude of formats.

For instance, the architect may stipulate a craftsman with natural elements - what most think is an Adirondack - and I can change it to a craftsman with white trim in a variety of colors and textures that turns it into a cottage style.
I never change the layout - just the design of the roof, siding, doors, and windows.

The mansard was due to code and complaints from the early public input on it being a box. Couldn't go taller, so the mansard produces a faux roof line.
The same type of thing is used in parts of downtown Laconia.

The LookOut was designed with a multi-facet shed roof... something that was used before... but with a more formidable facade. But the public would be unhappy with such a structure, so it has been altered to be more open.

I think the point is, not that you, or somebody, can or cannot change it, but the fact that youi or the developer FAILED to change it and picked the fugly choice.

Welcome the rich and not so famous.
 

Forget about the Victorian cottage style I love and feel and should epitomize Lakes Region style. People bring in what they want regardless of local taste.

The 4 'Miami style' condos and what I was told were more similar in the old Fitzgerald Motors lot. The locals are calling that area, 'Little Miami'.

If you run out of land, you have no choice but to build up!

Squam Lake got it right. A lake-wide HOA governs what can be built.

The design has to be sellable, if it isn't then the project is a failure! There have been a few million dollar rehabs in my neighborhood that have gone ultra modern and were bought by European buyers that have moved to the US. The prices paid were extremely high if they have to resell they will most likely sell at a loss.

They are all selling before being built.

If objections didn't occur... the mansard add-ons could be removed.

The building owners... during their condo association meetings could do that and change the siding to something more significant.

But most buyers are worried about location, square footage, and price.

The people away from the lake are trying modern farmhouse (craftsman in black and white) or barndominiums... for larger sizes, and some tiny cottage styles for more cost effective options.

I can usually tell which by window, door, siding, and roofing choices... even without seeing the plans.