Folks have told me “That’s your famous House”. It probably has had the most press of any of my projects. It was pictured on the cover of a StarTribune Sunday Magazine section. It is a chapter in a book about affordable homes. Twin Cities Magazine cited it as one of two houses in its list of the twenty most important buildings here in the last forty years. Its affordability was the subject of a half hour National PBS special by Chris Farrell . And, historian Paul Larson chose it to be the final project profiled in his Architectural History of Saint Paul.

 

What was the fuss about? The young couple wanted a house that cost $180,000. Their Program included three bedrooms, Kitchen, Dining/Living Room, two and 1/2 Baths, and a two car Garage. Several architects suggested the budget could never support the Program.

 

As the house began to take shape, She was the “good cop”, full of plans and ideas. He was the “bad cop”, insisting that a budget of $180, 000 was tops. The first contractor came in high and bowed out. Michlitsch Brothers Builders, with whom we had worked for many years, came on board and helped us trim and simplify. I saw some tilt up concrete panels being used for Basements. “What if…” they were Foundation and First Floor? Panels by Superior Wall framed the Lower Level and Garage in one morning. A large surplus translucent wall panel , Kalwall from the W.L.Hall Co., brought light into the Entry Hall.

 

Finally, we were close to budget and ready to start construction. But the most obvious item left to cut was the yellow spiral stair that led to the Roof Deck with great views of the Mississippi River Valley. She stood firm that the stair must remain. He was equally adamant that $180.000 was tops. Somewhere at the very end, the contractor and I found a $1,500 saving and we were set to proceed. Ironically, once construction was well under way, The husband admitted that $180,000 wasn’t really their top number. We had held a 10%, $20, 000 Contingency in reserve and it turned out he had some upgrades he’d quietly been keeping to himself. We used little of the Contingency so he got have his add-ons and the Budget stayed under $200,000.