The Spanish eclectic abode at the corner of New Broad and Juel streets doesn’t look like a high-tech house. Its undulating arches and trademark campanile could have just as easily been conceived during the classical revival period of the 1920s and 1930s, or as an even earlier homage to Mediterranean forms. On the inside, however, this home’s unlikely marriage of Old World grace and New World efficiency is unique—and, in large part, what makes it a treasure.
“Technology is so often equated with modernism,” says residential designer Bobby Morales, of Morales-Keesee Design Associates. “This house proves that the most cutting-edge technology can peacefully coexist and work in harmony with classical architecture. Why does technology have to be cold? We believe that in studying the grand styles of the past, new places can be created to bring beauty and delight back into our lives.”
Built on a series of proportional axes, the home’s vernacular style is marked by deep-set windows, romantic colonnades, cantilevered balconies, muscular stone corbels, and wrought-iron “rejas” (window grilles). It’s got the sculptural presence of a venerable Spanish casa, but with the added benefit of no-fuss exterior materials and minimal yard maintenance, thanks to a short setback in front, native landscaping, and a fully amenitized backyard.
Builders Kim Goehring and Chris Morgan used every inch of the 110-foot-by-130-foot lot. The house includes 6,598 square feet of conditioned space, plus 676 square feet of outdoor living space.
Click here for “Transparent Technology,” the next article in this series.
