WHEN A YOUNG MARRIED COUPLE asked Architect Gropp to design a house that would provide all the space they wanted at a price that they could pay, it seemed as though they were demanding a miracle. They were.
Working to give them a maximum of square feet of living area with materials that would require a minimum of maintenance, Gropp produced the answer you see here. There were compromises and concessions, and what house in the $15,000 class does not have them? But the Mercer does achieve the purpose sought: It offers a whale of a lot of living for the money.
The kitchen forms the core of the house. "That's the way I want it," said the young wife, "because that's where I spend most of my time." Result: "Her room" is within easy reach of all the other family living areas and yet is out of the line of traffic.
The family room is in a logical location, near both the kitchen and the living room. It's handy for snacks and shares with the living room a see-through fireplace with raised hearth, a pleasant setting for Saturday night's wiener roast. An unusual feature of the family room is the outsized storage area. There's room here to keep all the equipment used in the photographic, knitting, writing, reading, music-listening and sewing hobbies of the family.
The living room was created to meet the young husband's specifications for an area where he could comfortably hold a meeting with twenty people, or could cozily entertain just another couple. So the architect did not create a rigidly-defined living room; instead, he created a flexible one which could be extended to the dining area as the owner chose and without great difficulty. The diningroom is equally flexible and is suitable for large buffet suppers as well as for small family meals.
Bedrooms are minimum, both in size and in furnishing. "Our interests generally lead us outside or into the family living areas rather than into separate rooms, so all we want is a place to sleep comfortably, store our clothes and retreat upon rare occasion. Let's put the space where we need it-in the activity centers," the couple suggested-and that's what they got.
Convenient to the bedrooms is the bath, which lines up economically with the kitchen plumbing on the back wall. The plumbing is continued directly downstairs to provide for a future bath.
The main floor is about six steps above grade level, and the basement is but the same number of steps below grade. This arrangement makes possible a daylighted basement. When family fun and activities spill over upstairs there's ample space and opportunity in the basement. Here the children race around undisturbed, running, riding trikes, hammering, sawing and engaging in those projects that engage young minds. Here, too, the larger interests of the family find housing-skis, camping equipment, sports bicycles, silk screen printing, etc. The large corner windows directly below those of the living room form a sunny area which can be finished as a play room.
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