It's not easy to get contemporary architecture built in the area's traditional neighborhoods of two- and three-family houses.
But one local development company has created a niche by hiring architects to create housing to attract design-conscious buyers. For Charles Aggouras and Daniel DiPierro of GFC Development, progressive design along with a focus on sustainability differentiates their condos from others on the market.
"We've developed a successful niche by appealing to buyers who want a contemporary look with stylish details and high-efficiency green systems," said GFC president Aggouras.
Aggouras thinks contemporary design is "cool," and he sees it going hand-in-hand with sustainable development.
Aggouras said designing green does more than just save energy: "You build with better windows, insulation, roofing, and in the end create a better product." At 57 Endicott Ave., just off Teele Square in Somerville, GFC built a contemporary-style three-unit eco-friendly building whose exterior was clad with red corrugated steel in a neighborhood of two-family wood homes.
"The neighbors were aghast, but the project sold out very quickly," said architect Jim Zegowitz of MZO Group, who has designed a number of GFC's developments. "A lot of this is driven by millennials looking for something different, and there's also a lot of buyers from overseas who feel more comfortable with contemporary design than our traditional gables."
Aggouras' belief in sustainability led him to do a zero net energy house, one that produces more energy than it uses, on city-owned land at 64 Catherine St. on the Jamaica Plain/Roslindale line. The two-unit project, part of Boston's E+ demonstration program, had to have optimal south-facing roofs for solar photovoltaic panels, making for a nontraditional shape.
GFC's 15-unit Maxwell's Green townhouse condos near Magoun Square and the five units at 6-8 Beacon St. in Somerville had contemporary design and sold quickly at high prices. They are designed with what's become GFC's signature look, an exterior that combines corrugated metal, cedar, Hardieplank and architectural stone block with very tall windows.
The three/four level interiors have high ceilings, staircases with glass railings, flex rooms for third bedrooms, private balconies and attached one-car garages on the bottom floor. And they include home automation, music systems, Euro-style appliances and fixtures and tankless water heaters — along with such touches as showers with linear drains.
"When we come to the neighborhoods with our designs, they aren't drawn on a cocktail napkin," Aggouras said. "A lot of thought goes into the design of each one. It's a lot more work and takes more time. But we do it because we want to be proud of what we do."
