CNU26.Savannah 'Rowhouses of Savannah'

In addition to the core sessions delving into the principles of New Urbanism, the 202 workshops that offered more advanced lesson plans, the Savannah Day feature celebrating our city's past, present, and future - CNU26 offered a number of interactive classroom sessions focused on the hands-on aspect of drawing, sketching, and illustrating, led by experienced CNU practitioners.

Eric Brown helped lead one such Art Room, Savannah's Rowhouses. The two-part session first focused on typology and composition, establishing the rowhouse as a classic "missing middle" housing type with design vocabulary that could be applied to current or future development projects. Being held in Savannah, where rowhouses are one of the most common and inspiring building types, the group participated in a walking excursion for the second part of the workshop. Armed with sketchbooks, tape measures, and drawing tools, Eric helped lead the group in measuring and studying this building type with up-close and personal perspective.

The mixed session allowed participants to study and learn critical characteristics, but also observe physical composition, and utilize a step-by-step design technique.

Brown Design has developed a number of plans inspired by the classic rowhouse building type. Some of the most well-known reside in the beautiful community of Habersham, in Beaufort, South Carolina.

Rowhouses work as a timeless housing type, adding charming curb appeal, and flexible sizing depending on market need. There is a variety of frontage options, and with the proper use of color and trim details, you can create a really vibrant streetscape. Eric's CNU26 presentation on Savannah's rowhouses further identifies the types and details that make the classic design unique - check it out below!