c.p.'s BAT and Lot Workshop

[c.p.]

Thanks Noah, Art, Simcoug, carlfatal, Jack_wilds, vortext and romauldillo

I'm not done with Chicago, but to keep from getting bored, I started jumping to other cities.  Here are a couple of R$ duplexes intended for a Columbus/Dayton set:


These are pretty close approximations of actual buildings in the German Village section of Columbus.


I also modded the Chicago buildings and made a few lots to get a sense if this was really going to work the way I hoped.

Very early development in my test city:


Some residential neighborhoods:




A couple of R$$ residentials:


Cicero Savings and Loan:


Another version of Cicero Savings and Loan.  I also modded and lotted some versions of the Gloribee church, which you can see here, as well as some R$ Chicago tenements at the upper right corner:


Burnham and Gaine Fire Insurance:


And finally, some abandoned residentials:

[vester]

Great looking bats. 

[magee_b]

Really looking great! I especially love the blue Cicero Savings and Loan building. Not only is the variety of buildings you have created impressive, I am especially pleased at how well they compliment other sets such as spa's halifax boxes. Just a thrill watching this come together. 

[Simcoug]

These are looking great!  The picture on that gradual hill is a perfect example of how your custom foundations really compliment the overall building.  These will really open up more possibilities for those of us who like to build on hilly terrain.   

[art128]

Beautiful buildings and lots! The pictures are splendid btw.

[Jack_wilds]

how much back 'atta boy' back slapping can a guy stand?... it is all a wonder -   

when I ever put my model rail road together this time/ architectural period is what I will model after...  only thing I'drequest to 'round-out' the civics a a city/town hall... but I won't harp on that...

concerning greek revival and teh revival of greek revival... it aboounds here in the mid west... never really noticed... a prime Valley example is the Lawrence University with its Chapel and 'old main' [pic] and the barracks on the square... my favorite period is Victorian arts-craft,  craftsman, 4-square, and the craftsman end with its various bungalows [which are as big a shoe box]... 

[romualdillo]

What can I say? Even the city looks great for a test city!!!

[kelis]

What can I say? Even the city looks great for a test city!!!

I have exactly the same feel... 

[Girafe]

Good job my dear 

[carlfatal]

Simply wonderful! 

When I started playing SC4 again, I did it with Simcoug´s diagonal lots of your 19th century houses (and your lots as well) and some old spa buildings. I am still in the beginning with my region, but now I know, that I have any chance to build some nice 19th century town. Eagerly waiting... 

And: the shots of the "test town" are amazing, particulary I like the abandoned versions. I like abandoned structures, no clue why, but I do. They are so common, and it is important to have these versions, if a town should look realistic. 

[c.p.]

Thanks Arne, magee_b, Matt, Art, Jack_Wilds, romualdillo, kelis, Antoine, and carlfatal

Jack_Wilds: Your pic didn't show up, but I googled Lawrence University and found the building.  Edit: the pic did show up.  Thanks.  Coincidently, it is very near the area I've been exploring (in Google) recently.  And yes, there seem to be quite a few Greek Revival houses still standing in the area (especially in Oshkosh).  (See below).

carlfatal:  Thanks.  Hopefully people don't find the abandoned buildings depressing or morbid, but a spur to better mayoral management.


So I still don't know how all of this is going to be organized exactly, but I'm pretty sure the Chicago residentials I've shown are going to be for medium-density-only lots.  The narrow designs make sense in a city setting, but not so much in the country.  For more rural-type houses (and low density zoning), I'm looking outside of Chicago.  Oshkosh and Sheboygan (in nearby Wisconsin) both have a decent number of rural-friendly houses from that era, and both cities are covered by Google 45 degree map view (which is very helpful), so I'm using those cities as a basis for a few rural house designs, which may or may not become part of the Chicago set.  So with that in mind, here are a couple of Oshkoshianesque R$$ houses:



Here are some pictures of actual houses in Oshkosh, which are at least plausibly pre-1870.  You can probably see where I got the ideas for the houses I BATted.

[carlfatal]

Ha, again me and again wow! 

The models are simply wonderful again, but also I like to see the pictures of the real ones. I am really interested in architecture, but I would call me a complete rookie, if it comes to North American history of architecture. Currently I am only reading, whatever I can find, so these pictures and the names of spots, where it could be interesting to look at - thankyou!

The second RL picture: the house looks like framework, or is it the angle of view here? But everything here seems to be crooked, leaning instead of standing.
Is/was there any use of framework away from barns?

And at least: Am I right, if I think, the house on the last picture is a good example of Greek Revival? It reminds me to old station buildings here, different materials but the same "design". And the small part in the front looks like a small signal box attached to the room behind.

Funny is, that Maxis must have had you in mind, when they relased SC4 with this 4-4-0 Eightwheeler as engine. With all this buildings these wonderful machines make sense eventually. 

[Simcoug]

Ahh, yes - Wisconsin has some great 19th century homes.  Walking through many of the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Wisconsin (Madison) was like taking a trip into the past. 
I like your example pics - the one with the Packers banner in the window made me LOL. You can't get more Wisconsin than that.

[c.p.]

Thanks for the comments carlfatal and SimCoug, and for the interest in these slightly mundane houses

The second RL picture: the house looks like framework, or is it the angle of view here? But everything here seems to be crooked, leaning instead of standing.
Is/was there any use of framework away from barns?

I think they are all wood frame construction, (with the possible exception of the last one) if that is what you are asking.

As for the "leaning", I think it is a lens or viewing angle thing.  Here is another view of that house.

And at least: Am I right, if I think, the house on the last picture is a good example of Greek Revival? It reminds me to old station buildings here, different materials but the same "design". And the small part in the front looks like a small signal box attached to the room behind.

Actually the second picture is probably the best example of Greek Revival (the left half of the house anyway.  The right half may have been added later.)  The archetypal Greek Revival house is built like an ancient greek temple, with large classical columns in front.  But most Greek Revival houses don't have the big columns.  Instead they have less expensive/less grandiose details, such as pilasters on the corners, and a wide band of trim under the eaves.  The details seem to be purposefully chosen to give an impression of strength, permanence, etc. (at least that is my impression).

A lot of Greek Revival houses have lost their details over the years (such as the pilasters), so it's sometimes hard to tell they are Greek Revival.

I'm thinking all of the Oshkosh house pictures are Greek Revival, except the last one, which I'm guessing is Italianate.  The house that has retained it's details best, and so is easiest to identify is the second one.  But I'm just an amateur myself, and learning as I go, so take that for what it's worth.

[APSMS]

Hi Brian,

Not much to say, other than it's good to see you here again posting updates (got a lot of free time nowadays, I guess?).

Your buildings (especially the newer ones) have a very fine attention to detail, particularly with the custom, slope-friendly foundations.

Thanks for sharing, maybe I'll have more original input next update as you have more stuff to show us. For now, I like what I see...I'm just wondering how I'll be able to incorporate this stuff into my California-esque cities.

Oh, and the lotting, btw, is awesome, too. There are too many BATters that can't make a decent lot to save themselves and yours are always good looking (maybe not the polish you'd like, but more than serviceable for anything I'd be using them for).

@carlfatal: It's a side-effect of Google using panoramic wide-angle cameras to capture Street-View images. It's probably why their quality is always so low, too.

[Simcoug]

Thanks for the comments carlfatal and SimCoug, and for the interest in these slightly mundane houses

I would never call these houses mundane - with all the details and variations, it's sets like these that really give a town or city it's character. 

I really like the variety of these WI R$$ homes... did you have any Oshkoshianesque R$ homes in mind?  I'm probably strange, but I always enjoy creating R$ neighborhoods 

[Bipin]

Fabulous work. Keep it up!

[c.p.]

Thanks APSMS, SimCoug and Bipin

Matt: How about Sheboyganian R$ homes?   (If the set needs more to feel complete, I may make a couple of Oshkosh ones too.)


So here are a couple of Sheboyganian R$ buildings.  I'm thinking the first one is a house, and the second is some kind of multifamily (but a ruralish one):




And here are a few pictures of actual houses in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (perhaps from before 1870)

[carlfatal]

First thank you and APSMS for the answers. I thought indeed, that it must be the angle, but some of the windows look like they would sit on a wooden frame, as they seem not to have the exact same height.

Greek Revival - should have been obvious but sometimes... 

The new BATs as well as the others, I don´t see any problems to call them mundane, if they are. If so, then I really appreciate this. Today the Sauk is my favorite. That is a home I would really like to live in, with the balcony - nice! (Maybe I will rebuild it with Sims...)   

[romualdillo]

And it continues, and continues, and continues... and becomes better, and better, and better...