109 Lafayette Blvd--concrete construction (Fredericksburg, Virginia) | interesting place

 house, interesting place

Home on Lafayette Blvd. is the strong, silent type. Insulated concrete form house on Lafayette Boulevard across from train station on the market

Free Lance Star
Date published: 5/20/2011
BY RICHARD AMRHINE

Seven years ago, the brand-new home at 109 Lafayette Blvd. downtown was something of a novelty and a conversation starter. At three stories, it sort of stood above its neighbors. The stucco exterior was a little different, but it was certainly attractive, with its dormers and brown, standing-seam metal roof.

People would ask if it's a new house, or a thoroughly refurbished old one. That's actually a compliment when it comes to downtown structures, especially for a new one like 109 Lafayette that was intended to blend in.

The Baker family had just moved in back in October 2004 when The Free Lance-Star first visited. Construction had begun just eight months earlier, using insulated concrete form, or ICF, construction.

By now, the house has long been a welcome addition to the neighborhood. And for the Bakers and their two young boys, it has been a great home in an ideal downtown location--just right for a family, with four bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It has 3,500 square feet of finished living space, plus a separate, attached apartment.

"It's just time for a change of scenery," said Bobbi Baker earlier this week about the couple's decision to put it on the market.

The Bakers are listing it with Laura Tilden of Realty Solutions Burleson Group in Fredericksburg. The asking price is $850,000.

Bobbi Baker, who designed the house, explained that back in 2004, the family had wanted to live downtown, but hadn't found the right house. Then they learned of a property on Lafayette Boulevard between Sophia and Caroline streets, across from the train station. The house there had burned and could be taken down for new construction.

But there were issues. The lot was only 20 feet wide, hardly enough space to build a house large and comfortable enough for a young, modern family. They soon learned that the adjoining vacant lot could also be purchased, doubling the frontage to 40 feet.

Things were looking up.

But while the downtown location was a plus, its proximity to the train station would mean a lot of noise, at all hours, wouldn't it?

But what if the house could be virtually soundproof? The ICF construction would answer that requirement.

Baker's parents, Mary and Joe Norris, were experienced builders who were willing to serve as general contractors for the project. They would supervise as the Styrofoam forms would be stacked, reinforced with steel bars, then filled with concrete from the top down, one story at a time.

During a visit earlier this week, just like seven years ago, along came an Amtrak passenger train, moving in plain view across the large, front living-room window. And just as before, it could have been a big-screen TV with the sound turned down. The sound was hushed, with even the whistle sounding like it was well off in the distance.

The concrete construction also provides serious energy efficiency, and Baker said the couple's power bills have been very low as a result.

While some of the architectural design features were in place seven years ago, such as the handsome continuous banister, cherry hardwood floors, custom kitchen cabinets and granite countertops, much has been done since.

Bobbi Baker described her husband Dan's discovery of his passion for woodworking. He built the living room fireplace surround and all of the crown molding and wainscoting, of which there is much--all of it tastefully and professionally executed.

In two places, a dining room wall and an upstairs bedroom ceiling, wall art was done by local artist Sean Woodard.

THE QUICK TOUR

The front portion of the house could easily be mistaken for any well-cared-for, vintage downtown Fredericksburg home. The foyer, with a gracious staircase against the left wall, blends into the living room on the right and the dining room, with an opening to the kitchen, behind it. Features such as the woodwork, lighting fixtures and arched openings provide a classic, formal look.

Continuing along the foyer brings you to the large open area that includes the kitchen, family room and casual dining area. The main level has 9-foot ceilings.

"This is where we live, in the back half of the house," said Bobbi Baker. "It's where we spend most of our time."

The living space continues outdoors, with a large covered porch that overlooks the landscaped backyard. Back there, the house itself serves as a buffer for train noise. Combining the lots created a relatively large space for this area of downtown.

A short stairway down from the kitchen leads to a powder room, flanked by the laundry room and a one-car garage.

The second story landing includes a small seating area and a computer cubby. Solar tubes are incorporated to add natural light to the landing area and adjacent bathroom. Also here are three bedrooms, including the master and two secondaries for the boys. The master includes a large walk-in closet and a tiled master bathroom with a steam shower. The relatively new vanities were built by Racer's Custom Cabinets in the town of Orange, which also built the kitchen cabinets.

The third story is a large, open loft area that could be a permanent fourth bedroom with its own bathroom. The Bakers use the dormered space as a recreation room and backup bedroom. Also up there is the drum room, specially insulated and soundproofed, where the boys can beat the drums to their heart's content while bothering no one.

The property also includes an attached apartment over the garage with its own entry. It has one bedroom, a full bath and a kitchen with about 750 square feet of space. It could serve as an au pair or in-law suite.

Future owners could, if they cared to, create an opening into the apartment from the second-floor landing to create a larger house.