Down the hill from where I grew up is an immaculate home. The lawn is pristinely mowed, and birds of paradise are meticulously grouped in a well-planned landscape. It reminds me of something you’d find in Seaside Florida, at the peak of New Urbanism.
I loved this home for its balance and proportion, despite its trendy Spanish-style design with terracotta roofing and stucco walls—common around San Diego County. As a proud Hot Topic art kid, I didn’t understand why I was drawn to something so…ordinary. But the more I studied it, the more I loved it. It was balanced, proportionate, and well-planned.
One summer, the owner installed a 10-foot-high fiberglass Bob’s Big Boy on the front lawn. The statue, checkered in white and red overalls, towered over the road, glistening in the sun. Perhaps it was a wife’s concession to her husband: “I’ll fold my socks, but I get the Big Boy,” I imagined him saying.
The statue was a wild contrast to the restrained architecture behind it.
One day, the statue disappeared. Rumor had it that high school kids stole it. Who else would go through so much trouble? It was weird and large. We figured it was gone for good. No one really knows what happened to it. It didn’t make the news, and other than myself and its rightful owners, I’m not sure anyone cared. But if you see something, say something. Help us return it to its rightful home.
Your Architect,
Lina
