new designs in historic settings

Historic buildings are on my mind these days, so this new design in an historic residential area in Madison (Wisconsin, I presume), USA caught my eye - Compact Family Home in Madison Inspiring Warmth and Sophistication featured in freshome.com. 

Particularly, Johnsen Schmaling Architects's explanation of the design approach made me smile:

Successfully contesting the local preservation ordinance whose strict guidelines advocated stylistic mimicry while failing to recognize the neighborhood’s rich architectural diversity, we designed a quiet but unapologetically contemporary building...

This building is set between a one hundred year old Spanish Colonial and a house dating back to 1896, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It would be wonderful to see more of the hisortic setting to truly assess the architect's claim. Nonetheless, what do you think?