Residential Project #2: Program & Design

When the Existing Conditions are finished, the next step is knowing what to do with the space.  The "Program" for the Project is the desired rooms, arrangement, sizes, etc.  The trick is fitting the Program in the existing space with as much efficiency and finesse as possible.  The less addition the better, since addition costs more than renovation.

In this case, the client wants a range of modifications that, simply put, rearranges and expands the existing house.  The resulting project, however, greatly expands on the flexibility of the house, takes advantage of the extraordinary views, and makes the house much more interesting.

Program (emphasis on entertaining):

• Family Room
• New Deck
• Master Suite
  • Bedroom
  • Bathroom
  • Walk-in Closet
  • Dressing Room
• New/better connection to existing basement

In this case, the most impressive option is to add the Family Room and Master Bedroom to the rear.  The rear of the house faces onto an awesome, tree-filled ravine.  These new rooms should take maximum advantage of the great views of the site.  The remaining area inside the existing house is used to house the portions of the Master Suite that need less natural light (or none at all) including Closets and Dressing Room.  The Dressing Room's location, however, does make use of the remaining window in that corner of the house.

The best part of this new Bedroom arrangement is the "Vestibule".  Nearly round, with a gentle dome, this space would be lit with a Solatube-type system that would bring natural light into end of the corridor during the day.  Instead of a dark and foreboding dead-end hallway, the corridor would feature a bright and dramatic conclusion that would also act as the entrance for the Master Suite.

The new connection to the Basement is located between the existing Kitchen and new Family Room.  This location ensures that the Kitchen will be the hub of activity, retains - actually expands - the views of the site from the Kitchen, and better connects the whole house to the entertaining areas in the Basement.  Moving the Dining Room to the location of the former Living Room opens up that end of the Kitchen to become a very generous and flexible circulation area - while also potentially acting as a food hub.

The design has been presented to the client - now we see what happens next.  Two more posts to come: the smaller alternative & how we treat the outside.