The remodel / addition opens up the tangled plan of past additions on the backyard side of this 1920’s gable roofed house. Old wooden box meets new wooden box in this project. The utility and vertical circulation functions were previously at the back of the house creating a barrier to the deep backyard. These functions have been gathered and placed centrally in the new plan allowing a new family / play room to open onto the yard through the frame of a 16 foot wide, full-height pocket slider and a ten foot deep porch. The expression of this thin frame is emphasized through the use of the long spanning, thin steel framing in the porch roof structure. This reinforces the space of the frame by equalizing wall and floor thicknesses, dimensionally. This indoor- outdoor space forms the play territory of the youngest members of the family. This deep vantage of the back yard is also the focus of the remodeled and expanded 2nd story spaces which, open onto it. The plan accommodates the family’s plans for future expansion at the 2nd floor and access to a future roof deck and an enclosed sun porch.

photography by site-specific architecture