Details: cantilevered west addition

We extended the existing house to the west, and aligned it with the setback line. The added interior spaces provides a larger Master Closet, a master shower and a larger Guest Bedroom. To create a floating effect, for support we used the existing west foundation walls, and cantilevered the structure with (4) 4x4 steel posts. 

Before & After - Main Entry

The construction of the garapa entry porch is almost complete and the custom pivot teak door will be installed by the end of this week.

Main entry - Fall 2012

Main entry - April 2012

Before/After - South Facade

The deck & storage are almost complete. The new large windows open the house to the backyard.

Before/After - Front facade

Before & after front facade.

Front facade last year - before the construction started

Front facade this week - during construction (05.05.14)

Before/After Crawl Space & basement access

The existing house had a very small access to a shallow crawl space. The HVAC unit & HWH were barely accessible. 

For the new design, the Owner got a full height gardening area below the addition, we dug out part of the crawl space to create a full height mechanical room, and cleaned the rest of the crawl space and covered it with gravel and protection membrane.

Existing crawl space access

New Basement access

Before/After

The renovation of the house will be complete by the end of this month. Looking back at the pictures we took two years ago it's impressive to see the difference between the ranch house we started and the end result. For the next few weeks, I will post a lot of before and after pictures for your review.

First one is for the deck stair.

We used 2x 6 garapa lumber for the treads and  2x 2 garapa trim for the louvers around it. The steps will have LED strips under and a new metal railing that will be installed next week.

Before - Stair from the backyard to landing

Before - Stair from landing to deck

New stair during construction

Interior

One can enjoy wonderful views of the backyard, the moment you step into the house. The attached image is a picture from the Foyer looking towards the Living Room.

Wood Flooring - Nothing goes to waste

The Owners loved their original red oak floors and mentioned they would love to keep it. Because we hate wasting beautiful existing materials, during demolition the crew removed, salvaged and stored the existing wood flooring.

Last week they carefully installed the original wood flooring in the common areas of the house: Foyer, Living Area, Dining & Corridor. In the rest of the house (Bedrooms & Office) we will install a new red oak flooring that will match the size, layout, color & finish of the existing one as much as possible.

Details & materials

The crew is currently working on the deck garapa louvered wall and the stair. The louvers and screen hide the storage area under the deck but also create a beautiful horizontal lines that tie into the garapa stair steps & risers.

The brick used for this patio was salvaged during demolition from the existing house. This is a great way to reuse an existing material and a create a nice memory for the Owners of the house they lived in for more than 20 years.

Salvage & reuse existing materials

Remember all those bricks we removed from the existing house and stored on site in big piles? See attached the new brick walkway built using the existing salvaged brick. Nothing goes to waste!

Deck

Galvanized pans, joists cap, gutters, flashing and downspouts were installed to provide a dry space below the deck.

Testings

Testing the shower pan.

February 2014

The attached image compares the back side of the house when we started in 2012, to how it looks now. As you can see, the cantilevered extension in the back of the house is almost completely enclosed and the concrete curb & footings for the deck are being poured this week. The entire south facade was opened with storefront windows so the Owners can enjoy the beautiful views of the woods from any location in the house.

Front elevation - Compare images

The attached images compare the front elevation between the existing house (fall 2012) and the house under construction at this time. By extending it horizontally and keeping the roof line at the same elevation, the scale of the house didn't change and it fits perfect into the neighborhood.

Footings

Due to an unforeseen condition (a lot of fill), the crew has to dig a little more to provide good bearing soil for the deck footings.

Openings

The openings are framed and ready for the storefronts to be installed.

Street Elevation

The attached image compares the street elevation view from last fall during design phase and last week, during construction phase. The existing driveway & brick veneer have been removed and the demolition of the roof is underway. The new geothermal wells are installed underground in the front yard, the garage concrete slab has been poured and the extensions for the Master Bedroom & Office / Laundry Area are built.

Master bedroom

The master bedroom addition follows the existing roof lines, height and the scale of the rest of the house. The foyer has been extended and opened towards the street.

The view

The view from the family room looking towards the backyard.

Backyard view

This is the view the client will see everyday from her room. It's hard to believe this house is located inside the city.