Embraceable View

Embraceable View Portfolio Slideshow residential constructionPublished March 29, 2010 at 6:58 pm No Comments

Like a maze, the old plan was awkward. The beautiful view was blocked by multiple walls, which restricted circulation. The clients desired:

better views
a master bath
walk-in closets
a new kitchen
more natural light
an additional suite of rooms for another family member

Old Plan

Preliminary analysis showed that:

The main path through the house passed through the cramped kitchen
In general, the floor plan was like a maze
The main entry was too close to the master bedroom.
The garage had no interior access to the house.
The stairway was in the back corner of the house, making going to the office downstairs a serious chore.
The laundry was in the basement, under the bedrooms, so going from the bedrooms to the laundry meant traveling the length of the house…twice.

To solve these problems, Tim knew that a central stair was needed, along with a clear circulation plan to build off. We started by attempting to use the wasted space in the kitchen, next to the foyer, to place the stair. That still left many issues unresolved.

By coming up with a schematic diagram, it helps clarify the proper layout of the house:

Rufino then realized that the best solution was to move the kitchen. It was acting as the hallway to the house, which made kitchen work and circulation difficult. The existing kitchen was quite new, and in good shape. It was difficult proposing demolishing the kitchen when it was in such good shape, but the fact was that it was built in the wrong spot, in a poor floor plan.

By moving the kitchen, all of the issues can be resolved. This was the first proposed plan, keeping all the exterior walls:

This plan addressed all the issues

better views
larger bathroom
larger closets
more natural light with less walls and a large skylight shaft over the stair.
add a father-in-law suite
kitchen open to house
clarified circulation, no more maze.
The foyer is not right next to the master bedroom.
The garage now has entry into the house.
The stairway in now centralized with travel to the basement now a pleasant experience
The laundry is now easily accessible on the main level.
The entry to the house is now brighter and closer to the parking.

Keith and Tari loved the new plan. They could see very clearly that moving the kitchen was a necessary expense and would make living in the house much more pleasant. however, they felt that the master bedroom, bathroom and closet weren’t large enough, and the kitchen was a bit smaller than they liked.

We expanded the kitchen towards the living room, switched the laundry with the half bath, and made the office smaller, allowing for the bedroom and bathroom to expand. Here is the new proposal:

They love the plan, however they still weren’t comfortable with the size of the master closet.

We then set up a meeting where we gathered around their big screen tv and altered the design on screen. We showed them how the layout of the master suite was restricted by the exterior walls, and they decided that, to get the closet and bathroom that they desired, they would need to build an addition for the closet.

The final plan:

The final design consists of a new circulation pattern. Moving the front door and foyer nearer to the garage and moving the stair shaft to the center of the house allows the main path of travel to be efficient and effortless.

Walls that were blocking the views have been removed. The fireplace, which our clients worked so hard to develop, deservedly becomes the center of attention.

At the heart of the design for the remodel of this 1960’s ranch was a new vertical core. Before a pencil was put to paper, Tim knew this element was one of the keys to a successful project. Our clients bought the house because of the site, which was on a private street overlooking a river at the bottom of a ravine. This large drop in the land was not integrated into the original plan. By opening up the lower level to the upper, and the upper to the sky, occupants can get an understanding of the site upon entering the house.