House with a Common View
“House with the Common View,” Wallingford
AWARDS: Best of Wallingford, Built Green Hammer Award
Description
Artistic, sustainable addition to a small Wallingford bungalow, allowing a growing family to continue to thrive in a neighborhood that they love.
Challenge
Growing family needed more space but they didn’t want to move. They knew that they would have to build up but didn’t want to block views or ruin the experience for their neighbors. Because of the size and shape of the lot, there were also permitting and structuring challenges.
Inspiration
We found inspiration in the family and their commitment to the place, neighborhood, and friends. We wanted to create a house that is not only functional and respectful of the neighbor’s view, but that actually gives back to the neighborhood. We had to lean in hard for the design process to pull all of that off.
Solutions + Innovations
We engaged in a meticulous design process that included literal “boots on the ground” elements like standing on the property with sticks to measure the neighbor’s view. We not only maintained that view but enhanced it by giving the neighbors a view of green roof gardens on 4 sides of the house. To support that work, we had to rebuild the foundation. As an amenity for the neighborhood at large, we created a rain path that channeled into a living wall and structured rain garden that was adjacent to the sidewalk.
How is it sustainable?
We salvaged or repurposed all of the materials that we could, including salvaging some painted shingles from house and repurposing them for a tiny play house, which also has a green roof. The old beams from basement became a cabinet in the new bathroom. We also used orchard-salvaged walnut which matched the horizontal grain already existing in the kitchen.
We economized on space, saving the footprint on the main floor, and only added 600 feet upstairs to house two bedrooms and one bath. We used casework to create walls, used the stairs for part of the cabinets and built walk-n cabinets, creating adaptable space for long term needs. More adaptable space included a sharable bathroom/wetroom which is functional for both adults and kids.
We developed a green roof system, rain gardens, and a green wall along the sidewalk.
We took the opportunity to improve the envelope, insulating the outside of the building before re-siding. We also incorporated solar into the design, created the opportunity for natural daylighting all day on upper level and stairwell, and used resin-based eco materials for counter tops.
AWARDS: Best of Wallingford, Built Green Hammer Award
Description
Artistic, sustainable addition to a small Wallingford bungalow, allowing a growing family to continue to thrive in a neighborhood that they love.
Challenge
Growing family needed more space but they didn’t want to move. They knew that they would have to build up but didn’t want to block views or ruin the experience for their neighbors. Because of the size and shape of the lot, there were also permitting and structuring challenges.
Inspiration
We found inspiration in the family and their commitment to the place, neighborhood, and friends. We wanted to create a house that is not only functional and respectful of the neighbor’s view, but that actually gives back to the neighborhood. We had to lean in hard for the design process to pull all of that off.
Solutions + Innovations
We engaged in a meticulous design process that included literal “boots on the ground” elements like standing on the property with sticks to measure the neighbor’s view. We not only maintained that view but enhanced it by giving the neighbors a view of green roof gardens on 4 sides of the house. To support that work, we had to rebuild the foundation. As an amenity for the neighborhood at large, we created a rain path that channeled into a living wall and structured rain garden that was adjacent to the sidewalk.
How is it sustainable?
We salvaged or repurposed all of the materials that we could, including salvaging some painted shingles from house and repurposing them for a tiny play house, which also has a green roof. The old beams from basement became a cabinet in the new bathroom. We also used orchard-salvaged walnut which matched the horizontal grain already existing in the kitchen.
We economized on space, saving the footprint on the main floor, and only added 600 feet upstairs to house two bedrooms and one bath. We used casework to create walls, used the stairs for part of the cabinets and built walk-n cabinets, creating adaptable space for long term needs. More adaptable space included a sharable bathroom/wetroom which is functional for both adults and kids.
We developed a green roof system, rain gardens, and a green wall along the sidewalk.
We took the opportunity to improve the envelope, insulating the outside of the building before re-siding. We also incorporated solar into the design, created the opportunity for natural daylighting all day on upper level and stairwell, and used resin-based eco materials for counter tops.
