Respecting Privacy - Photos & Ideas

The renovations to this 50-storey half-level home in Mont-Royal include several interventions affecting the appearance of the building. While being part of a conceptual approach respectful of the material qualities, the original proportions of the building and its openings, our intervention rationalizes the distribution of the materials on the facades. The installation of a continuous stone wall above the windows of the ground floor all around the building separates the facades of the DRC with stone or brick from the new coating of anthracite gray fiber cement panels used on all upstairs. The modulation of the panels and the position of the joints aligning with the mullions of the new windows give a coherent and dynamic rhythm to these wall surfaces. The large eaves are highlighted by the replacement of the aluminum soffits with wooden boards dyed in the color of the new mahogany double entry door. A new steel entrance canopy with integrated lighting and a wooden ceiling such as the new soffits complete the sensitive and respectful modernization of the original characteristics of the house.

Mill Creek House

Alloy Homes Incorporated

We designed this home in Edmonton for a very steep site adjacent to a ravine, at the end of a block of small victorian clapboard homes. The street facade is broken down so that the massing respects the block face, while the opposite side opens up to the adjacent forest in a three-storey wall of glass that face. The street face is more opaque, providing privacy from a popular walking route. The home is designed to blend in with the colours of the existing natural environment.

Historic Kitchen Renovation | Buffalo, NY

KCB Architecture

This historic home in Buffalo, NY needed an updated kitchen and bathroom. The new design respected the historical nature of the home while providing updated amenities such as new appliances and a large kitchen island. The surfaces are mostly white in order to make the kitchen feel more spacious. Ornate details can be seen throughout the kitchen such as the paisley back-splash and the crown molding. The spacious design was carried through to the updated bathroom where the large tub and glass shower, along with the bright walls help give the space an open feel. ____________________________________________ Casement windows in the bathroom allows light to come in without sacrificing privacy

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Bethesda addition

Zarko Retamal -Yacsich

A post war house in need of a dedicated family room and extra bathroom . We created the extension of the house with an independent private entrance , a bathroom that feel big , a respect of the privacy as you enter into a small foyer and step up into a family room . The full of light space open to a deck/pergola that has a dedicated space for a grill , sitting area and perfect orientation. A well rounded and integrated addition belongings to the original house .

Glass Wall House

Klopf Architecture

Klopf Architecture, Arterra Landscape Architects and Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Designed and built a new warm, modern, Eichler-inspired, open, indoor-outdoor home on a deeper-than-usual San Mateo Highlands property where an original Eichler house had burned to the ground. The owners wanted multi-generational living and larger spaces than the original home offered, but all parties agreed that the house should respect the neighborhood and blend in stylistically with the other Eichlers. At first the Klopf team considered re-using what little was left of the original home and expanding on it. But after discussions with the owner and builder, all parties agreed that the last few remaining elements of the house were not practical to re-use, so Klopf Architecture designed a new home that pushes the Eichler approach in new directions. One disadvantage of Eichler production homes is that the house designs were not optimized for each specific lot. A new custom home offered the team a chance to start over. In this case, a longer house that opens up sideways to the south fit the lot better than the original square-ish house that used to open to the rear (west). Accordingly, the Klopf team designed an L-shaped “bar” house with a large glass wall with large sliding glass doors that faces sideways instead of to the rear like a typical Eichler. This glass wall opens to a pool and landscaped yard designed by Arterra Landscape Architects. Driving by the house, one might assume at first glance it is an Eichler because of the horizontality, the overhanging flat roof eaves, the dark gray vertical siding, and orange solid panel front door, but the house is designed for the 21st Century and is not meant to be a “Likeler.” You won't see any posts and beams in this home. Instead, the ceiling decking is a western red cedar that covers over all the beams. Like Eichlers, this cedar runs continuously from inside to out, enhancing the indoor / outdoor feeling of the house, but unlike Eichlers it conceals a cavity for lighting, wiring, and insulation. Ceilings are higher, rooms are larger and more open, the master bathroom is light-filled and more generous, with a separate tub and shower and a separate toilet compartment, and there is plenty of storage. The garage even easily fits two of today's vehicles with room to spare. A massive 49-foot by 12-foot wall of glass and the continuity of materials from inside to outside enhance the inside-outside living concept, so the owners and their guests can flow freely from house to pool deck to BBQ to pool and back. During construction in the rough framing stage, Klopf thought the front of the house appeared too tall even though the house had looked right in the design renderings (probably because the house is uphill from the street). So Klopf Architecture paid the framer to change the roofline from how we had designed it to be lower along the front, allowing the home to blend in better with the neighborhood. One project goal was for people driving up the street to pass the home without immediately noticing there is an "imposter" on this lot, and making that change was essential to achieve that goal. This 2,606 square foot, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Eichler-inspired new house is located in San Mateo in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Klara Kevane Landscape Architect: Arterra Landscape Architects Contractor: Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Photography ©2016 Mariko Reed Location: San Mateo, CA Year completed: 2016

Mill Creek House

Alloy Homes Incorporated

McGrath Residence

DRAW Architecture

Built in 1890, this former small apartment building had been derelict, and it was the owners’ desire to revive the existing structure and reimagine it as a modern space for living and working. Respecting the overtly historic character of the building, the design blends modern interventions with historic elements to create spaces that feel both warm and modern. The home features three levels of living space, two outdoor balconies, and spectacular views of Kansas City’s downtown skyline. DRAW worked closely with the contractor and an artist to develop details focusing on craft and materials. As the structure is located on a well-traveled street with only a 5’ setback, the need for privacy became a concern. DRAW’s design team creatively solved this challenge with an art piece by Jesse Small that acts as a screen for the front façade and casts dynamic shadows on the interior that play on organic and constructed forms. The interior stair of the 3-story structure is a central design element, whose glass, steel and open treads allow light to filter through the space.

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Columbus, OH

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SouthEnd RowHome Bathroom

ZeroEnergy Design

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Dolores Park

Doran Construction and Design, Inc.

Inspiration for a contemporary orange tile bathroom remodel in San Francisco with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and white walls

25 Manor Park Crescent, Guelph

John Bertrand at Keller Williams Realty

Backing onto Speed River on a private 4 acre setting, 25 Manor Park is an exclusive enclave consisting of only 12 detached stone houses architecturally constructed and designed to complement the 1800's limestone mansion of which it stands as the centerpiece of the community . Manor Park is of major architectural significance blending an eclectic mix of British, Italian and French tradition. Since the creation of this authentic community in 1992, it has been perceived as one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the City of Guelph, providing owners with the privacy and privilege of luxury home ownership along with the freedom of a unique condominium lifestyle. With appreciation and respect for our heritage while moving forward towards a new and modern concept, this home will be sure to have you impressed. For more info or to scheduled a showing: John Bertrand Sales Representative Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty 640 Riverbend Dr | Kitchener | ON | N2K 3S2 Office: 519-821-5553 Cell: 519-835-4653 http://www.johnbertrand.ca/