DESIGN CHALLENGE

The biggest challenge of this project was working with the existing conditions – the site didn’t have an abundance of space for staging materials, the house was twisted from front to back, and the floor sagged to the middle. We were also revising the structural bearing points as part of the re-design. None of this was insurmountable but it required coordination to ensure the design vision was executed properly.  Along with all of that we were taking the roof off completely and keeping it dry. Another challenge, that likely comes in almost every project, we had a budget to manage.

 

MOST PROUD OF

The "Harp Stair!"  The idea originated from a collaboration between HAUS and the homeowners.  They wanted the stair to be a feature rather than "just a stair."

 

NOT TO BE MISSED

The exposed soffits with vents – most often, builders will box in the soffits. For this craftsman-style home, that was not an option. We left them exposed and painted them "Blue Bauble" (Sherwin Williams) to mimic the sky. The vents allow air to flow at the underside of the sheathing to keep the shingles from literally baking themselves. With the exposed soffits, so too were the rafter tails – we opted for a tapered tail for these exposed rafters.

 

DESIGN INSPIRATION

Many of the craftsman-style elements become the basis of the modern interpretation. As you enter the home, you’ll see many of the existing characteristics still remain!

 

LESSONS LEARNED

You don’t always need to go bigger or raze the entire house.  We worked with the homeowner to determine their needs and designed around keeping the original footprint and exterior walls. It’s much easier to discuss these things in the design process – prior to any demo or hammer-swinging.