Through
careful site planning this two-story addition and renovation of a 1920’s New
England Colonial puts the house and Garage into a composition that creates a
protected south-facing patio. Although
decidedly contemporary, the addition takes inspiration from traditional New
England architecture in both concept and detail. The ‘garden kitchen’, a large room that is
both kitchen and dining room, opens through four doors to the south facing
patio. The stone steps, (granite curbing
laid on its side) connecting the kitchen to the patio provide a counterpoint to
the wood construction of the house and suggest site-specific permanence.
The interior
modifications, accommodating the program of a new kitchen and enlarged dining
room, (first floor) and a new study and second bathroom (second floor) also
relieve the feeling of ‘containment’ of the 1920s rooms. The existing
traditional plan consisting of discrete rooms is modified so that each room has
views extending the length or width of the building.