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Winter Residence Remodel
Winter Residence Remodel
Tucson, AZ, United States
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Other Projects by Ibarra Rosano Design Architects
Winter Residence Remodel
Tucson, AZ, United States
Space is the focus of our work. It is less about form and more about the energy and spirit of a space. We always look for the way to the greatest transformation with the fewest strokes - a design Haiku. The approach was one of simplification and amplification. Natural light rejuvenates the spaces, eliciting the harmony and serenity analogous to a cloud's interior. An abstract desert cloud resting quietly on a hill was a metaphor for the project.The
transformation of the Winter Residence began as a simple request for a bathroom
remodel. The owner Jerry Winter
and his soon-to-be wife, Desi Rosenfield, were interested in creating bathrooms
that matched the minimal and contemplative feel of the modern spas and boutique
hotels they had visited in their travels.
However, the spatial quality for which they were looking was in stark
contrast to the haphazard flow and disparate finishes of their existing
residence.
The
existing house was a modest 1940’s brick house with an awkward and poorly
detailed 1990’s addition that trapped the original rooms, prevented daylight
from entering the inner rooms and created uncomfortable spacing between the
house and original kidney-shaped pool.
After
understanding the level of design the owners wanted for the bathrooms, it was
clear that the entire house would need to be transformed or the remaining
un-remodeled areas would seem worse by comparison. Although we briefly contemplated a tear-down, in the end we
opted to remodel and add-on a mere 35 square feet in the form of a new
shower.
One
key to transforming the house was in the removal of the large, poorly built,
load-bearing stone fireplace that dominated and bisected the main living
spaces. Once the fireplace was
demolished and the roof re-supported, the opening for the chimney became a
perfect opportunity for a large skylight that now fills the once-trapped living
spaces with daylight. Once the
main living room was freed from the constraints of the bulky fireplace, it was
possible to use some of that floor area to enlarge the master bathroom and
closet. Applying the same approach
as we had in the living room, we removed the dividing wall between the closet
and bathroom to create an open and light filled space for dressing and bathing.
Though
the original seldom-used “front door” was on the south side of the living room,
access to that entrance was incompatible with the natural sloped terrain and
vehicular access to the site. Responding to the natural flow toward the house on its
hilltop site, we chose to keep the side entry as the primary entry and create a
dramatic concrete and beach-pebble parking plaza between the new carport and
the entry. The extension of the closet into what had been the living room
created a focal wall for a large painting at the entry that helps turn the
visitor’s gaze toward the stunning view of the city lights across the living
spaces, exterior deck and long horizontal cantilevered concrete bench.
The
creation of several small courtyards and patios throughout the house give a
feeling of connection to the exterior while providing shelter and privacy. The
area that had once been an awkward circular dirt driveway adjacent to the study
and guest room, became a serene courtyard with a fountain, small square of
grass, a single tree, and a horizontal slot opening that perfectly frames the
city skyline – a favorite yoga and meditation spot for the owner’s brother when
he visits. The inclusion of a tiny
courtyard around the 35 square foot glass and tile shower addition on the east
side of the house allows the bather to feel as if he or she is outside but
still out of view.
Also
instrumental in creating the new spa-like feel for the house was the decision
to remove the original kidney-shaped pool that was in need of repair and much
too close to the house for comfortable outdoor gathering. A new blue glass tiled and
terrazzo-like plastered pool provides a dramatic and refreshing focus for the
interior spaces. The pool, decks
and small, raised grass bed provide an ideal area for entertaining with a view
of the Catalina Mountains to the northeast. A pair of “floating” concrete bridges links the main deck to
a master bedroom deck and linear outdoor fireplace.
transformation of the Winter Residence began as a simple request for a bathroom
remodel. The owner Jerry Winter
and his soon-to-be wife, Desi Rosenfield, were interested in creating bathrooms
that matched the minimal and contemplative feel of the modern spas and boutique
hotels they had visited in their travels.
However, the spatial quality for which they were looking was in stark
contrast to the haphazard flow and disparate finishes of their existing
residence.
The
existing house was a modest 1940’s brick house with an awkward and poorly
detailed 1990’s addition that trapped the original rooms, prevented daylight
from entering the inner rooms and created uncomfortable spacing between the
house and original kidney-shaped pool.
After
understanding the level of design the owners wanted for the bathrooms, it was
clear that the entire house would need to be transformed or the remaining
un-remodeled areas would seem worse by comparison. Although we briefly contemplated a tear-down, in the end we
opted to remodel and add-on a mere 35 square feet in the form of a new
shower.
One
key to transforming the house was in the removal of the large, poorly built,
load-bearing stone fireplace that dominated and bisected the main living
spaces. Once the fireplace was
demolished and the roof re-supported, the opening for the chimney became a
perfect opportunity for a large skylight that now fills the once-trapped living
spaces with daylight. Once the
main living room was freed from the constraints of the bulky fireplace, it was
possible to use some of that floor area to enlarge the master bathroom and
closet. Applying the same approach
as we had in the living room, we removed the dividing wall between the closet
and bathroom to create an open and light filled space for dressing and bathing.
Though
the original seldom-used “front door” was on the south side of the living room,
access to that entrance was incompatible with the natural sloped terrain and
vehicular access to the site. Responding to the natural flow toward the house on its
hilltop site, we chose to keep the side entry as the primary entry and create a
dramatic concrete and beach-pebble parking plaza between the new carport and
the entry. The extension of the closet into what had been the living room
created a focal wall for a large painting at the entry that helps turn the
visitor’s gaze toward the stunning view of the city lights across the living
spaces, exterior deck and long horizontal cantilevered concrete bench.
The
creation of several small courtyards and patios throughout the house give a
feeling of connection to the exterior while providing shelter and privacy. The
area that had once been an awkward circular dirt driveway adjacent to the study
and guest room, became a serene courtyard with a fountain, small square of
grass, a single tree, and a horizontal slot opening that perfectly frames the
city skyline – a favorite yoga and meditation spot for the owner’s brother when
he visits. The inclusion of a tiny
courtyard around the 35 square foot glass and tile shower addition on the east
side of the house allows the bather to feel as if he or she is outside but
still out of view.
Also
instrumental in creating the new spa-like feel for the house was the decision
to remove the original kidney-shaped pool that was in need of repair and much
too close to the house for comfortable outdoor gathering. A new blue glass tiled and
terrazzo-like plastered pool provides a dramatic and refreshing focus for the
interior spaces. The pool, decks
and small, raised grass bed provide an ideal area for entertaining with a view
of the Catalina Mountains to the northeast. A pair of “floating” concrete bridges links the main deck to
a master bedroom deck and linear outdoor fireplace.
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