YOUNGHOUSE
The YoungHouse is a remodel and addition that builds upon the strong design tenets of the existing Ranch Style architecture (with Swiss Chalet touches in the front!) and pushes it into a breathtaking example of indoor-outdoor architecture and design. The original design featured a single-story residence on a downward-sloping lot, with an separate, unconnected lower level with two guest bedrooms and a shared bath. An existing covered deck, off the kitchen, included the outdoor stair to the downstairs bedrooms.
The existing interior spaces were cramped and low, claustrophobic and dark. There was no sense of connection to the exterior, even though the property featured a beautiful newly-design swimming pool and a large, gently-sloping back yard with an unobstructed view of the city beyond.
The Program
The entire design was based on essentially four key programmatically elements: design an interior stair to elegantly connect the upper and lower levels; add a Family Room below the existing deck; convert the existing lower level to a Master Suite, and introduce more light and a greater sense of connectivity.
Design Challenges
The existing floor plan was extremely tight and efficient (meaning, little hallway or dedicated circulation space to work with), and along with the existing sloped site below, made placement of an interior connecting stair very challenging. Although the existing covered deck was a nice feature beyond the existing Kitchen, it created a dark and shadowed space that added more darkness to the interiors than any light one perceived once outside.
Key Design Elements
The interior stair was designed as a single-run stair, parallel to the existing Family Room and acting as a divider between it and the covered deck. It is surrounded by a glazed cube on two sides that visually connects to the deck beyond and the pool deck below. All openings on the south facade (facing the pool) were replaced with multi-panel floor-to-ceiling french doors to allow an abundance of natural light, and maximize connectivity to the exterior. The existing attic space above the Kitchen was converted to a high-vaulted ceiling, and the covered deck roof was replaced with a reverse-pitch open-beam ceiling that sloped upwards towards the sunlight streaming in from the south. Above the deck roof, additional transom windows were added to introduce more light into the interior Dining and Kitchen. New Ipe decks were built adjacent to the Blue Room and Master Bedroom, and a widened, more elegant stair connected the Ipe decks to the existing pool below.
