Dramatic turns
A new roofline has completely transformed a 1980s house that previously looked more like a dental clinic
The idea of bringing up children in a beautiful home overlooking a peaceful, private lake is very appealing, but what can be done if the house is dated, unattractive and totally unsuited to family life? The outcome of any extensive remodeling exercise can be very hard to predict.
Architect Dale Mulfinger was presented with this dilemma by the new owners of a 13,000sq ft house built in the 1980s for an empty-nester couple who entertained frequently. The house had large formal and informal living spaces, a master suite on the top level and a guest bedroom two floors below. On the exterior, a flat roofline and wood siding ensured it had absolutely no street appeal.
"In fact, the prevailing opinion was that it looked like a dental clinic," says the architect.
The new owners enjoy entertaining, but they also have children, so they needed the home to be remodeled to suit family life. Mulfinger's solution was simple: take the top level off altogether and drop a new pitched roof onto the house.
"I felt this would dramatically change the look of the house, and provide the opportunity to have interesting ceilings on the interior," he says.
The interior floorplan was full of 45° angles and corners, easily accommodated under a flat roof, but less straightforward under a pitched roof.
"To deal with this, the pitches on the new roof do not always correspond with the corners and angles inside the house. This enabled us to create a canopy over the front of the house, giving it a gracious sense of entry," says Mulfinger.
Similarly, at the rear of the house where it is two stories high, the roof pitch has been carried down until the eaves intersect with the ground.
"This helps scale the house, bringing the mass down, and helping to anchor it to the landscape," the architect says.
By treating the roof as a separate element, the work was done without changing the foundations or needing structural additions to support the roof. As well, changing the roof allowed some of the angles inside the house to be eliminated.
The remodeled roof shapes have also impacted on the inside of the house, creating interesting ceiling shapes over the new kitchen, dining and living areas, which open off the new entry foyer. The new master suite is on this level, and a staircase leading up to a balcony above the living areas provides access to a guest suite, built into the roof space.
Another staircase leads down from the entry to the children's bedrooms on the lower level. This floor includes a large informal living space, which opens onto the terrace and swimming pool.
To further improve the appearance of the house, it has been reclad. Previously it had been completely finished with grey painted wood siding.
"Using only one material for the entire house made it appear even bigger than it was. By cladding some of the walls in a regional stone, the house now looks welcoming and feels more permanently anchored to the landscape," says Mulfinger.
Larger windows modernize the appearance of the house, making it look more open and helping to create a better sense of connection with the lake.
Story by: Trendsideas
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