Familiar yet dramatically different

Renovation by Nathan Fell Architecture

From the renovating architect:

The home, located in the suburbs of New Orleans, originally had a low ceiling that provided its exterior (and interior) with an aesthetic (and proportion) that was familiar to other Mid-century homes built in this region.

However, it lacked many of the components that often distinguish these homes as remarkable works of architecture – such as an open floor plan, vaulted spaces (strategically juxtaposed to the low ceilings), and unexpected elements of surprise. 

Instead, the home favoured functionality and formality in keeping with the regional owner expectations of that time.

Many distinct enclosed rooms with expected functions such as study, playroom, small and large formal dining room, sunroom, etc. strongly established a predetermined circulation path.

The owners aspired for a different, more expansive home but were firmly settled in place for good reason. 

After numerous and challenging life experiences, they hadn’t the inclination or belief until recently to claim their current house as a home – in the sense that it seemed permanent. 

While they had lived in the house for many years, it had taken some time to feel settled, so a renovation was favoured over a new build. 

After sharing many life stories with Nathan Fell (NFA), the theme of how the owner's past transience culminated in their desire for stability became clear.

The floor-plan was deceptively large but lacked openness, expansiveness, and visibility to multiple spaces that the owners wanted for their large, multi-generational family. 

The idea of raising the roof came early on from the owners, who felt their existing house was too enclosed and cluttered. 

They wanted as much of the roof raised as possible, which means the existing roof would need to be completely removed and reframed. 

NFA suggested focussing (the portion of the roof to be raised) on the communal living areas rather than the bedrooms to get the most impact, and to leave most of the existing masonry exterior walls in their existing locations.

As for the interior floor-plan modifications, the existing vaulted space in the rear-facing living room was increased in height and expanded to the front room – the latter previously occupied by a large formal dining room. 

This resulted in a much larger multipurpose living area that opened from front to back with large triangular glazing at each end to maximise the visibility and scale. 

To increase the connection to the outside panorama even further, a two-sided multi-sliding glass wall adds openness to the rear yard where a raised pool has been constructed at the same level as the (.91m high) main floor.

The existing rear deck was conceived as the internal courtyard which would enjoy multiple viewpoints of the main living spaces. 

The existing enclosed kitchen, informal dining, and sunroom were (also) all removed to create a more expansive and open kitchen and dining space that further connected to the courtyard and living areas. 

The resulting floor-plan allows for a much more generous open space that can be adapted to various uses and furniture arrangements. 

Private and separate living spaces were also conceived as part of the plan. 

An existing small playroom was modified off the front entry and a new separate cabana room was added in the previous garage.

On the exterior, an ipe wood trellis structure was added to the front to accentuate the front gable and entry. 

The trellis wraps horizontally at the front gable via a lower frame extending over the main doorway to the left to connote a more formal and grand sense of entry through new ipe wood-clad double doors that also enlarge the existing front opening.

The idea was to use this wooden trellis as a layer of artifice that identifies the internal uses and scale of spaces while reinforcing the more horizontal proportion of the front elevation. 

It was important to the design to accentuate the existing brick façade element.

This included retaining an existing planter that reinforces this horizontality rather than letting the increased height of the gable form seem like a superimposed element, not blended to the whole.

The owners loved their existing home and neighbours, so while there were a lot of ideas about the interior that they wanted to be dramatically different, the renovation largely preserves a lot of the key elements – from the general location of living spaces to exterior brickwork – that made them feel connected to the home in the first place.

It was an expansive and (at times) complicated project to detail and conceptualise, however, the result feels both dramatically different and yet familiar at the same time.

Story by: Trendsideas