Architect Neal Schwartz was tasked with designing a family guesthouse with both an aging relative and a wheelchair user in mind; at a maximum size of 775 square feet per the local zoning regulations, the home would need to be a single-level structure but also deal with the connection between the main house and the guest house. The solution was a new garage with a breezeway that connected to the guest house, all at the same level, and with a sculptural opening in the roof of the breezeway for light and air.
The third-story addition to Lisa Koshkarian and Tom DiFrancesco’s San Francisco home blends seamlessly in both height and scale, giving the couple 500 square feet of extra space without disturbing the surrounding context.