Located about half an hour's drive from Manhattan, Rutherford, New Jersey is a leafy suburb known for traditional Colonial style homes, not radical experiments in modern architecture. Defying that long-time prescribed aesthetic seems to have been the motivational force behind architect Brian Messana's decision to not just renovate the home for a growing family, but transform it something altogether new and modern.

Though the appearance is a radical departure from what is common in the neighborhood, Messana rejects the idea that he is a radical architect. “I am always surprised when people are freaked out," he says. "I guess through my lens I don’t see it as being so far out there."

Indeed, the new structure and glassed-in bridge are solutions to the perennial suburban design problem: the family grew, and the house became too small. The original structure’s three bedrooms and single bathroom were proving too cozy for this family of five, but a deep connection to their hometown precluded the family from moving. Instead, they tapped Messana to design a renovation after being impressed with the firm's Ten Broeck Cottage project.

In order to make space, Messana O’Rorke gutted the existing house. On the first floor, they replaced the cramped kitchen, dining, and living rooms with an open plan focused on maximizing space for the family to gather. They also bumped out the rear wall of the kitchen/dining area, adding some crucial extra square footage. Even this small change was done in Messana O'Rorke's signature modern style, fitted with horizontal windows and clad in cedar that matches the addition. Upstairs, they enlarged the bathroom and the three bedrooms became the children's rooms.

Messana moved the parents' master bedroom (and the one-car garage) into the addition, connecting the new build to the renovated space with a glass-encased bridge. The bedroom features windows looking onto a small, verdant side yard and a comfy but commanding bed designed by the firm smack dab in the middle of the room.

The effect is as livable inside as it is eye-catching from the street. “When traffic turns the corner the entire house comes into view,” says Messana. “It’s very much like a mullet: from the front it’s just this normal house, and on the back you’ve got this crazy thing attached to it.”

That “crazy thing” is two stacked boxes clad in cedar, a material that nods to local architectural norms, even if the form does not. “The idea was we wanted these two abstract blocks sitting on top of each other. You would only see movement when someone comes out of the box and across the bridge,” explains Messana.

That visibility of movement inside the house creates a sense of drama and gives the dwelling a feeling of lightness. It also preserves the negative space between the two structures, creating a clear divide between the old and the new, the parents and the kids.

Fluorescent lights recessed in grooves in the ceiling illuminate the passageway, and a small green roof welcomes a crosser back to the main house. Underneath, Messana installed a patio, a space for cookouts and informal socializing, that is partially sheltered by the bridge. The middle space has also become the house’s de facto entrance, with guests and family members alike preferring to use the wide glass doors Messana specified for the kitchen to come inside the family’s new home.

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Project Credits:

Architect: Messana O’Rorke / @messanaororke