Pond Vista

The clients were seeking a clean, modern aesthetic with simple lines paired with durable finishes. PDC preserved the brick exterior while carving out portions to allow for a fluid pattern of ribbons of windows and cementitious fiberboard for a dynamic sculptural appearance. At the second floor PDC added an unexpected material of deeply corrugated horizontal siding. This gives an updated modern look, while seemingly appears like clapboard siding from a far within the neighborhood context. To bring a sense of history back to the building we used some salvaged 1x6 T&G sheathing for the ceiling treatment at the entry porch. The key signature element at the front façade is the butterfly roof over the master bath.
In the interior, one is met at the front door with a welcoming stair to the second floor, with windows to view the sky and preserved land beyond. To each side of the stair at the first floor you see the open plan, with views into the living room on the right, with cathedral ceiling, and views to the left of the family room. As one walks passed the stair to either side, a wall of windows is visible and views beyond of the pond and woods. The rear of the home opens to one continuous space with the kitchen at the center. At the far end of the house behind the garage is a transformed screened-in porch, which now has become an enclosed space with multi-functions of mudroom, dining, and a favorite spot where the husband works when at home. Here PDC also preserved the exterior brick, now as an interior wall to give the feel of the outdoors coming into the house. In the living room, the revitalized wood-burning fireplace sports a new large format tile surround in two textures, a huge wood storage area that slides off the side of the hearth and fire box is topped with a steel and wooden mantel.

The central kitchen is modern and sleek semi-custom kitchen with white glossy cabinets, carefully arranged to form continuous horizontal lines and accents of steel and glass upper cabinet fronts, with white quartz counters to set off the herringbone gray all-natural stone mosaic back splash. The stainless-steel appliance package includes column refrigerator, convection stove top, double ovens and paneled two dishwashers for entertaining. What’s missing? Yes, there is no freezer as they cook with all fresh ingredients. The kitchen plan sets the island center stage with great flow from all functions of cooking,
washing, and refrigeration with plenty of easy access storage with no underutilized inside corner cabinets.

To round off the first floor, the existing master suite is preserved and repurposed for guests when
extended family stay the weekend. Also, is the addition of powder room tucked off the coat hall with plenty of storage for the kids, coats, shoes and backpacks. This area is all concealed behind an indigo blue wall linking back to the family’s Asian heritage.

The family’s sleeping quarters are all located on the new second floor. As one ascends the perspectival stair, one is greeted by the view at the stair foyer. To the left is the master suite, with floor to ceiling windows opposite the bed taking full advantage of the view. Behind the sleeping zone is the dressing area and master bath with double vanity and double walk-in curbless shower, flooded with natural light from the clerestory windows. On the right-hand side of the stair foyer is a long and generous hall that is illuminated with daylight from a continuous row of strip windows at eye level. On the opposite wall is the entry into the two children’s rooms with jack-and-jill bath between them and laundry, which is accessed off the hall. Over the bath is a loft space adjoining both bedrooms. An unexpected detail found in the hall is the modern barn doors that closes off the laundry. These doors ride along and extended rail beyond the children’s bedroom doors. At the end of the hall is secluded open space, again with views to the rear as the dedicated study.

TECHNICAL HALLMARKS:
PDC understands the rapid change in technology within any home. PDC concentrates our efforts on developing a tight well-insulated enclosure as a standard for all our projects. While heating, cooling, lighting and other home automation may change and improve over the life of any structure, it is rare to change the basic envelope of the house, which must be done correctly from the start. This can be a challenge with tight budgets and existing construction. In this case we had two very distinctive conditions. First was an existing structure from the early 60s with little to no insulation and no air sealing to speak of beyond the brick veneer. The second condition was new construction at the added second floor. We handled the existing construction at the first floor with two simple strategies of closed cell foam within all exterior walls, and new properly flashed high-performance windows at a cost-effective price point. The new construction at the second floor boosts a high-performance shell with continuous insulation on the exterior side of the wood studs and an integrated air/weather barrier system within the sheathing to form an air-tight box. At the 5 ½” stud cavity we added rock wool insulation for added thermal projection and sound deadening from the exterior elements. Rockwool insulation is an excellent product which does not allow the growth of mold, fire-resistant and deadens sound. On top of the sheathing we added mesh that forms a continuous gap between sheathing and siding for venting and drain any water that inadvertently finds its way behind the siding. This also keeps the sheathing from rotting if it gets wet. The careful coordination of roof penetrations and southern orientation allow for a future solar array at the second story roof to completely power the home, in addition to an electric car.