Credits
From Convene Architecture
The homeowner of this updated home, who is also Co-Owner and Principal Architect at Convene Architecture, always envisioned transforming his childhood home. After stints in the Bay Area and Boston, he moved back to Alexandria, Virginia, ready to tackle the project. His mom was living alone in the original house, and he and his wife decided to create a larger home for three generations.
The challenge was how to introduce a modern aesthetic (which they loved) while preserving parts of the original home (which his mom was attached to). The goal was to create a home where everyone could live comfortably.
The design expands the original house on both the first and second floors, while adding a single-level apartment to age-in-place. The original entry was relocated to a cutout at the addition, highlighting the new entry and bridging between the new and old. Two front doors painted different colors define the individual residences. The addition is set back from the existing house to maintain the rhythm and scale of the single-family houses along the street.
The majority of the original landscaping was preserved, which was important to his mom, who is an avid gardener. Small ramps at the side and rear yards provide wheelchair access to the apartment if needed. An outdoor patio with pergola and a roof deck accessed from the primary bedroom provide opportunities to enjoy the backyard.
Modern detailing merges the two homes with elements of the original house reinterpreted in the new design. For the exterior, an angled bay window references the dormers of the original house. Inside, the mantel that his mom installed is preserved as is the skirt bracket on the original stair. Modern picture windows replace the original double hung windows, maximizing natural light as well as views to the outside. Blackened steel details are incorporated into the stair and new fireplace to tie the new and old.
The design cohesively merges style preferences, provides privacy and opportunities for gathering, and is a place the whole family calls home.