A trap-door opening at the top of the house allows for better circulation.

The knot-flecked staircase leading down to Bornstein's office gives serves as a solid core to the home's circulation.

Despite their fidelity to the original structure, the residents made small changes, notably in the kitchen: The wood-veneered island was moved to create more circulation space behind it and finished in white lacquer and stainless steel. Wood cabinetry above the island was exchanged for a steel ventilation unit.

DSH // architecture carried out an adaptive reuse project, which preserved key elements of Welton Becket’s original design, but modified the interior.

RJ and Frances took down the wall to connect the kitchen with the living area, improving the home’s circulation.

The redesign created two arched passageways into the kitchen as part of a rebuilt dividing wall, improving circulation and doubling as built-in storage.

The open sliding doors of the kitchen and children’s room can flexibly stretch the space, and when fully opened, improve circulation.

Construction pausing during the pandemic turned out to be a boon: Living in the half-finished space, the couple realized they needed to open up the pass-through to the rest of the house for even more circulation.

A perpendicular wing houses the garage. The house has no air conditioning, relying on lake breezes and cross-ventilation for cooling. Each bedroom has a screened door that opens to the deck and an adjustable transom above the hallway door to encourage the circulation of air.

For the new kitchen, which was rotated perpendicularly to improve circulation, interior designer Pamela Lin-Tam opted for "interior finishes that reflect the time period, but don't feel old or outdated," says architect Megan Blaine. Modular cabinets are paired with quartz countertops.

Circulations

Circulations

The open-plan living room was inspired by the couple’s previous residence, a London loft. The paintings are by Dunlop. The louvered floor-to-ceiling windows, ceiling fan, and sliding deck doors usher in sea breezes and encourage good air circulation.

"The layout and circulation is straightforward,

Circulations

Fans were added for improved air circulation.

Sliding glass doors enable easy indoor/outdoor circulation.

Wasted space and inefficient uses of rooms and circulation are objectively undesirable.

The perimetral circulations became into interior corridors

The front entrance leads to the house’s “circulation spine” (above photo).

Breezeways and verandas provide external circulation between living spaces.

Circulation platforms weave above the open courtyard space.

A new interior stair allows vertical circulation, and funnels light into the interior space.

The remodeled kitchen retained plumbing locations and general layout, but functionality and circulation was improved.

The staircase and ramp serve as vertical circulation, connecting the base and access levels.

The circulation spaces are the "arteries" of the home, spreading color and artwork throughout the property.

The owners also wanted better internal circulation, and upgrades for the existing rooms.

Making the most of a modest budget, the Hot Rod House relies on a single move—the insertion of a folded steel stair—to provide circulation while becoming a free-standing 3-D sculptural element. Large pivoting windows open the house to the outside. From a technical standpoint, the house serves as an on-going research project, e.g., the window frames double as the structural moment frame for the house, and the stair is constructed without stringers. Photo by Benjamin Benschneider.

The elongated walkway and porch creates outdoor circulation during the summer months

The service corridor emphasizes axial circulation and austerity of materials, with concrete countertops and wood cabinetry.

To maximize circulation, the designers opted to install two doors for each washroom.

“In this project, the stairwell is more than just a circulation,” explain the architects. “It is the core of the project, as it brings natural light and ventilation to the whole building. This vertical space has been transformed from a classic indoor circulation route to a semi-outdoor space in connection with its tropical environment.”

When it’s a bit cooler and the windows can be opened, the home's orientation encourages excellent air circulation. In the summer off-season, when temperatures consistently reach 115 degrees, the home’s windows and doors are covered with insulating material to keep interior temperature as low as possible. To further maximize efficiency, the team upgraded the existing HVAC.

The new stair configuration creates a circulation core. A custom red-cedar screen knits the floors together.

The steel post-and-beam structural components frame entry ways and circulation.

The home is designed to encourage outdoor circulation, but nearly all at a single story, to allow the clients to age in place.