Project Description
2012 RADA
Renovation / Merit
The judges admired this dramatic transformation of a formerly generic house in northern California. “They didn’t just expand, they reworked it,” one juror said. Architects Wendy Evans Joseph, FAIA, LEED AP, and Chris Cooper, AIA, LEED AP, removed the existing north façade and a porch that blocked sight lines, designing a new ipe porch to frame and highlight spectacular views. They also opted to open up the inside of the two-story house, cutting away chunks of wall and ceiling to create more dynamic volumes.
Sustainable strategies included installing a remote solar array, reusing demolition waste from the remodel elsewhere on the property, and remaking the landscaping to facilitate small-scale farming and beekeeping. Joseph also credits builder David Warner for his and his staff’s dedication to the project. “They brought a lot of craftsmanship, a lot of construction expertise,” she says.