colab studio, llc | Cedar Street Residence

in Architecture by editor — 7:29 pm | December 4, 20110 comments

Renovation and addition for a 1954 bungalow home in Tempe, Arizona. The owner/architects require spaces to live, work, and house visiting family and friends. Design must  accommodate varying numbers of guests, large groups for entertaining, and fluctuating office staff size as well as a secure and safe play area for children.

A tight budget necessitates simplicity, efficiency. To ensure high re-sale value, a survey is conducted of potential home buyers to produce an optimized program and widely desirable elements. The survey data provide us with the basis for a design: a great room, a large central courtyard, a flexible, transformable house.

The existing house: Gutted. Three new walls positioned. Four mobile wardrobes added, each with a built-in door. Bedrooms may be created or taken away as needed. Re-used steel frames and decking create new entry and patios.

The addition: Mobile millwork separates the great room (kitchen, dining, living) from studio. When entertaining, the millwork moves east to create a 1000 SF dining/living space. If the studio grows, the millwork moves west. Multiple locations for power/data/speaker connections in the floor for millwork placement.

Operable shade along the south façade reduces heat gain and balances light each day, becomes a giant lantern for the courtyard each night. All spaces view into courtyard surrounded by translucent, reflective glass. Surrounding landscape paints shadows on glazing each day, courtyard expands to infinity each night.

Tags: Arizona featured ftnews house LLC modern house refurbishment Renovation residence residential US USA