INTRODUCTION
Nearly five years ago, when this young modern couple married and combined their two households in the groom’s modest ranch-style house, they immediately began to envision changes that would make their house one that they would enjoy for the rest of their lives. They knew it was time to renovate and add on, as they would pull out Kitchen drawers in order to balance cutting boards on them for lack of counter space, step around boxes of things that could not be unpacked, and in general, trip over each other as they entertained regularly for up to 20 people. They realized the solution to their need for storage and space would improve the way they use the house and how they would relate to the neighborhood in doing so. By opening up the house with an addition/renovation, the front yard would function as an extended porch, while the Kitchen, Dining, and storage spaces could be rearranged to achieve their goals.Kevin Kampschroer, the Director of Research for the GSA’s Public Building Service, travels around the world researching and lecturing on design. Tacie Yoon is a Washington, DC attorney. Kevin, Tacie and their teenage daughter are all avid cooks, and in the little free time that they have together, they enjoy cooking for and entertaining family and friends of all ages. Kevin’s expertise in ergonomics and modern design, along with Tacie’s practicality and attention to light, balance, and form, were the driving force in the evolution of this design process. Their taste and hands-on participation made the design process effortless.

CONTEXT
This existing 1950’s ranch-style house sits near the crest of a hill across the street from an undisturbed lake viewed through a scrim of trees. In this friendly, close-knit community, many people waveas they pass by, or stop to chat, as front yards often are used as an outdoor room or extension of the house. The existing plan of the house has a central Entry Hall with a modest Kitchen and Dining space to the right, Living Room in the back, and Bedrooms down a long thin Hall to the left. A walkout Basement is accessed by a stair just off the Living Room. It has functioned as living space for aged family members. The Basement also has a wonderful wine cellar that creates extra circulation patterns for the homeowners’ infamous dinner parties.

PROGRAM
The charge was to update the house and its functionality, while taking advantage of the views and light. This included enlarging the Kitchen and adding a larger, more open Dining space that connects with the outside. A vestibule was added in the process to help with the rituals of entering and leaving the house, including the removal of shoes. A walk-in Pantry Closet, all new appliances, and display shelves were required. The Living Room renovation included modernizing the fireplace and hearth, adding shelving, partially enclosing the stairs to the Basement, and creating a nook for the piano.The design should function for 2 or 3 people cooking at one time, maximize storage space, and enhance the circulation of people, while also providing space for people to participate in food preparation, or to just sit and watch.A new approach stair and exit Porch off the Dining Room were required to separate car functions from usable yard and Porch functions.

DESIGN
The final design created a dual-stationed Kitchen to allow flexibility in circulation patterns. The double islands help define the edges of a central Kitchen, while unified flooring and a general openness allow the Living, Kitchen, and Dining spaces to be read as one diverse space, as well as separate spaces at the same time.A diagonal step system and retaining wall funnel visitors up the stairs next to the existing brick base wall. This angle becomes a raised plane or gate layer that forms a roof valley support. A canted butterfly roof allows the ceiling to open up to the light and views, creating a small covered step Porch functioning for shade and cover, while letting controlled light deep into the house. A forced perspective is created by two diverging walls focusing out towards the lake at a slight angle from the house. The glass wall forms an angle parallel to the arc chord of the front property line for setback efficiency and appropriate view framing. A collage of structural layers presents itself to the street frontage, giving a hybrid vigor to what was once a very staid elevation. A subtle complexity of vertical sequences tells the story of what was once old and new, inside and out, while giving a new richness that did not exist before.The architecture forms a gallery quality for the couple’s modern furniture collection, which includes pieces by George & Mira Nakashima and Le Corbusier, as well as other 1960’s modern pieces.Great care in the foundation design and construction specifications is being taken to preserve the existing trees.

MATERIALS
The angles have helped create an extra deep stainless steel counter at the cooktop with floating maple box cabinets in front of a back-painted glass backsplash wall lit with fiber optics. Granite counters add a contrast to the wood floors and furnishings. Floating glass and wood display shelves will house the many collections which personalize an otherwise warm and minimal aesthetic.The maple cabinets are provided by Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens. A pivoting stainless steel front door with textured glass and LED entry lights, stone tile, and wood vestibule steps signal the importance of design in the lives of the owners to visitors as they walk up the stairs. The cantilevered stress skin panels and steel frame balancoff the dynamic angles formed by the stucco landscape and support wall. The stucco goes from inside to outside, blurring the lines of enclosure, and reinforcing the connection with nature outside.