What was the brief?
This project entailed the complete renovation of an existing 1920’s brick Tudor, plus a 4’x20’ addition that allowed us to completely reconfigure the existing stair and all circulation.

What were the key challenges?
The existing house forced our clients to walk up 3 steps then down 2 steps to get from the front door to the kitchen. Getting upstairs was even more convoluted. Local zoning regulations prevented us from adding space for a new stair so instead we figured out a strategy to get just enough new space that we could flip the stair orientation within its existing location and open the entire house up to the central light-filled stairway. The new stair has open risers that allow natural light to fill the center of the house on all levels; its rift sawn white oak slabs float free and add a sculptural counterpoint to the otherwise monochromatic interior. 

What materials did you choose and why? 
The addition is overtly modern but its material palette is compatible with the original brick and slate house. The house was brought up from 1920’s standards to current energy and insulation standards from top to bottom.

Though the reconfiguration of the staircase, the light brought into the space and the modern color pallet are the pillar of this modern renovation, a complete reconfiguration of the ventilation system was also implemented. Bringing back this century-old house to fit today’s energy and insulation standards wasn’t easy. Inline fans with two 5" intake ports and one 6" exhaust port were used to modernize the ventilation for the bathroom spa areas of the home. With multiple exhaust points going into one fan, wall or roof penetrations are kept to a minimum aiding in the modern aesthetic of this Modern Tudor. The motorized impeller of the CVS fan is both statically and dynamically balanced as one integral unit, for vibration free, quiet performance resulting in a solution to ventilation in line with the modern feel of the renovation.