Still Weather Projects
stillweatherprojects.com

Keith Johns, AIA; Anne Kemper, Assoc. AIA

Habibi House

Project Type: Remodel & Addition

Sponsors: Minnesota Fine Homes (builder)

The clients were family friends who were in love with their neighborhood but needed more space to provide for their growing family. Living in northeast where the housing stock is typically on the smaller side sited on lots that are themselves smaller, the clients loved their home and their lives in the neighborhood, and so rather than finding a new home, they chose to stay and expand their current one. Their desire was to create a new family room for the entire family, one where they could also host extended family and friends. Additionally, they needed to create a new primary suite, laundry room and bathroom all while honoring the original homes design ethos.

The design took great care to respect and match, or rhyme, with the existing materials, details and sensibilities. The planning paid particular attention to efficiency of space and consideration to scale so as to not overpower the lot or their surrounding context. 

The design added new programming while not overbuilding for the site. The envelope and interior electrical and plumbing were updated to allow for more efficient operation and conditioned spaces with less energy demand. The mechanical HVAC units use heat pump technology to operate more efficiently and use less energy. 

AIA Framework for Design Excellence: Design for Integration

Habibi House was a design process that saw the client's wanting to honor their current home while providing for their growing family. The addition and remodel placed emphasis on being true to the spirit of the original home. Starting with scale, the addition respects the original massing form of the existing home, while stepping down in height as it grows toward the back of the lot. The footprint remained efficient to retain exterior patio and garden space to the rear of the lot. The planning borrowed from existing spaces and reconfigured halls and rooms to create thoughtfully sized, new bedrooms and a bathroom. Materials were selected with great care to match the original wood, stains, hardware of the existing house. Where possible elements, like door hardware, doors, and fixtures, were re-used in the new addition to further blend the two spaces together. The end result then becomes a bespoke home that meets the needs of a growing family, seamlessly merging old and new to form their forever home. 

What is the AIA Framework for Design Excellence? Learn more »