Our team took on this project in order to demonstrate the rehabilitation of certain areas of our City struggling socio-economically with strategic expansions and renovations of existing homes without breaking the bank. The existing walls of the ground level were removed and the floors above reinforced with steel beams in order to allow for a complete open floor plan complete with a new kitchen, powder room and laundry closet. At the the second floor the addition allowed for the expansion of the existing primary bedroom as well as more storage space and secondary access from the bedroom to the newly renovated second floor washroom. Daylighting levels were improved by addition large patio doors, windows and a skylight. Electrical, HVAC and existing plumbing were also completely updated along with sprayfoam insulating exterior walls. Corrugated siding was proposed as a cheaper cladding system with quick turn around. Project took a total of 4 months to complete from footings/ foundations to exterior and interior finishes. Other updates included new flooring throughout the house, new plumbing fixtures, new HVAC equipment and complete re-wiring of the house. As design professionals we briefly dove into the realities of real estate in our City where one singular approach does not fit every project and as designers it is imperative to convey to our clients which design strategy fits into their site in order to reap the benefits of their investment immediately of in the long run.
