Modern Farm House Remodel

Giving this cottage style house the upgrade it deserves. Located in Upland, CA this house has a very distinct curb appeal but could use some improvements in terms of functionality, natural lighting, energy efficiency, and overall building character. It was remodeled years ago and had an addition to the back which unfortunately created underutilized and dark spaces in the interior as well as underdeveloped site spaces. The goal is to improve site utilization and reorganize the interior spaces to their maximum potential use. The original facade was kept and timeless gable forms are added to the back that will help keep the overall character of the house intact from front to back. Materials and finishes are reenvisioned to achieve that simple, clean look commonly found in Scandinavian architecture which typically uses monochromatic tones accentuated by natural elements such as wood and neutral color palettes.

Natural light is one of the main goals of this upgrade. Large glass stacking doors that allow for outdoor connection with the interior and oversized picture windows are added to help create bright and airy spaces within the interior of the house. New skylights are also added at the redesigned upper-level spaces particularly the hallway leading to the bedrooms. These skylights help bring more light in addition to the existing front-facing dormer windows.

The south-facing rear of the house gets plenty of that California sun which is perfect for a pool and wooden deck. To minimize solar heat gain on the interior, the south-facing, upper-level bedrooms will have horizontal sunshades on the exterior wall. Wide canopies at the lower level, and sliding "barn door style" shutters on the large picture windows also help keep direct sunlight out, thus saves on cooling energy. The goal is to keep each building element functional and purposeful which in the overall context is an architectural statement in itself.