The project, an existing home located in the East Walnut Hills Historic District, began as a kitchen renovation, and grew to include an addition and roof terrace.  The historic home, an American Foursquare, underwent several renovations over recent years that left the family room (created by the enclosure of a former porch) disconnected from the living spaces.  The rear of the house turned inward rather than taking advantage of the expansive wooded views to the south. The existing kitchen only had one small window over the sink and a door to a wood deck. By removing the wood deck and replacing it with a ground floor rear entry and first floor addition, we were able to extend the existing kitchen into the addition, thereby creating a breakfast area linking the disparate kitchen/breakfast/family/terrace to the rest of the home. 

 

Within this new addition, a wall of glass overlooks the owner’s property and reconnects the home to its site.  An existing gabled garage roof was removed and replaced with an elevated terrace and a small walkway that connects it to the house.  With a few small moves, this subtle and modern addition uses special linkages and views rather than new square footage to create an expansive interior while respecting the scale and character of the historic home.