Modern Craftsman Renovation

BREAKING GROUND

Here’s a shot of the existing house as lumber began arriving.  The existing eaves were in disrepair and were casually referred to as a raccoon motel by the owner.  We will be bringing this bungalow above and beyond its original Craftsman roots from a design, detail, and quality standpoint.  This roof is coming off to accommodate the new upstairs.

We managed to get the majority of the lumber in one delivery which worked to our advantage. The site is unique in that is shares a driveway with the neighboring property and much of the landscaping is to remain. We managed to tuck the lumber package back into the owner’s carport and driveway, which gave us room to set a dumpster next to the house, rather than in the front yard or street.

DEALING WITH THE OLD

Upon demolishing much of the existing structure, there were several details that needed sorted out before we could proceed with the new framing.  The biggest issue being the existing exterior walls not being straight.  As an architect-led home builder, we have an amiable, collaborative relationship with our framer and he brought to our attention the skewed nature of the existing walls.  We worked together on site to straighten the exterior walls before moving forward.  It was important to do that as it would become the base for the new upper floor and the new roof.  Leaving the wall wavy would result in more effort during the framing process but also inconsistent details at the exterior and interior as all the joists and rafters would be sized for each unique condition.  Straightening the wall means all the rafters and joists can be cut to the same size.

The existing roof structure was made of 2×4’s, which was greatly undersized by today’s standards.  This caused undue stress on the exterior walls as it sagged and pushed outward on the top of the wall.  The framer noted that at the worst condition the top of the wall was five inches out from the bottom of the wall.  The house was seemingly trying to flatten itself.  Before moving forward, we worked with the framer to ensure the walls were plumbed and the previous issues were corrected.  Once correct, the floor structure went on seamlessly.

RAISING THE ROOF

The framers continued to take advantage of the good weather.  Two weeks into the demolition and framing, the roof structure was almost complete.  The new form of the home is starting to show as the dormers peel up from the main gable.  The roof is being replaced with a higher pitch and beefier structure.  The previous rafters were sorely undersized.  The higher pitched roof allows for the upstairs to have livable space, unlike the dark, low attic space that used to be.

As the construction progresses, it’s essential to keep an open line of communication. The details executed correctly are the difference between architecture and just another house on the block. It really is all about the details. The skeleton gives you a sense of the scale and proportion of the spaces. Below, the structure is standing tall with its neighbors where it previously seemed to have poor posture.

INSTALLING THE LID

As the framing for the Broad Ripple Modern Craftsman Renovation continues to progress, we start to see some of the details come to life.  Here we see the roof sheathing beginning and the window openings are beginning to get cut in as we prepared to wrap the house and install windows.  Because the eaves and rakes are left exposed, it is important that the installation of the exposed bead-board decking is done while paying attention to the location of the framing members – we don’t want to see any of the nails poking through.

Here’s a shot of the exposed eaves with the tapered rafter tails. Once the bead-board decking and trims have been installed, all will be caulked and painted.

Standing just inside the front door of the Broad Ripple Modern Craftsman Renovation, one can see the volumes of the space starting to take shape. The long skylight at the roof forms a scoop that appears to be funneling light and pouring it into the interior spaces. During the demolition process, the owner noted that for the first time since they’ve lived here that you could see the large tree from the front door. After the new framing and openings have been cut, one can still get a glimpse of the tree through the skylight. While this wasn’t intentional, it was a nice surprise.

NEW WINDOWS

The windows for the Broad Ripple Modern Craftsman Renovation have arrived and are ready to be installed.  Because the project is utilizing a rain screen wall system, we furred out the windows to keep the relation of the window plane to exterior wall consistent.  Prior to setting the windows, the plywood furring was installed and then flashed at the sill and jambs.  We ensure that all of the details are installed correctly,  especially the details that could spell water damage in the future if not installed properly.

The framers for this project were already savvy to the correct flashing methods but were open to a few tweaks in the process.  We had the window sill framing set at a slight angle, sloping to the exterior, in order to provide another layer of safety.  In the event water ever gets into the sill, the water won’t have a tendency to sheet to the inside of the house, but instead will flow to the exterior.  In the image below, we were working beneath the cover of a tarp which cast an eerie blue tint to everything.  Once the underlayment for the roofing is installed, we’ll be able to remove the tarp.  For the time being, the tarp shall keep the newly installed framing and windows protected from the elements.

THE HAT

The roofing underlayment for the Broad Ripple Modern Craftsman Renovation was installed over the weekend – it seems everybody these days is quite busy.  As a result, contractors are fitting in smaller jobs, like this one, into their schedule by working a Saturday here and there.  The skylights have also been installed.  There are two near the roof peak on the north-facing shed roof and one between the south-facing dormers.  The north-facing dormers allow for an even light to flood into the spaces.  The south-facing skylight allows for the sunlight to pour directly into the kitchen workspace.  The location of a skylight on a south-facing roof creates a more dynamic environment on the interior as the light levels change throughout the day.

As the seasons change, the trees around the Broad Ripple Modern Craftsman Renovation are turning beautiful colors.  Not only is it exciting to see this happen but also to see the project coming to life as more of the exterior materials are installed.  While there are days that it is nice to work inside an office, the views created this time of year make it tough to not be outside for every bit of the daylight.  See for yourself!

SHE’S CRAFTY

The craft trades have moved into the structure in force.  As plumbing, electrical, and mechanical trades move through the space, the infrastructure that makes a home function becomes more apparent.  At this time we take time to walk through with the owner to discuss the fine tuning of these elements.  An example of the fine tuning may be moving a wall switch to be on an opposite wall or perhaps adjusting a light rough-in slightly.  Prior to insulating and drywalling (the next steps on the interior), it is a good idea to document the locations of all of this “background stuff” to help in the future with any questions – did that cabinet tower have blocking installed in the wall to be sure it’s anchored securely – did any can lights get buried by drywall – etc?

TEAMWORK

It has been said that teamwork makes the dream work.  Although we tailor the design process with each client differently, we always work closely with the clients on each project.  Much of the early design process takes place in the office or possibly the client’s home.  Over the course of the design process, one begins to get a sense of the personality that the home needs to have to fit the client.  Many times there are elements of the design that still need to be massaged and worked-out, but often times the concepts are laid-out and some of the details remain generic.  This gives a framework upon which many of the remaining details can be guided but it also allows for multiple interpretations.  There have a been occasions where we find ourselves being surprised at the different ways in which someone can interpret the description given by someone else.  This is one of the positive attributes of the design process as well as working in a team.

Seen below, we often meet with the clients on site to discuss various design decisions.  It is helpful to be able to walk through a built space and make decisions together.

Although we do spend time designing with the client, there are times where we need to work together with the various trades to ensure the details are executed properly. A great example of this can be seen below. Because of the design of the main stair as an element, it was important that the stair horses are precisely cut. We worked with the framer to communicate the detailing. The stair horses will be the exposed so it is important that their finishing is of the utmost quality, meaning no overcutting at inside corners. While this may be a minor detail, the redesign of this home is one of a kind and should be constructed as such.

APERTURES

We added a few new skylights to bring light into the core.  During the design process, we strategically traced the sun’s rays to properly locate the openings.  Seen below, the sun pierces through south roof into kitchen over the island.

The north-facing stair light shaft (below) enables a more even natural light into upper loft and down stair into main living spaces.

FLOOR IT!

In renovations, you’re at the mercy of what you end up digging up and uncovering.  In the Broad Ripple Modern Craftsman, the intent was to re-use a major portion of the existing flooring.  This didn’t go quite as planned as the heart pine subfloor wasn’t in perfect condition – although mostly good – and it was also a different thickness than the existing top-nail oak.  No sweat, we can transition between the different flooring types… or can we?  The kitchen floor threw a wrench into that plan.  The subfloor in the kitchen, once exposed, was in fairly poor shape and would be a significant cost to re-finish.  The image below shows the patchwork that was the hand dealt here. We have a solution…

We worked closely with the flooring contractor here to ensure the solution wouldn’t take the budget and run. By working with the contractor and the owners closely, we decided the best route to continue forward to replace a portion of the jigsaw puzzle and in doing so were able to ensure a proper substrate for new finish flooring. Let’s cut it up!

BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE!

Winter is here and the temperatures are starting to slide.  Fortunately, we’re ready to fill the wall and ceiling cavities with insulation.  To achieve an excellent insulation value in the ceiling cavities, we’re going to go with a blown-in, dense-pack cellulose.  For those interested in numbers, the theoretical R-value of the ceiling cavity is R-46.  For the walls, we also went with a blown-in cellulose.

Because the ceiling framing was spaced at 24″ on center and the cavity was almost 13″ deep, we weren’t able to install the dense-pack cellulose with the typical netting used for this application. In some cases, this would cause a bit of a headache for scheduling work to be done, but not here. The insulation contractor also is the drywall installer.  Because of this, we were able to seamlessly insulate and drywall, pre-installing drywall at ceilings to hold the dense-pack cellulose in-place (instead of netting).

(SHEET) ROCK-ON!

As mentioned above, a product of the systems being installed means we have to install the ceiling drywall prior to the insulation being blown into the ceiling rafter cavities. This is perhaps the most revealing step of the construction process. The spaces have been shaped and punctured in the prior phases. In this step, the walls of the rooms become tangible and no longer have to be visualized. The light levels are near what they will be in the finished state. As seen below, the light becomes much softer as it reflects from the paper skinned rooms (weather barrier still covering windows, so some light filtered/dampened).

In the rough framing stage, the house begins to show its size but still feels quite open. In the drywall stage, the house begins to close in as it defines the rooms. The finishing of drywall turns up the spacial experience to the next level as all the edges and joints become white. Seen below, the lighting quality becomes softer and the interior spaces begin to glow. This is an important step in the project. Having an open line of communication with the contractors is key to ensuring the intent is realized. The contractors know that we’ll be out on site with lasers, lines, and levels checking edges for straightness and planes for flatness.

The following images are some shots taking during the exterior and interior finishing processes.

The image below shows the chimney upward extension from original to new to maintain required clearances from the raised roof structure.  The mason had proceeded with the work without our knowledge or acknowledgement of our details.  As a result, we weren’t satisfied with the brick match or details, and decided to take it down and redo to our specifications.

RAINSCREEN CLADDING DETAILS

Here below, we used treated furring to achieve rainscreen cladding for the entire house.  When water penetrates joints in the siding, it can drain freely through insect screens behind trims at bottom of wall.  For this house, the wide roof overhangs also protect the walls from weather.  Primary roofs have wider overhangs than smaller scale dormers as one can see below.

The wide roof overhangs with exposed rafter tails are a fun Craftsman detail that is relevant to many historic architectural styles.  In fact, since “boxed eaves” still predominate the building industry (perhaps because they are cheaper, easier to build, and probably easier to maintain), these exposed eaves and rafter tails help differentiate an architecture that has been designed and executed thoughtfully, vs. more generic approach.  It also possesses a certain nostalgia and charm.  Here below we are beginning to build the back deck structure.

INTERIOR PROGRESS

Meanwhile, trim carpenters have begun to take-over the interior spaces.

We are fabricating a few custom pieces for the inside that will remain exposed.

We noted earlier how we wanted to pay special attention to the stair stringers since they would be exposed.  Rough carpenters were able to achieve a stair that was useful for loft access.  However, we needed to make some adjustments later to capture the details, some of which we designed later in the process.  So we worked with the trim carpenters to remove and re-fashion the stingers to achieve the refined vision.  The second photo below shows how we reused scrap oak finish flooring to create spacers between doubled-up rafters.  Regarding the rafters, we doubled them up to create the stiffness necessary for the vertical cable-rail system.

THE HOME STRETCH!

As Winter grinds on, so does the progress on the Broad Ripple Modern Craftsman Renovation. We had exceptional weather for February and that meant the exterior work could move along sooner than anticipated. The interior trim carpentry also took off this month. We shared in the clients excitement as we watched the cabinetry and trims being installed. This is the stage in which the true craftsmen show their skills. When the ‘bones’ beneath the skin aren’t perfect, as most bones of older homes aren’t, the crew installing the finishes are tasked with creating the clean, modern details that really set apart architect-designed projects from the run-of-the-mill vinyl village homes. We’re not quite done but the deadline is fast approaching.

All parties put a lot of effort into achieving the master shower precision.  It’s not easy in a historic home, as the floor was not really close to plumb.  For that reason, tile contractor had to level the area with mortar to achieve plumb in the shower.  As one can see, the stacked-bond tile pattern pretty much has to be perfect or it doesn’t work.  We had some fun with this shower design, and the tile contractor pulled it off.