ADAPTIVE ADDITION

Orinda, CA

The addition allows the home to be used in several “modes” increasing flexibility and choice for the owners over time.

The existing home is a small mid-century structure part way up a hill surrounded by trees. The owners found it in poor shape and have been slowly nursing it back to health. It’s as modest as it is functional. A former owner built a rather awkward addition in the 1970s. It’s now time to rethink that area of the house.

The new intervention is intentionally simple, not competing with the existing home but learning from it. It’s sited to take advantage of the views, the sun and breezes, operating as passively as possible. This placement also creates a courtyard between the two structures, a shared space that also creates a bit of distance.

ORGANIZING ELEMENTS

REPLACE OLD ADDITION WITH A FLEXIBLE UNIT

MODES

While the size of the home increases with the addition, so too do the possibilities. With a few simple moves, the addition can switch between several “modes.” Initially, it will be an office and studio for the couple (Mode 2), who now both work at home, and have frequent family guests, including a child in college. In this mode, the addition ties seamlessly into the circulation of the original house. In Mode 1, it’s a separate unit that can be used for guests, rented out or eventually house their aging parents. In Mode 3, it’s a master suite, extending the home into a four bedrooms that fit into current neighborhood market expectations in some future transaction that they would rather not think about.