College Hill Remodel & Addition

These clients loved their south-facing, College Hill property, but with the addition of two young kids, they knew it was time for a home remodel and addition for their growing family. Not wanting to give up prime outdoor space and wanting to capitalize on views of Spencer Butte and the Amazon Creek Basin, a second story home addition was the obvious choice. The goal was to add a family room large enough for a ping pong table, a new kids’ bedroom and bathroom, and a new primary suite. Additionally, the original kitchen felt cramped and isolated. This home remodel was the perfect opportunity to renovate and update it and better establish it as the heart of the home.

We removed walls separating the kitchen from the dining room and hallway, expanded the kitchen footprint, opened up views to the backyard and added plenty of built-in storage. We designed new cabinets for the kitchen that have a modern, yet timeless feel and even added a special place for the dog bowls. While carving a space out of one of the original bedrooms for the new stairway we were also able to create a fully-functioning laundry and mudroom that offered a direct connection to the garage and a better flow for the family in their day-to-day activities.

Adding a second story to a home that was not designed for one presents a number of challenges to the design and construction. The foundation and walls needed to be upgraded for the extra load, additional wind and potential seismic forces. Working with our engineer we came up with creative solutions to minimize the intrusion into the parts of the existing home that were not getting remodeled while making the necessary structural upgrades for the renovation. The slope of the hill and scale of the houses above and below provided a context that made the addition look like it had always been there.