SOMERVILLE RENOVATION

Our task for this project was to unify our clients’ Philly-style, three-story duplex into a comfortable single-family home for their growing family. We worked closely with them to create a contemporary and inviting first floor with a fun, elegant, and functional second floor. To do this, we selectively used curves and light to guide views and circulation through the home. Upon entering the house, the family is treated to an airy, double-height entry way with a sculptural staircase, guiding them up to the second story living spaces. On the first floor, radiused corners  guide views from the front of the house to a light-filled kitchen in back. 

The kitchen’s back wall is opened up to views of the existing outdoor living space and the Somerville bike path beyond. The east end of the kitchen has a built-in breakfast nook that frames a larger fixed window. The breakfast nook is both cozy and functional, giving the family a peaceful spot to have coffee and breakfast while also allowing for the discreet storage of coats and outdoor gear. The kitchen also incorporates a custom beam designed by our client herself, a structural engineer at MIT. The beam’s geometry is indicative of the precise loading placed on it, and also responds to the curved geometry found throughout the project. 

This renovation exemplifies collaboration. Our client’s beam and the sinuous wood-cap at the stair handrail were both artfully executed in-house by Auburndale Builders. The Interior decor and finishes throughout the project were largely handled by the clients themselves, and we feel they work perfectly with the playfully elevated nature of the architecture itself. It’s rare that a project is privileged with both sophisticated clients, and builders with the motivation and skill to execute something truly unique.