When the homeowners purchased this modest house located in San Francisco’s Excelsior neighborhood it seemed small and compartmentalized was disconnected from it’s best feature: a charming rear garden with sweeping views of the surrounding hills. On the upper level the house was divided by internal walls creating several small rooms. Two small windows in the rear wall were the only openings toward the view, offering glimpses only, and reinforcing the sense of inaccessibility to the garden.
The old stairway, hidden at the back of the kitchen, was a steep narrow descent with low headroom leading to the ground level that was unfinished and lacked natural daylight. A small door from the garage provided the only access to the rear yard.
After living in the house “as is” for several years, the clients were ready for a change, and had established a modest budget with which to work. They wanted to open up the house, reclaim the lower level for living space, and create a continuous procession starting from the upper level living spaces that continued down to the more intimate lower level ultimately connecting to the garden and taking in the views.
It was believed from the beginning that enough potential existed, and the house could be made to fulfill the homeowner’s wishes without the need of building an addition. The approach taken aimed to reclaim the underutilized portions, and to make the entire house feel more spacious. The project became a surgical exercise of removing blockages, creating openings between spaces (upstairs to down, and inside to garden), and utilizing steel members at key locations for it’s ability to span without becoming bulky. “Strong Walls” were installed at the corners of the rear wall to provide seismic stability and allow maximum fenestration in the remainder of the wall.
The stair is detailed with a steel stringer and Douglas fir treads. Lower walls are finished in sustainably forested maple plywood and a new concrete floor reinforces the open aesthetic while still feeling warm. The previously uninhabited lower level, now serves as a master bedroom/family room suite that opens on to the new deck, garden, and view beyond.
sustainable measures: -natural daylighting
sustainable materials: -Countertops: “Richlite” -Paneling: “Euro-ply” -Flooring: Edge Grain Bamboo
