Architect / Contractor: Rob Paulus / Rob Paulus Architects, Tucson Contractor (interior): Ted Kline / Mega Trend, Tucson, AZ Interior Design and Millwork/Cabinetry: D. Scott Baker, Mary Ann Hesseldenz / Baker + Hesseldenz Design, Tucson
Priorities
• Improve the connection between interior rooms • Provide a better visual connection from the house to the landscape
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Ross Cooperthwaite
Opening up walls created a better interior flow.
The original layout did not allow for good traffic flow.
The fireplace in the existing living room.
Ross Cooperthwaite
The new living room is open to the kitchen and dining rooms.
The original kitchen was cut off from the living areas.
Ross Cooperthwaite
The custom cabinets are made from Douglas fir.
The original interior walls were sheetrock made to resemble adob…
The original interior walls were sheetrock made to resemble adobe.
Ross Cooperthwaite
The kitchen countertops are Caesarstone and concrete.
The original side porch was enclosed to create a theater room.
Ross Cooperthwaite
Architect Rob Paulus incorporated the original fireplace in to t…
Architect Rob Paulus incorporated the original fireplace in to the theater room wall. The large projection screen takes up one wall.
The original bathroom.
Ross Cooperthwaite
The bathroom has the same clean, contemporary lines as the main …
The bathroom has the same clean, contemporary lines as the main living area.
The original wood porch.
Ross Cooperthwaite
The roof canopy is not attached to the existing building. Archit…
The roof canopy is not attached to the existing building. Architect Paulus says this design makes it look like it's levitating and makes it clear that is separate from the original structure.
Ross Cooperthwaite
The canopy structure is made of steel and rough-hewn Douglas fir…
The canopy structure is made of steel and rough-hewn Douglas fir. It ties in to the new masonry and landscaping.
A before view of the house from poolside.
Roos Cooperthwaite
The canopy connects the home with the pool and backyard.
The architect's original sketch of the canopy included a round o…
The architect's original sketch of the canopy included a round opening, but it was more cost-effective to follow the lines of the structure and make it rectangular.
A during photo of the project shows the construction of the stee…
A during photo of the project shows the construction of the steel canopy frame.
Ross Cooperthwaite
The steel and Douglas fir pieces fit together seamlessly.
The original master bedroom (right) didn't have a great connecti…
The original master bedroom (right) didn't have a great connection to the outdoors.
Ross Cooperthwaite
A small, side porch off the master bedroom provides a more priv…
A small, side porch off the master bedroom provides a more private outdoor setting for the owner.
Rob Paulus
The steel pieces of the canopy and the steel shade boxes for the…
The steel pieces of the canopy and the steel shade boxes for the theater room were lifted into place with a crane.
Ross Cooperthwaite
Two steel boxes frame the windows and provide shade to the theat…
Two steel boxes frame the windows and provide shade to the theater room.
Ross Cooperthwaite
Architect Rob Paulus designed these steel frames to be more deli…
Architect Rob Paulus designed these steel frames to be more delicate to contrast with the strong structure of the canopy. Vines are now growing on the canopy, which connects the structure to the outdoor landscaping.
The home is set in the foothills of Tucson.
The original floorplan.
The new floorplan shows the home's connection to the outdoors. T…
The new floorplan shows the home's connection to the outdoors. The small structure on the other side of the pool is a guest house.
Solutions
Not only was this house poorly laid out, but architect Rob Paulus describes its Spanish style as “Santa Fake.” “A lot of what we did was more subtractive—taking things away and bringing it back to a simple box. From there, we opened up as much as we could,” Paulus says, by removing walls to create a better flow. Some of the drywall had been made to resemble adobe walls, so he simplified those for a cleaner, more modern look.
The owner, who had purchased the house because of its mature landscape and setting, wanted the interior spaces to better connect to the yard. To strengthen that connection, Paulus increased the glazing on the rear wall to capture views.
A film enthusiast, the owner also wanted the remodel to include a media room with a 14-foot projection screen. Since the living room didn’t have enough wall space to accommodate a screen that large, Paulus enclosed an outdoor porch and incorporated the existing outdoor fireplace.
The second phase of the project involved improving the outdoor spaces. A 20-foot-by-40-foot contemporary steel and Douglas fir porch trellis shades an outdoor living space that has an outdoor kitchen and direct access from the home theater, great room, and master bedroom.
The interior kitchen cabinets are also made of Douglas fir, but a more polished, smooth version that fulfills the owner’s desire to for a natural element. The cabinets also provide a contrast to the rough-hewn fir used for the trellis.
Judges’ Comments
The judges praised the “clarity of structure” the architect was able to create from the original house and its connection to the new outdoor space. The house has beautiful detailing and materials, and they pointed out the interesting contrast between the raw steel and warm wood on the trellis.
