IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE the houses all but rub against each other, a major question when designing an addition that nearly doubles the size of a house is: How do you let light in?
The rear addition to this 1917 Arts and Crafts house steers clear of the property lines, allowing light to enter an expanded kitchen and a new family room on the first floor, and a master bedroom on the second.
Architect Philip Rossington also re-imagined a small side courtyard, transforming it into a circulation area connecting the kitchen, dining room, family room, and back patio. Glass block pavers allow natural daylight to filter through the courtyard and penetrate a music room directly below it. At night, the favor is returned, when light from underneath illuminates the outdoor space.
Rossington also gave the entire exterior a makeover. Taking his design cues from existing shingles on the attic dormer, he replaced a “bad ’40s/’50s stucco job” with cedar shingles—a much closer approximation of the house’s original look.
Category: Whole-house makeover or significant addition; Entrant/Architect: Rossington Architecture, San Francis-co; Builder: A. Murphy Construction, Point Richmond, Calif.
