Pre-Design (Discovery) Phase

We began our process with a Pre-Design or Discovery phase where we try to learn everything we can about the project, the clients, the program, and any constraints imposed on the project such as site limitations, zoning, budget, schedule, etc.  Spending the time to learn all this upfront saves us from having to work through bad ideas and designs that won’t work or that won’t fit the project.

Project Brief & Program

To start, we asked our clients to fill out a client questionnaire to get to the heart of what they wanted in their addition. We asked not only questions about their space needs and style preferences but also about how they lived in their home and how the new addition would help them live better now and in the future.

  Client Questionnaire

From this questionnaire and a subsequent conversation to fill in some gaps, we were able to summarize their overarching goals, intentions, and motivations into a Project Brief and program document. By summarizing their needs and wants and all the project requirements into this 2-page document, we were able to become crystal clear on the objectives of the project and confirm with our clients that we understood them and their design challenge.

The great thing about creating this Project Brief was that it helped guide us in making quicker and better design decisions later when we were designing.

For example, one thing our clients mentioned was that they wanted “Dwell, not HGTV”. In other words, they wanted something modern, interesting (even quirky was OK, they said), but not something super trendy or overly mainstream. This theme played out numerous times as we made design decisions on the project, from massing studies to aesthetics to fixtures and hardware selections.

Another important (rivaling) theme was their interest in maintaining the marketability of the house. Knowing that they didn’t plan to live in this house forever, they wanted to ensure the house would appeal to potential buyers in the future. This meant that they didn’t want something too crazy or too different that didn’t fit. They knew that they were giving us a difficult task of creating an interesting and modern addition (but not too extreme or over the top) that could still work with the existing traditional house and still be marketable in the local Columbus, OH housing market.

Site Analysis

Once we learned about their project requirements, we spent time learning more about the constraints and opportunities of the site by conducting a site analysis. This helped us learn not only what was possible, practical, and ideal, but also what was not possible.

Because the project is local, we could conveniently visit the site, walk around, listen, and observe. During our site visit, we also gathered as-built measurements that would be needed later in the design process.

Our analysis revealed many interesting and important things about the existing conditions and the site to which we documented on a site analysis drawing. Among the things we learned that would later impact the design was that there were wide sweeping views to the east side yard (the house is on a corner lot), as well as the entire backyard to the south and west. We also learned about the terrain sloping away from the house towards the southeast and about the sun angles that would affect the window design since the addition would be facing south.

In reviewing the local codes, we learned that the lot is an existing lot of record which means its smaller than typical lots and as such, the house sits within the side yard setback. This also meant that the location of the future addition would also be sitting in the side setback and would need a variance or planning approval to be allowed.

  Site Analysis

We can’t stress how important a site analysis is to any design project. All the various nuances of the site and codes can have a dramatic effect on the ultimate final design of the project. It’s always best to learn these things as early as possible so you can equip yourself with all the relevant information from the start before you begin designing–saving time, money, and headaches later.

Programmatic massing / Space schematics

After understanding all that we could about the clients, the project requirements, the site, and the codes, we started to think conceptually about how spaces and circulation would be organized. With any addition, figuring out how you will connect new spaces to the existing spaces and how the circulation will work is always something you have to solve.

For this project, we had the added challenge of needing to design for a new back door to access a detached garage. This back door would serve as the new private entrance to the house and became a key component to the design of the addition.

Our early programmatic diagrams revolved around two studies:

1. Back door entry sequence and circulation
2. Kitchen reconfiguration to accommodate the new addition/great room

We started looking at the entry sequence and how our clients would move through the addition and into the existing home. We looked at 3 variations for this entry sequence. One that had you enter head on to the addition and cross through the great room into the kitchen. One that had you enter on the side of the addition. And one that created a new node or entry mudroom separate from the great room.

We then looked at how the kitchen would get renovated to accommodate the new great room addition. We studied how people would circulate through the kitchen and how the seating/eating areas would function.

A big component of the project was our clients’ desire for a kids worksurface. Our clients have three small children that are constantly playing Legos, painting, and doing activities. They wished for a work surface where the children could play while they could keep an eye on them while they cooked and cleaned up.

   Programming, Space schematics, & Circulation Studies

When we presented these studies to our clients, they were instantly excited about the idea of creating a separate mudroom/back entry. They liked the idea of having a “drop off” place for hats, shoes, coats, and keys that would be separate from the great room to which could exclusively be for dining, lounging, and living.

They also liked the idea of having a kid’s counter in the kitchen against the wall opposite them where their children could do homework or play while they prepped meals.

Although these early sketches were rough and crude, they proved invaluable in discussing early concepts with our clients and became great tools to explain how space could be laid out and organized in various scenarios. By talking through these variations, we were able to quickly learn what our clients liked and disliked and what direction to move forward in.

Precedent research

At the same time, we were studying early space schematics, we were also thinking three-dimensionally about the potential of the space. Not only did we think about what the new addition would look like, we also considered how it should relate to the existing house—a key consideration when designing a modern addition to a traditional house.

In our design process, we spend a lot of time doing precedent research.

Precedent research is our way of looking at what others have done to help spark ideas and inform how we may want to design our projects.

It’s a great way to stay inspired, learn how others have solved a similar problem, and in general, figure out what you like and dislike about specific styles and designs. It’s also an effective way to archive visuals for later discussions with clients.

What works well for us is to create a Pinterest board for each of our projects so that we can have one central place to save inspiring photos and ideas as we’re browsing the internet and researching design projects. Oftentimes, serendipitously, we find ourselves finding precedents for other on-going projects in the office as we’re searching for ideas for the one we’re working on at the moment. (We love when that happens!)

  Project Pinterest Board

Check out our post, Design Inspiration: Modern Additions to (Traditional) Older Houses where we share more of our initial research and precedents for this project.

Design Phase

All the work leading up to this point has prepared us for the Design Phase ahead. As we mentioned, our Pre-Design phase is the all-important time to learn everything you can about the project before diving into the design process. With a good understanding of all the variables at play, we’re able to create better designs that meet the goals of the project and excite our clients.

Conceptual sketches

Our actual design process begins with a few concept sketches. It’s during this time that we start to pull together everything we’ve learned up to this point and experiment. We incorporate what we’ve learned about the site. We test out different space layouts and circulation paths. We look at various roof profiles and footprints. And in general, we get a feel for what is starting to work and not work. As we study different configurations and stylistic ideas we learn what is possible which typically triggers some really great ideas. Oftentimes, we’ll have our project Pinterest board pulled up as we sketch ideas to further help inspire us.

For this project, we studied various schemes. We looked at all 3 entry sequence ideas and then studied how the new volume of space related to the existing house. We wanted to be particularly mindful of the roof profile as this would be a key differentiator of the design (however modern or traditional our clients wanted to go) and would be highly visible from the street. We didn’t know how modern or traditional our clients really wanted to push the design so we gave them ideas across the spectrum and let them talk about what they liked and disliked about each one and had them determine how far to push the “modern” aesthetic on the exterior.

We looked at schemes that had traditional gable roofs, asymmetrical gables, pitched roofs, flat roofs, and a variety of entry locations for each.

  Early Concept Design sketches

Our clients narrowed down the design to two schemes: one with a flat roof and another with a pitched roof and clerestory.

They loved the idea of large window walls to which they could view their children playing in the yard and the abundance of natural light that they provided. Knowing that the addition faced south, we discussed ways of blocking out the strong southern summer sun and how to mitigate the heat gain. We discussed vegetation, canopies, and roller shades as viable options to provide protection. These ideas would get incorporated into the later refinements of the designs.

While we discussed each scheme, we also looked at curated images from our project Pinterest board for each option to help our clients visually see what real projects look like for each idea.

 Curated Precedent Images

Refining the Design Concept

Our clients didn’t want to make a rash selection so they asked that we refine both schemes. We listened to their feedback, refined both schemes a little farther, and obtained price estimates on both from a local contractor. Our clients (appropriately so) wanted to make sure they had all the information (including cost) to help them make the decision.

  Concept Design Schemes

  Kitchen Design

In refining the designs, our clients selected their preferred kitchen layout so the only outstanding design decision was the exterior appearance of the addition: a flat-roofed or a pitched roof pavilion. Both schemes were aesthetically pleasing to our clients and they were excited about the possibilities of either.

Cost Estimates

After refining the design concepts, we created a few pricing documents to help a local contractor price out the two versions for us.

  Cost Estimate Drawings

Unfortunately, at this early concept stage, there isn’t a lot of detail in the drawings so the pricing for each option was very similar. This meant that the cost wouldn’t help our clients make a decision. They would need to rely on their own gut and preferences.

Also, the cost estimates came in a little high, so we discussed ways of reducing cost to make the project fit within their budget (more on this in a later article).

In the end, our clients chose the pitched roof option based on their initial wow reaction and because they felt it was the most interesting stylistically. They loved the clerestory windows and dramatic vaulted ceiling that this scheme provided.

Concept Design

From there, we made a few small refinements to the concept based on cost data, client and contractor input, and our own ideas. We also pulled together product materials for the exterior, electrical and lighting drawings, and kitchen elevations which were additional services our clients requested.

As for the exterior design of this modern addition: It is something unlike anything in the neighborhood which is predominately traditionally styled single-family houses. It pushes the envelope with its floor to ceiling glass, sweeping vaulted pitched roof, and clerestory windows—which our clients love—but it’s not too extreme to where it would deter potential homebuyers.

  Conceptual Design 3D Views

Careful consideration was placed at junctions between existing and new to create consistency and sometimes a distinction between modern and traditional. We incorporated a few elements and alignments of the traditional house style: the roof eave profile, the trim boards, and the alignment of siding and trim to maintain some relationship to the existing. In choosing siding materials and color, we wanted to remain flexible. Our clients intend to modernize the existing house exterior in the future, starting with the siding (either repaint or replace with a different siding material) so they wanted to ensure the exterior of the addition would be compatible with whatever they decided to do with the existing house exterior.

Concept Documentation

At this point, we would typically conclude the Concept Design service by organizing all the information, ideas, and resources into a comprehensive document that describes the project in more detail. However, our clients enjoyed the process so much and learned to trust and appreciate our input to the point that they decided to continue working with us for full design services, i.e. to finalize the design, create construction drawings, go through permitting, and stay onboard through construction.

It has been great working with our clients. They have pushed us to explore new ideas and have allowed us to propose some fairly radical ideas. We admire their bold attitude to move the dial on modern design in an otherwise traditional neighborhood and look forward to continuing this project with them.

Our wonderful clients had this to say about their experience so far: