Existing Conditions, Project Brief & Program

When our clients approached us, they initially wanted to renovate an existing 1970s house that was on the property. We discussed their space needs, aesthetic requests, and the overall feeling that they wanted for their home and the property. At this point, it was clear that it would be very hard to retrofit the existing home into what they desired.

They wanted tall ceilings, energy efficiency, a curb appeal, and a modern design. The existing house, however, was quite the opposite. It had low ceilings, minimal insulation, no curb appeal, and a dated exterior. We could better insulate and air seal the house. Raising the first ceiling would be impossible due to the existing floor structure above. We would have to demolish the house and rebuild on the existing foundation to achieve higher first floor ceilings. To increase the second floor ceiling we would need to raise the roof or frame it differently. We could look into those things, but compared to demolishing the entire house (foundation and all) and starting afresh, it seemed like a more restrictive move, especially since it would force us to contend with the existing footprint and the house orientation, both of which were not ideal.

After reviewing these constraints, the program, the site, and the approximate costs, we collectively decided to demolish the house and the foundation and start with a clean slate.

Site Analysis

Our clients purchased the property because of its location. It’s an amazing 5-acre wooded lot on a road where most of the homes are architecturally iconic and tucked back away from view. The approach to the home is via a long winding driveway that snakes through the woods to a clearing about two thirds of the way back where the house sits, hidden from view, which means PRIVACY! It’s also nice that once you’re on the lot you forget that you’re just a few minutes drive to downtown Columbus.

Using the existing lot clearing for the new house location made the most sense as we reviewed the site. (Why would we want to clear more trees for a new location?). There was thick tree cover everywhere else and the existing vegetation provided a great buffer between the open area and the neighboring properties.

However, we wanted to make one important change: We wanted to change the house orientation and better address the arrival experience from the driveway.

The existing house was oriented towards the southwest. From the winding driveway, the first thing you notice is the garage. There’s also no indication of a front door and no walkway. To address this, we rotated the new house in more of an east/west orientation and placed the entry facing the driveway court. We also created an interesting entry feature (which we’ll discuss in the next post).

The new house rotation was better for solar orientation and led to a better swimming pool location on the south side of the house where it would receive more direct sunlight throughout the day.

Conceptual Design

One of our favorite parts of the design process is when we get to explore different design ideas. This is our time to expand our thinking, quiet our limiting beliefs, and let ourselves think outside of the box . It’s also an opportunity to explore the client’s programmatic needs and figure out how we can make them work in a cohesive form that’s also provocative.

Preliminary Concept Sketches

The driving force behind most of design concepts was our clients’ desire for a lot of natural light, tall ceilings, and a connection to nature. As we studied daylighting and views, we landed on design schemes with large great rooms and narrow floor plates. (”Narrow floor plates” means that the house is one or two rooms deep in one of its dimensions. This allows more spaces can have exterior walls, and hence, more windows.)

Having narrow floor plates frequently suggests that the footprint of the house is shaped like a letter of the alphabet so that it can let in more natural light. We came up with three concepts: an L-shaped, C-shaped, and T-shaped floor plan.

These concepts explored one-story and two-story schemes. They each interacted with the landscape in different ways with secluded courtyards, terraces, and programmed outdoor spaces. And they each were stylistically different.

Our clients liked certain things about each of scheme, but ultimately preferred the T-shaped design with some adjustments.

Its assumed that we will always spend change the preferred scheme to some degree. (Even the best architects want you to give constructive feedback and suggest tweaks. Otherwise, we’d be designing in a bubble, resulting in a home that may not feel entirely you.) We can’t expect to get it right on the first try. In fact, we will constantly tweak the design as we develop it further with clients, consultants, and internally.

Conceptual Refinement

After we refined the T-shaped concept, we thought the project would cost more than what was initially planned.

We increased a few room sizes, added circulation and created generous outdoor spaces based on client feedback and overall design development. We also learned more about our clients’ preferences for finishes and the way they wanted to experience living in the space. For example, they wanted to be able to open large sliding glass doors and have a seamless connection to the pool deck with window walls). Each of these decisions has cost implications so it’s important to discuss how they relate to design and budget.

Our early pre-design programming and preliminary budget discussions established an early project budget range. After exploring the concept design and an early cost estimate, we knew that we would need to adjust the budget or scale back the design or scope.

This happens more often than not. Naturally, people want the best for their future dream home. But it’s important to be mindful of needs vs wants and how they relate to costs.

Your architect should discuss cost impacts when you request certain features or changes. Our unique design process has a few checks and balances to discuss these things early and revisit the budget in light of the design concept. Its much better, easier, and most cost-effective to make adjustments now before getting too far into the design. The last thing we want is to completely finish the design and then find out we’re way over budget.

We collectively discussed our options for the project: reduce costs (reduce scope, reduce size, or level of finish) or increase the budget.

Because our clients really liked the design concept and the quality of life improvement that it would provide them, they ultimately decided to increase the budget and keep the design concept intact.

Final Concept Design

Below is the final concept for the Shimla House. It will be a unique project, something unlike anything in the neighborhood. And, it will push the envelop of what exceptional modern design looks like in central Ohio, which is something our clients championed.

The great room will have seamless access to the pool terrace. There will be large sliding glass doors and a tall ceiling to let in light, provide views, and expand the living space.

With alignment on the design concept, the budget, and scope, we can work with our consultants and move forward with design development.

Still lingering questions to explore:

• How do we design a house with a lot of windows and operable glass doors without breaking the bank?
• How will the house be integrated with the surrounding site?
• What is the project’s material palette?
• How do we create a memorable entry approach?
• How does the exterior cladding relate to its context?

We address these questions and more in the next post where we dive into Design Development where we share more about how we turned this design concept into an exceptional home with a high level of design. Spaces inside and out will be coordinated and cohesive and will share a material palette that is natural, rich, and slightly industrial. Check it out!

Planning a New Custom Home?

If you’d like help creating a thoughtful, site-specific modern home like this, we’d love to learn more about you and your project. Reach out and tell us about your project. We’d love to collaborate with you in creating something truly special for you and your family!