If you're wondering about the two houses I posted recently, here's some more information: The Delaney House was originally built in the 1880's, probably on a farming tract, and moved to the lot on 62nd Street in the early 1900's (click for background info). Tom and Dmitri bought it partly to have a place for their son, Eliot, to live on his own. Eliot did live there briefly before we got permits, and will probably live there again. But then it will be in a much expanded house with room for others.
The other house, the Cheney Cottage, was originally built in 1902 on a part of College Avenue that got swallowed up by the UC Berkeley campus. UCB got permission to demolish it, and the Cheney House next door, if nobody was interested in bidding a dollar or more to take them away. Tom & Dmitri were about to close escrow on the 62nd Street property and figured they could probably get the smaller one on there, since they were planning to move Delaney anyway. Little did they know what they were in for.
Both houses will be single-family residences once they've been renovated and remodeled. Tom and Dmitri can provide housing for their ever-widening circle of friends, as well as their sons, Eliot and Sebastian, and their sons' friends!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Waiting
Well ... It has been a LONG time since I've written into this blog. Today I just felt inspired to go by my project on 62nd Street (www.62ndStreet.blogspot.com) and get some pictures to post. This is the Delaney House, which was moved back on its lot to make way for the Cheney Cottage in the foreground.
The Delaney house is waiting now, has been and will be for a while, as the Cheney Cottage gets its makeover. For more info read Dmitri's blog (address above). Dmitri owns the house with Tom, two indomitable forces determined to renovate both these houses to, and beyond, their original glory.
After the long wait, Delaney will go up for a new floor below. Both projects are very exciting, and not just because of the colors!
The Delaney house is waiting now, has been and will be for a while, as the Cheney Cottage gets its makeover. For more info read Dmitri's blog (address above). Dmitri owns the house with Tom, two indomitable forces determined to renovate both these houses to, and beyond, their original glory.
After the long wait, Delaney will go up for a new floor below. Both projects are very exciting, and not just because of the colors!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Siding
Besides windows, stairs, and entries, the exterior appearance of your newly lifted residence will be affected by the choices you make with your siding. Let's start with a one-story stucco house and continue the stucco to the ground for the two-story result. You can imagine that, without a little detail, you'll end up with a monolithic, large structure in place of something that worked before as a small bungalow.
The details to consider have to do with transitions between levels and the resulting proportions. One good kind of detail to incorporate is a "water table". This is a small ledge that serves to push rainwater away from the house as it runs down the wall. The logical place to put this is where you make the transition, but what happens then is too similar a volume above as below. It's like putting your belt right at your waist - this might be comfortable but it certainly won't be fashionable!
Lower the water table - to the tops of the windows? to the horizontal line made by double hung sashes? to the bottoms of the windows? Your choice, but all of these are better choices than at the second floor level. Draw it up and you will see the difference. Of course this will require a little better stucco work, as there will be some texturing that should match the existing, but it is well worth it.
Once you've placed your water table, decide whether you want the stucco texture the same above and below. There are many textures to choose from, including faux stone which, done well and painted well, can be quite pleasing. Of course real stone is best, in which case you probably should keep the water table at the level of the window sills for easier detailing for waterproffing. Stone, stucco texture, and paint below a water table serve to give the house a "base" and a feel of solidity - another intangible but important value.
Houses with wood siding are a little easier to deal with, because it is so much easier to match wood siding than stucco textures. However, don't make the mistake of just bringing the same siding down from above - you will again end up with a large monolithic structure, regardless that it has the appealing look of siding. Here again, a water table will help and the same goes here as above, in terms of not putting it right at the transition between floors. Look around at the houses in your city that have been raised - you'll probably see a number of them with the transition there. Notice how the proportions seem to be "off".
Here again, the choice you make for the siding below the water table is important, and will serve (or not) to give the house a "base". Typically, you will get a sense of solidity from a wider siding below. If there are any Victorians in your city, drive by one and notice the siding below the inevitable water table - 90% of them will have wide boards there, and the other 10% were raised houses with no considerations for base!
Once you've come up with a pleasing design for the exterior, paint can enhance it all wonderfully ... but that is the subject for another post some other day.
The details to consider have to do with transitions between levels and the resulting proportions. One good kind of detail to incorporate is a "water table". This is a small ledge that serves to push rainwater away from the house as it runs down the wall. The logical place to put this is where you make the transition, but what happens then is too similar a volume above as below. It's like putting your belt right at your waist - this might be comfortable but it certainly won't be fashionable!
Lower the water table - to the tops of the windows? to the horizontal line made by double hung sashes? to the bottoms of the windows? Your choice, but all of these are better choices than at the second floor level. Draw it up and you will see the difference. Of course this will require a little better stucco work, as there will be some texturing that should match the existing, but it is well worth it.
Once you've placed your water table, decide whether you want the stucco texture the same above and below. There are many textures to choose from, including faux stone which, done well and painted well, can be quite pleasing. Of course real stone is best, in which case you probably should keep the water table at the level of the window sills for easier detailing for waterproffing. Stone, stucco texture, and paint below a water table serve to give the house a "base" and a feel of solidity - another intangible but important value.
Houses with wood siding are a little easier to deal with, because it is so much easier to match wood siding than stucco textures. However, don't make the mistake of just bringing the same siding down from above - you will again end up with a large monolithic structure, regardless that it has the appealing look of siding. Here again, a water table will help and the same goes here as above, in terms of not putting it right at the transition between floors. Look around at the houses in your city that have been raised - you'll probably see a number of them with the transition there. Notice how the proportions seem to be "off".
Here again, the choice you make for the siding below the water table is important, and will serve (or not) to give the house a "base". Typically, you will get a sense of solidity from a wider siding below. If there are any Victorians in your city, drive by one and notice the siding below the inevitable water table - 90% of them will have wide boards there, and the other 10% were raised houses with no considerations for base!
Once you've come up with a pleasing design for the exterior, paint can enhance it all wonderfully ... but that is the subject for another post some other day.
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