Berkeley House Lift
We were contemplating the pros and cons for this Berkeley house lift. To lift or not to lift? That was the question we first needed to answer when devising a strategy to double the size of this existing home. In this particular case, there were some clear advantages to lifting the house rather than removing the roof and adding a second floor above the existing first floor.
None of the existing spaces really worked for our clients. The living spaces were too small; the existing bedrooms were accessed from the kitchen and dining rooms rather than a common hallway; and there was little connection between the interior spaces and the rear yard. All this meant the existing floor plan needed substantial changes whether it remained a first floor, or became a second floor.
Also, the building was originally located in a setback from a side yard property line. Since windows are not permitted within three feet of the property line, we weren’t able to add windows along the side of the building. We had more than enough room, however, along the north side of the building. Therefore, in addition to lifting, by shifting the house to the north by a foot or so, we could add windows to the south exterior wall.
Moving Forward with the Berkeley House Lift
Another advantage to lifting the house was that the new first floor could have tall ceilings. The original ceilings were just over eight feet tall. This worked out fine for the bedrooms, which were ultimately all located on the second floor. We designed the new first floor, however, with ten foot ceilings and open spaces.
One half of the first floor is open plan – it contains the living room, dining room and kitchen in one great room. This space opens up onto the a new garden. The other half of the space includes entry, staircase, half bath, laundry, and family room.
Upstairs, we designed two kid’s bedrooms and a master bedroom suite. We placed an open office at the top of the stair. It faces onto what was once the front porch – only now the porch is repurposed as a second floor balcony.
We juxtaposed a modern aesthetic with the original house. For instance, we added a new modern bay window to the front facade. We designed the interiors contemporary in feel, too.
Also, in the newly landscaped rear yard, we added a new garden shed, complete with green roof.
We were contemplating the pros and cons for this Berkeley house lift. To lift or not to lift? That was the question we first needed to answer when devising a strategy to double the size of this existing home. In this particular case, there were some clear advantages to lifting the house rather than removing the roof and adding a second floor above the existing first floor.
None of the existing spaces really worked for our clients. The living spaces were too small; the existing bedrooms were accessed from the kitchen and dining rooms rather than a common hallway; and there was little connection between the interior spaces and the rear yard. All this meant the existing floor plan needed substantial changes whether it remained a first floor, or became a second floor.
Also, the building was originally located in a setback from a side yard property line. Since windows are not permitted within three feet of the property line, we weren’t able to add windows along the side of the building. We had more than enough room, however, along the north side of the building. Therefore, in addition to lifting, by shifting the house to the north by a foot or so, we could add windows to the south exterior wall.
Moving Forward with the Berkeley House Lift
Another advantage to lifting the house was that the new first floor could have tall ceilings. The original ceilings were just over eight feet tall. This worked out fine for the bedrooms, which were ultimately all located on the second floor. We designed the new first floor, however, with ten foot ceilings and open spaces.
One half of the first floor is open plan – it contains the living room, dining room and kitchen in one great room. This space opens up onto the a new garden. The other half of the space includes entry, staircase, half bath, laundry, and family room.
Upstairs, we designed two kid’s bedrooms and a master bedroom suite. We placed an open office at the top of the stair. It faces onto what was once the front porch – only now the porch is repurposed as a second floor balcony.
We juxtaposed a modern aesthetic with the original house. For instance, we added a new modern bay window to the front facade. We designed the interiors contemporary in feel, too.
Also, in the newly landscaped rear yard, we added a new garden shed, complete with green roof.
