Let’s follow up last Friday’s “take me back” post — a glimpse at the pre-addition west and south elevations — with another time warp, this time to March 10, 2008.
In the spirit of recent retrospective posts remembering early days at the outset of our Rosslyn adventure, I offer you a chillier, snowier version of today. Meet… [March 10, 2008] when we were… [about 18 months] into transforming an old house into our new home.
(Source: TMB March 8, 2007)
Approximately a year and a half into our slow renovation the 1st story addition to the ell was starting to look like we had imagined. In fact, Rosslyn’s west facade is even recognizable from our present perspective.
The open gable end, echoing the ell’s 3rd story roof, will be next get trimmed, columned, and enclosed with glass (winter) and screens (summer). The two 1st floor entrances maintain the classical massing while providing interior/exterior access for the mudroom (right) and pantry (left).
Let’s square up and tighten up the view, emphasizing the symmetry, balance, and architectural cohesion slowly emerging on this secondary, non-public elevation.
You may also note a subtle change to the 1st and 2nd floor fenestration, adding a third aperture on the central axis and better balancing placement of the flanking windows. Maximizing daylight into our principal bedroom and providing access to our balcony, this aperture plan repeats on the first floor either a small change. The single door onto our balcony becomes a double door into the glass/screen porch. This change allowed us to accomplish two important objectives: maximize living room daylight and interior/exterior integration while accentuating east-west sightlines on the first floor, creating a transparent axis from the front entrance, through the central hallway and living room, and out the enclosed porch to the deck area. This is an especially dramatic change when entering Rosslyn from the front door anytime close to sunset.
(Note: If you squint and look closely at the bottom right of these photographs you’ll note yours truly tractoring. Perhaps I’ll follow up soon with a self deprecating look at my first day learning to operate the backhoe…)
What do you think?