The client purchased a small seasonal cottage on Stockbridge Bowl and initially planned to put a foundation under it, drill a well, and do some renovations. As the project progressed they realized that it would be a better strategy to tear down the existing house and rebuild an entirely new house. The lot is very small, and with quite a bit of slope.

Due to the many permitting constraints on Stockbridge Bowl the new house was designed to fit exactly on the footprint of the existing house. By building a partial full basement and raising the house slightly, the new first floor is now on two levels. Though on the same footprint, the new house feels much larger and is more open.

The client wanted to build a small, affordable house for herself that would meet the energy performance standards of the International Passive House Institute.

The site was open to surrounding fields, offering views and ample solar access. The topography of the land allowed positioning of the house in a way created a basement walkout.  This allowed us to design a small house yet also provide space for future expansion of the living areas.

The basic plan, which has 1350 sf of living space, was a simple rectangle for economy.  Within this, the interior space was designed with a central living area that is open to the upper level of the house.  A number of spaces open onto this central living space giving the house a sense of spaciousness.

A variety of sustainable design strategies were used:

• The building envelope used R50 double wall construction, R60 truss roof framing, triple glazed tilt/turn windows, and high performance breathable vapor barrier.
• Glazing was maximized on the south facade and minimized on the north facade. Fixed horizontal sunshades were installed at the first floor south facing windows. The roof overhang shades second story south facing windows. The roof angle and orientation were designed for optimizing solar photovoltaic panels (which the owner installed after the initial completion of the house.)
• Mechanical systems included split system heat pumps and an Air Pahoda whole house heat exchanger for fresh air.
• Temperature and humidity sensors were installed after construction for remote monitoring and evaluation of the house performance.

The general contractor was Chris Lee of GreenCore Builders.  Ed May of BLDGtyp was the Passive House Consultant.

The original client purchased this house in 1992 and undertook a major renovation of the entire house.

The small 1970′s vintage vacation house, which had been a pre-fab package type of building, was transformed in a number of ways. The client requested an addition with a living room, garage, a work studio, new kitchen, and a screen porch. What was needed to make the transformation work was a new entry and a reorganization of the interior space to make the interior open and connected. The character of the house was tied to its context through the use of wood shingle siding, yet the modernist nature of the design is clear with the use of stucco elements, and a green, red, and yellow color scheme that the owner initiated.

In 2014 new owners acquired the house and came to Dana Bixby Architecture for renovation work which they did in two phases. The first phase included an expansion and renovation of the master bedroom and installation of bi-fold type doors in the kitchen and living room to replace the sliding doors. The second phase of the renovation included an extension of the living room so as to provide space for musical events and shop space on the ground level below.

See Before and After

We have done several projects for this client at their house on Onota Lake in Pittsfield, MA.

The first project, done in 2005-6, was to add a terrace and screen porch with a fireplace and barbecue. The client was very interested that this fit into its surroundings and be well landscaped. In order to connect the new porch to the house, the house was renovated to create an open hall between the living room and porch and to make an exercise room.

The fireplace and barbecue were built with the engagement of the mason, Jim Morgan, who took the lead in helping the client create an integrated combination fireplace and barbecue. The barbecue pit is in the hearth of the fireplace and has an adjustable height grate.  Joe Wheaton, a sculptor, designed the hood for this.

A second project, completed in 2015, was to renovate other parts of the exterior at the driveway/garage end of the house. Leaks had developed in an awkwardly designed original facade element.  The entire facade at the garage end was re-worked with a new architectural language that included angled and curved steel columns, new trim lines, and an overall house paint color concept. Stone paving and steps were added on the lake side. The driveway was re-graded, re-paved, and cobblestone paving was added to define the entry to the house.

The most recent project, completed in 2018, was the construction of a detached pottery studio.

The existing house on Richmond Pond had a very odd entrance going down half a flight of stairs to a lower level and then up a full flight of stairs to the main living level.  The core of the design concept for the renovation reorganized that to create a new entry space in which the main flow of movement into the house led directly from a new entry space up a half flight of stairs to the main living space of the house. The interior of the house on the main level was very closed and cut up and in creating a new kitchen and adding on space for a larger living room the new layout created modern and open living areas. A new stair connects the spaces of the house and a skylight above the stair brings light down into the core of the house. All other aspects of the the house were re-done and made new.

See Before and After

The clients asked for a complete master plan to renovate a 30-year old “white box” style house. The original work was interesting, but not finely executed.  The project presented an opportunity to improve upon the design and eliminate some characteristics of the original design that were not pleasing.  Space was added on the top floor, and there were general renovations throughout the house, including a new kitchen.   The builders were Mark Jordan and Mike Caryofiles, who have worked on several projects with Dana.

The clients have a house on Stevens Lake in Monterey MA that they built about 30 years ago.  Around 2012 they undertook a major renovation of the entire house. This included all new siding, windows, roof, bathrooms, kitchen, and finishes.

One of the key challenges in the design of the renovation was to open the existing kitchen space to make a kitchen and dining area that would be open to the existing two-level timber framed living space. Removal of walls created an extended linear space.  A consistent pattern of large square windows was introduced as an element that ties the kitchen, dining, and living spaces together and opens the space to more expansive views of Stevens Lake.

One end of the linear space is terminated by the two-level living space.  At the other end of the space the client had asked for a bay window but the nature of the kitchen plan was not amenable to a conventional bay window. The asymmetrical angled bay window that we designed opened the kitchen space to the exterior, made the space work for seating at a cabinet peninsula, and provided a termination for the other end of the linear kitchen, dining, and living space.

We have carried out a number of other projects for these clients, including a screen porch at the Monterey house, a screen porch at their primary residence near Boston, and 3-4 other projects at their primary residence.  Currently,  we are constructing a smaller cottage on other property that the clients own near Stevens Lake.  Please have a look at the “Design and Construction” section of our site to see drawings of that.

The clients had owned this house for thirty years with a sister and her husband. The other couple decided to build their own home in Monterey.  This is a second home and the clients, who live in Brooklyn, wanted more spaciousness and amenity in the house because they planned to use it more throughout the year.

The scope of the initial project, done in 2007, was extensive and included a new entry, stair, kitchen, and first floor master bedroom wing. A new heating system was installed, and the septic system had to be relocated to make room for the addition. An existing spiral stair was removed and the new stair in the entry addition served to reorganize and greatly improve movement in the house.

The builders for this initial project were Mark Jordan and Mike Caryofilles.

In 2014 the clients decided to add a family room in order to have more space for new grandchildren. The design for this incorporated a sitting area, fireplace, and play areas within the new space.  Susan Korte was the builder.