NEST 2021 | Page 68

BUILDING & RENOVATION

ARCHITECTURE SHOWCASE From Good to Gold

FROM THE ARCHITECT : “ Design magazines like to show aspirational projects that were built on empty sites with large budgets and lots of time to design and build . There is nothing wrong with such projects , but they are the exception rather than the rule . Perhaps of even more interest are the projects that start out as ordinary ranch or cape houses built in the 1950s or 70s . Houses that face a mountain of obstacles . What if they could be transformed into beautiful homes that lift their neighborhoods rather than being detriments ?
This transformation of an old ranch house in Barrington built on a steep slope with a walk-out basement is one such project . The site was exceptional with sweeping views to the south all the way to the Newport Bridge . The house , however , was a sad remnant from the 1970s . Three small bedrooms shared one small bath . The water ’ s proximity limited the amount of change allowed and the budget was modest for the project as the acquisition of the site had been high . When the owners approached us , their expectations were low . Could the garage be turned into a master suite and a new garage be built elsewhere onsite ? I proposed a different idea : putting the new master
66 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY ’ S NEST | 2021