Scope of the project:
- Remodel of hall bathroom
- Remove chimney replace with dual sided direct vent fireplace
- Seismic upgrades
- New windows and doors
- Legalizing Sun Room as habitable space and conditioning space
Challenges:
This is a wonderful example of a mid-century modern home in the scenic Portola Valley area of the San Francisco Bay Area. The home is for a family of four and laid out very thoughtfully.
The home had a few additions to it over the years one addition added to the living room, and another added more space to the bedroom wing, along with a sun room.
Initially the project was going to replace a number of existing windows in the sun room, and make some slight modifications to the existing flow through the home with the modification of internal doors.
When I first saw the project I was amazed at the location and could easily see the value in this property both from it’s location, secluded in the rolling hills of Portola Valley, as well as the layout of spaces within the project. A few initial concerns I had was the fact that the location where the windows would be replaced had huge panes of glass and there didn’t seem to be upgraded seismic bracing within the exterior walls, nor in connections between the roof and walls to the main portion of the home. After further investigation the room had been permitted as a unconditioned space in the late 80’s early 90’s. Structural codes have changed considerable numerous times since that point, and since the house had been constructed and added to. So there were now two major issues that had arisen with this project; first was the lack of seismically braced structural systems, a chimney that was constructed of un-reinforced masonry, space that was being used as habitable space but was considered outdoor/non-habitable space. The home is near the San Andreas fault zone.
With these issues it was necessary to bring in a structural engineer onto the team to assess the direction of the project and provide input on where shear panels, other forms of structural support and bracing would be required, as well as provide structural construction drawings.
We also needed to assess how to permit the space as it was currently not permitted. Which in my mind was a falsification of information when the client initially bought the home. The permitting process added new costs to the project both in permitting fees, as well as energy calculations which were required, and structural engineer which was required.
In the end the project has overcome some of the initial limiting issues and is now progressing forward smoothly. The final product is a wonderful upgrade both esthetically, and in-terms of safety.
Project Team:
Interior Designer: Amanda Teal Designs
Structural Engineer: Rinne & Peterson Structural Engineers
Contractor: Jim Walters Construction, Inc.
Architect of Record: Ronin Architects