An Addition to a Small 1950’s Duplex by Object & Architecture

An Addition to a Small 1950’s Duplex by Object & Architecture



This small duplex, built in 1950, required updates and had a hidden charm and the potential to be converted into a single family home. The house’s location is a vibrant and established neighborhood within walking distance of local shops and restaurants. The client wanted to save the home rather than tearing down and focus on making the most of a smaller amount of space rather than building the largest allowable home on the property.

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The architects designed a new front entry to address the street better and enhance the look of the original house and added a total of only 760 square feet to the house. They positioned the new front door to the side to provide a sense of privacy from the busy street. The team designed the addition to the front of the house with high ceilings and large undivided windows to create beautiful light-filled spaces. They then brought the addition’s minimal palette through to the remodeled portions of the home.

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The architects opened up the existing living and dining room and kitchen to create a contemporary hearth room. Meanwhile, they located a more spacious secondary living room inside the addition as a separate but connected space. Daylight splashes off the smooth walls by the front door, which sits at the end of a new hallway, acting as a horizontal light-well that one can see from the house’s back.

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One of the most sustainable ways to build is to reuse what is already there and give it a new life, and the client fully embraced this idea. The client wanted a warm and inviting home that felt uniquely modern. The architects created a home that embraces the neighborhood’s character while honoring and emphasizing the qualities of the existing house.

Project by Object & Architecture

Builder & Interior Designer, Nitsche Creative

Photography by Ave Smith