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Part of the exterior is old rolled steel, which has rusted to an orangey brown.

Victorian Modern

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Victorian Modern

  • The restoration of this 1882 Victorian in the city of Denver included an addition, a penthouse and a roof terrace. New steel cladding rises to the penthouse, which floats the roof from the existing structure with a continuous ribbon window and chamfered profile. The space captures the vistas of the city and mountains.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp297A%2Etmp_tcm17-202709.jpg

    The restoration of this 1882 Victorian in the city of Denver included an addition, a penthouse and a roof terrace. New steel cladding rises to the penthouse, which floats the roof from the existing structure with a continuous ribbon window and chamfered profile. The space captures the vistas of the city and mountains.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The restoration of this 1882 Victorian in the city of Denver included an addition, a penthouse and a roof terrace. New steel cladding rises to the penthouse, which floats the roof from the existing structure with a continuous ribbon window and chamfered profile. The space captures the vistas of the city and mountains.

  • The process between architect and owner/builder took a craftsman approach. The design was conceived through a series of sketches and modeling, which the builder interpreted and executed with trade partners.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2979%2Etmp_tcm17-202702.jpg

    The process between architect and owner/builder took a craftsman approach. The design was conceived through a series of sketches and modeling, which the builder interpreted and executed with trade partners.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The process between architect and owner/builder took a craftsman approach. The design was conceived through a series of sketches and modeling, which the builder interpreted and executed with trade partners.

  • The design maintains the integrity of the original structure by saving original masonry elemnt but brings the structure into the 21st century with modern design.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp297B%2Etmp_tcm17-202716.jpg

    The design maintains the integrity of the original structure by saving original masonry elemnt but brings the structure into the 21st century with modern design.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The design maintains the integrity of the original structure by saving original masonry elements but brings the structure into the 21st century with modern design.

  • A steel and timber trellis lightly touch the existing building, creating a layer of space, which captures the side yard and offers privcay from the pedestrian way.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2978%2Etmp_tcm17-202695.jpg

    A steel and timber trellis lightly touch the existing building, creating a layer of space, which captures the side yard and offers privcay from the pedestrian way.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    A steel and timber trellis lightly touch the existing building, creating a layer of space, which captures the side yard and offers privcay from the pedestrian way.

  • The home is dramatic at night.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2986%2Etmp_tcm17-202786.jpg

    The home is dramatic at night.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The home is dramatic at night.

  • Previous owners had attempted to renovate the Victorian structure but were unable to complete the work and sold the building to the current owners.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp297E%2Etmp_tcm17-202737.jpg

    Previous owners had attempted to renovate the Victorian structure but were unable to complete the work and sold the building to the current owners.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    Previous owners had attempted to renovate the Victorian structure but were unable to complete the work and sold the building to the current owners.

  • The original stairwell. Drug dealers had taken over the abandoned building years before.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2980%2Etmp_tcm17-202751.jpg

    The original stairwell. Drug dealers had taken over the abandoned building years before.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The original stairwell. Drug dealers had taken over the abandoned building years before.

  • The new stairwell.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2985%2Etmp_tcm17-202779.jpg

    The new stairwell.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The new stairwell.

  • The ribbon window offers great city views.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2984%2Etmp_tcm17-202772.jpg

    The ribbon window offers great city views.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The ribbon window offers great city views.

  • The mix of wood and steel make the kitchen modern yet warm.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp297C%2Etmp_tcm17-202723.jpg

    The mix of wood and steel make the kitchen modern yet warm.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The mix of wood and steel make the kitchen modern yet warm.

  • The interior is conceived as a downtown loft-style space. Designers heightened the already tall ceilings by exposing beams.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp297D%2Etmp_tcm17-202730.jpg

    The interior is conceived as a downtown loft-style space. Designers heightened the already tall ceilings by exposing beams.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The interior is conceived as a downtown loft-style space. Designers heightened the already tall ceilings by exposing beams.

  • The loft-syle living room features exposed brick.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2982%2Etmp_tcm17-202758.jpg

    The loft-syle living room features exposed brick.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    The loft-syle living room features exposed brick.

  • New wide board Hickory flooring warms the open sitting room.

    http://www2.remodeling.hw.net/Images/tmp2983%2Etmp_tcm17-202765.jpg

    New wide board Hickory flooring warms the open sitting room.

    600

    Matt McHugh

    New wide board Hickory flooring warms the open sitting room.

Location: Denver
Contractor: Bob Young and Christine Paresi, Denver
Designer: Matthew McHugh, AIA, Sprocket Design-Build, Denver

Everything old is new again. This circa 1882 home had become a haven for drug dealers. Owners Bob Young and Christine Paresi, a builder and an interior designer respectively, hired Matthew McHugh and Sprocket Design-Build to design something that would maintain the home’s original integrity but add modern sensibilities.

The designers used steel skeletal frames inside and out for support and to create a modern and striking design. Cold-rolled steel clads the exterior, providing a rusted orange-brown patina. “We wanted a unique piece, since that volume in the center becomes the third-story volume,” McHugh says. “We didn’t want an attached [element just] stuck on an existing Victorian building.”

The judges praised the home’s exterior treatment and appreciated how the designers had integrated something new and fresh into an old neighborhood.

Inside, McHugh developed a “downtown open loft-style space,” opening the traditionally high first-floor ceilings by exposing the beams. The existing interior stairwell was remodeled and new treads, risers, and handrail elements added. Wide hickory floorboards and exposed brick warm the space. The integration of wood, steel, and other metals bring the home into the modern era while still relating to its original Victorian style.

—Stacey Freed, senior editor, REMODELING.