Tucked away on a tree-lined street, this single-story brick bungalow is located in Phoenix’s Ashland Historic District. The pockets of historic neighborhoods in the downtown area are scattered among high-rise buildings, art and entertainment destinations, and the construction of Phoenix’s light-rail system.
A glass-enclosed entry connects the original brick structure to the addition.
Photo Credit: Matt Winquist
The distinctive architecture and proximity to the downtown area has lured many homeowners, including Chris Nieto, a general contractor and founding principal and CEO of MerzProject, an architecture and design firm in Phoenix. Nieto and his wife purchased the bungalow on Hoover Avenue in 1999, but as their family grew, the 900-square-foot house became too cramped.
At first, the Nietos were worried they’d be forced to leave the neighborhood they loved. But after some research and planning, they decided they could stay by adding to the existing house.
Preserving History
Built in 1924, the home is characteristic of its era — boxy with small rooms and low ceilings. “We looked at how to take an existing floor plan that was very cellular — each room was very well defined — and open up the historic home so that it had more flow and an open floor plan,” says Alison Rainey, architect and project manager for MerzProject.
MerzBuild, the construction division of the firm, was the project contractor. The two companies typically team up for small remodels of restaurants and office buildings. This was the first time they worked together on a project of this magnitude, Rainey says.
Glass panels slide open to create a harmonious link to the landscaped yard.
Photo Credit: Matt Winquist
Because the home is in a historic district, it is protected by a historic preservation ordinance. All construction had to be approved by the Phoenix Historic Preservation Commission, formed to maintain the historic integrity and character of the neighborhood. “When people are adding on to their homes in the historical district they have to be creative to maintain the character, while providing a home that meets the demands of the modern family,” Rainey says.
One way that homeowners do this is by building on the back of the property so that the addition is not readily visible from the street. MerzProject determined that this was the best route for the 500-square-foot addition to this house. Marrying the two sections on the 10,000-square-foot lot called for thresholds, lush landscaping, contemporary materials, and natural lighting. “We celebrated the existing house, and that’s what you see when you drive down the road,” Nieto says.
The addition houses the new open kitchen and living room, as well as a master suite.
Photo Credit: Matt Winquist
Room Shuffle
The Nietos’ desire for more space led to drastic changes of the existing layout. First, the kitchen and living room were relocated to the addition, along with a new master bedroom and bath. Because the plumbing was already available, the old kitchen was converted into a spacious laundry room. The house now has three bedrooms, three baths, a library, a dining room, and a 25-foot-wide opening in the main living space, which connects the two structures.
Glass and finished cement give the rectangular-shaped addition a contemporary look and feel. Blue stone, a limestone, was used on the exterior and interior, visually establishing it as an addition. Glass, in fact, became a defining feature of the new building, establishing an openness and flow missing from the original home. Sliding glass doors in the living room and open kitchen form a seamless transition into the backyard. “Whether the door is open or closed, the space feels bigger,” Rainey says. Ceiling-to-floor windows were also installed in the bedroom — all but one are fixed.
The standing-seam roof is made of interlocking zinc panels that keep the house cool in the heat of a Phoenix summer.
Photo Credit: Matt Winquist
Because the home is in a desert environment, where summer temperatures can reach 110º Fahrenheit or more, MerzProject chose high-efficiency insulated glass. “Any time you use that much glass, it’s going to be difficult to cool, but I think we used it wisely,” Nieto says.
To create harmony between the original house and the new structure, Rainey used walnut in both sections. In the existing house, walnut was used for doors and bathroom cabinetry. In the addition, walnut was used for the kitchen cabinetry, a wall of storage, the doors, and for wall dividers between the master bedroom and the closet and bathroom.
The design also enabled the builder to preserve some of the original craftsmanship, including the window trim and hard oak and pine wood floors, which are character-defining elements of the era. “When you look at the house, you can clearly see the addition and you can clearly see the original structure,” Rainey says. “We’re not trying to pretend both of these structures were built during the same time period.”
Double-glazed windows provide strong visual connection between the master bedroom and the outdoors.
Photo Credit: Matt Winquist
The crew updated the electrical and plumbing systems, and installed a new central-heating and air-conditioning system with programmable thermostats.
The existing trusses had to be reinforced with additional 2x4’s after the partial removal of a load-bearing wall that previously separated the dining area from the family room. “We opened up the space so the original dining room and family room now feel like one space,” Rainey says.
The exterior paint was also stripped away, allowing the home’s original red-brick façade to once again dominate the front of the home.
The melding of historic and contemporary elements in the house was recognized by the American Institute of Architects, which honored MerzProject with the “Home of the Year” Award in April.
Sustainable Elements
MerzProject incorporated several sustainable elements into the renovation. The company preserved the original hard oak and pine wooden floors in the bungalow, and refinished all old and new millwork and flooring with non-petroleum-based finishes and sealers. The custom kitchen cabinetry is made with nontoxic glues and formaldehyde-free plywood. And the abundant use of double-glazed glass admits more natural light into the home during the morning hours. Plus, the sliding glass doors allow for cross ventilation during cooler months.
The kitchen features concrete flooring and custom cabinets made from formaldehyde-free plywood.
Photo Credit: Matt Winquist
After considering various materials, including aluminum and galvanized steel, the design team chose three textures of zinc. “Zinc is a material we were interested in exploring and learning more about,” Rainey says of the choice. Along the south and west walls, the exterior is clad in high-performance recyclable corrugated zinc panels. “It acts like a breathing skin so the metal is held off the structure of the wall and allows for heat to escape,” Rainey says. The corrugated zinc also operates as a shade for the home, reducing water and air infiltration. The entire house is covered with a standing seam zinc roof and the north side of the house has interlocking zinc flat panels.
Low-VOC paint covers the minimal amount of drywall used in the home. The new walls, ceiling, and existing attic space are insulated with high-density spray-in foam. The team also specified low-flow plumbing features and a high-efficiency water heater.
Walnut veneer is used in the bathroom for the vanity and storage cabinets.
Photo Credit: Matt Winquist
A significant sustainable element in the new structure is the concrete slab finished flooring, which contributes to the formaldehyde-free environment. “The inside is clean and modern,” Rainey says.
A Splash of WaterAlthough the homeowners decided not to add a swimming pool, they did opt for an interesting water feature. Landscape architect Chris Winters worked with MerzProject to design a cast concrete slab that extends from the back of the addition near the master bath into the yard. The fountain, shower, and mechanical pump are part of a self-contained unit. “It recirculates the water and creates a nice reflecting pool outside of their shower, but it uses very little water because it’s all contained below ground,” Winters says.
Reaching Out
Creating a modern feel wasn’t the only goal of the project. The Nieto family also wanted to take advantage of the spacious backyard. But much like the layout of the house, the yard fl ow was a challenge.
The backyard was once home to a street, an alley, and a canal. And because the yard had accommodated each element at different times, there was an existing grade change between the east and south ends.
Chris Winters, a landscape architect who had previously worked with MerzProject, was asked to marry the contemporary architecture of the addition with the existing lot. The goal was to make the yard feel spacious. “We wanted to keep the landscape very simple and very open so it achieved that goal,” Winters says.
Both the upper and lower levels of the yard feature lush grass and drought-tolerant plants, including agave, aloe, lady slipper, and gaura. A pea-gravel channel runs along the length of the addition, creating a border between the grass and the concrete sidewalk outside the sliding glass walls, and also along the bedroom windows. There is no barrier separating the front and back yards, so the designers used pea gravel as both a divider and a way to harmonize the front and back.
Although the family originally contemplated adding a swimming pool, the idea was put on hold until the children are older. Continuing with the contemporary theme of the addition, Winters selected steel panels in place of more traditional concrete or wooden fencing.
“What really drove the landscape was how Chris and his young family were going to use it,” Winters says. “The design responded very well to their lifestyle — simple, clean, and open.”