A2.1 - Main Level Plan

A2.2 - Upper Level Plan

A3.0 - North Elevation

A3.1 - West Elevation

A3.2 - South Elevation

A3.3 - East Elevation

Project Description

Cynthia and Gabe Kieffer's 1908 foursquare house has an existing addition in the back that Cynthia and Gabe wish to renovate, mainly in order to gain a full bathroom upstairs. They would also like to renovate the main bath on the main level of the existing addition - making it bigger. The existing passage to the back yard is awkward, so Cynthia and Gabe have thought of making a new door and deck from the back addition that will be closer to their garage. Finally, they would like space for the laundry room in the back addition, if possible.

The feasibility of this project will depend upon the construction cost, and we are aiming at a cost of under $100,000. For this reason, we would like to use the City of Portland's "Minor Dormer Addition" criteria to avoid costly seismic upgrades. Also, we would like to keep the waste stack in the existing location to keep the plumbing cost down.

Existing Photos

Design 1 - Main Level

1. The kitchen really should be closed off to bathroom and laundry functions. Because we are adding a new back door which will be closer to the garage, bringing in groceries in the rain a better experience than it is now. And this may give you more space for countertops, recycling, etc. in the kitchen.

2. The new back door could be a slider (as shown) if we find one that allows an exterior keyed entry. Otherwise, we should install french doors. This door will need a deck on the exterior for code reasons (exterior doors need landings). Your existing overhang provides minimal shelter from the rain... perhaps we should think of building something more substantial. A pergola?

3. I imagine that you want to keep your existing closet... but if not, we could have more flexibility with the bathroom and laundry functions.

4. This little vestibule in front of the bathroom allows visitors a bit of privacy. I think this is especially important, as you use that back room as a tv room. We should make sure that you keep your existing cast iron waste stack - don't change it to ABS - as cast iron keeps flushing noises down. Also, we can add insulation in the walls between the bathroom and your tv room for added sound privacy.

5. The laundry room is a pretty standard size for a house this size, and full-size washer and dryer are shown in the plan. Also shown is a 3-ft. wide door, as this will make it easier to move the washer and dryer in, not to mention full loads of laundry. A bonus to this design is that we could install a laundry chute from upstairs to drop into this room!

6. A new window directly opposite the bathroom door would be a nice move. I've shown where a pocket door could be installed to allow further privacy in the toilet room. Let me know if this is or is not attractive to you as a feature. It's a pretty personal choice! Leaving the toilet in its existing location, as shown, is a cost saving feature. It costs less to locate all plumbing fixtures, especially toilets, close to the existing plumbing stack.

7. A 3 ft. x 4 ft. shower fits nicely here, with a long wall for towels. A frosted-glass window on the north wall would let the light pool in this space nicely. We could also consider a skylight or a solatube in this space, if desired.

Design 1 - Upper Level

1. We've used part of the north bedroom to create a 3-ft. wide hallway to the addition.

2. The small bedroom is still a little more than 7-ft. wide. You're right that spatially, this space works better as a bathroom. But the existing waste stack serving the kitchen sink is too small to serve another toilet, shower, and sink upstairs without resizing. This would involve some concrete removal in the basement to tie a new stack into the existing drain line. I imagine that your existing drain line runs down the middle part of your basement. It's certainly possible, just a bit more money than is really necessary.

3. The existing parents' bedroom can easily gain another closet from this addition... if you want one. Let me know if this is a priority for you.

4. A long room with low bookshelves and lots of windows (double or single hung to match your existing style) would provide a nice 'away space'. The low bookshelves could become a window seat instead if we shift the addition a few inches north. Somewhere in this area a drop for the laundry chute could be located.

5. A standard size bathroom, leaving space for the existing waste stack (which will be extended up), fits nicely in this space. I've shown a window opposite the sink, just because I think this is a neat option. We could alternatively put a window looking into the back yard. And skylights and/or solatubes would also be easy to install here. But be careful! South and west exposures bring in the most heat. For windows in this room, we should consider a tint to the glass, at the very least.

Design 2 - Upper Level

1. Again, a closet for the parents' bedroom is an easy thing to build with this addition. If it's more important to you, we can make a door here so that you have easy access to the bathroom.

2. This small vestibule can contain a window seat with a laundry chute underneath!

3. I thought a separate bath/shower room might be desired... and this fits easily. A pocket door would work here, too.

4. A sink and toilet in this somewhat generous room fit well, with windows on each side of the sink. Building a long counter along the sink wall would be easy, and give you more storage, too.

Model Animation