york

The brief was to add a second floor to a 1954 L-shaped bungalow in a postwar modernist neighbourhood in New Westminster. The existing home was too small for a family of five, so the new upper level became a private retreat with a studio, master suite, and two decks. The design sought to unify old and new through simple, contextually responsive materials.

Stacking the addition created an ambiguous mass, neither fully vertical nor horizontal. A continuous horizontal screen was introduced to balance the form and shade the south-facing living space, extending to form a covered entry and outdoor area. A concrete plinth reinforces this gesture.

To knit together old and new, two devices were used to give the facades order and cohesion,. Bright rolled zinc panels were placed above and beside existing window openings, and a simple aluminum trim would serve as a datum for window heads, mullions and sills, and is present on all facades