As the Bozich family grew, it became apparent that their single level 1959 ranch style home was not fulfilling their needs. The existing architect-designed 1900 sq/ft home had a small informal dining/living room with a covered deck that sat high above the sloped site. Both the deck and family room doubled as a play space for their two children, but left no room for the adults. The covered deck also reduced natural daylight and impaired views from the family room. How would the Bozich family enlarge their home while maintaining the clean lines, unassuming roofline, and general feel of the northwest ranch home that they loved?

The program was straightforward. The clients needed the living room expanded and a new downstairs family room/playroom added to capitalize on the views and natural light neglected by the current design.

We expanded the existing living room by removing the deck and building out 300 sq/ft. The integrity of the existing house was maintained by carrying over the existing roofline to the addition. New clerestory windows enhance daylight access to the space. A small, but elegant steel balcony located at the far end of the living room creates a physical connection to the outdoors while maintaining views from the inside with an unobtrusive steel guardrail. A stylish steel staircase with floating mahogany treads connects the upstairs to the Asian influenced 400 sq/ft downstairs. Tatami mats recessed into the stained concrete floor and sliding shoji screens enclosing the toy storage area are central to the room’s Asian influence. Sliding doors open onto a 200 sq/ft concrete terrace where family and friends can enjoy a warm summer’s West Hills evening.

A high level of craftsmanship was vital to the success of the project. The new addition had to match the finely executed details that constituted much of the original design while seamlessly integrating the Asian influence desired by the client. Off the shelf products and standard construction practices were not always an option when it came to the fabrication and installation of many key elements in this project. The material palette included stained concrete with recessed tatami mats, shoji screens, Ranger Board, mahogany and steel. Mahogany was utilized throughout the design as railing caps, stair treads and a parquet floor in the upstairs. Both the balcony and stair designs required the skill of custom steel fabricators.

The remodel of an existing home is almost always more sustainable than the construction of a new home. In addition to this we took care to choose materials with recycled content such as the Ranger Board ceiling in the downstairs. We also eliminated the use of large old growth mahogany by laminating several 2x4 mahogany pieces to create the stair treads. Increased day lighting from the clerestory windows reduces electrical lighting demands.

The Bozich residence was a simple well-designed ranch house. We kept it that way; and in doing so were able to enhance its original design while providing for the client’s need for more space and light.