Additions
thinkGiraffe Design Inc has created a wide variety of additions in many different styles and we strive to do more than just add cookie cutter space. We believe you can
- Make your house barrier free and safe
- Reduce stress levels – a home needs to work for your life situation
- Increase natural light levels and the passive solar capacity of the house
- Connect your house to the exterior
- Allow you to stay in your neighbourhood
- Create work from home spaces
- Add more storage
- Improve sight lines and views
- Stay and age in place
- Add an additional dwelling unit or allow multi-generational family members to live together
- Take your house to the “never to be demolished” level
- Improve insulation and efficiency
Additions Project Review
Mies van der Rohe International Style Addition
This mid-century brick bungalow is situated on a densely treed golf course, but the living areas faced the street. We added a family room, dining room and kitchen with a rear porch facing the exceptional backyard view but raised the addition roof and added clerestory windows to capture east, west, and south light. The addition is cladded in James Hardie cement board panels.
Angled Corrugated Steel Roof Addition with contrasting wood
The highly protected environmental zoning of this property prevented us from demolishing the existing brick bungalow with a leaky basement. We converted the existing country brick bungalow into ample garages by backfilling the basement. The large addition consists of new living area facing the private north side of the property. This created a light quality challenge, and we adjusted the design by capturing south light via angled roofs and cathedral ceilings. The construction is ICF with fiberglass windows and corrugated steel mixed with factory finished wood siding. The house is heated with a wood boiler utilizing firewood gathered from the 100 acres of managed forest. The backup heat is an electric heat pump.
Century Brick Home with Flat Roof and Cupola Addition
This century brick downtown home lacked entry coat storage and like so many older homes, had limited views to the rear and the living areas were rather dark. We added a front porch and one storey flat roof rear addition with a cupola to maximize light. Since the 2nd floor bedrooms face the backyard, the cupola and clerestory windows increase the sense of ceiling height without blocking any bedroom windows. A porch off the driveway leads to a mudroom and main floor washroom. We added an airy basement with a large laundry room. The style of this addition complements the historic character of the neighbourhood, yet suited the lifestyle of the young family.
Family Room Addition with Light Well
It is challenging to add an addition to an L-shaped house with a low slope roof. Controlling water flow and preventing trapped snow and roof leaks become paramount. This house had an existing addition which we had to demolish because no amount of engineering could resolve the structural and water issues. The new flat roof addition rose to the ridge level of the existing roof to ensure correct water flow, and our engineer specified structural strengthening for the existing trusses. As often happens, the large windows face north, and we designed a light well to capture south and west light.