Visual Architecture - Spring 1999 Luna Design Group "Maybe we should tear it down and just start all over again", said the owners of this four bedroom colonial home located on a hilltop site in North Andover. The original home was built in 1885, featuring a family room with a cathedral ceiling and a detached garage. This house is typical to many subdivisions throughout New England. Over the years the quality of the home was improved with landscaping and installation of a finished recreation room and bar in the basement. Although they were pleased with the aesthetics of a traditional colonial, the family had out grown the basic house and desired a home with more amenities and space. The owners had numerous concerns. Specifically, they wished to convert the garage to accommodate three vehicles, add an office/guest bedroom, renovate the family room, and build a large master bedroom suite. Also important was a more appropriate location for a vintage rosewood Steinway piano. Other ideas included a year round sun porch, and installation of a state-of-the-art media center in the family room with individual media centers in the office and master bedroom. With such an ambitious design program, demolishing the existing house had to be seriously considered, however the owners were convinced that they could accomplish all of the objectives, and still keep the original character of the house. The owners did not want to feel they were continually living within a construction site, and the disruption of their privacy and lifestyle had to be kept to a minimum. With this in mind, Luna Design Group developed a master plan that could be broken into two separate construction phases. The first phase was to construct the new garage with the office above. The second, to renovate the family room and construct a new second floor master bedroom suite. At the completion of the first phase, the owners would relocate within the house to the completed area while the second phase was under construction. In the design of the three car garage and office, the architects were concerned that a 1,500 +/- s.f. addition did not overwhelm the existing home. The roof was lowered to the first floor level. The office/guest bedroom was housed in the attic space. To maximize this area, the architect used various dormers and a concealed flat roof to maximize headroom. To connect the garage to the house, a new stair tower was introduced at the corner of the garage and the existing house. The form of the tower provides a transition point between the two main structures, serves as an anchor at the rear courtyard space, and is linked to the house by a new sunlit hall. In the second phase, similar to the garage addition, the scale of the addition with the existing house wan an issue, and Luna Design Group elected to drop the roof and eave line below the existing hip roof. Three large dormer roofs placed upon the new roof provide wall and ceiling space for windows, a walk-in closet, and a French balcony. The renovated master bedroom suite features a cathedral ceiling, and the former master bedroom was converted to a dressing room with a walk-in closet. The goal of keeping the integrity of a New England colonial was achieved by the use of contemporary features.