J Street,
Cambridge, MA

Project scope

Renovation of and addition to a small two-story home on a tiny lot. Transform the 116-year-old structure into a contemporary home. (Renovations: 1104 sq. ft., Additions: 509 sq. ft.)

Our charge

Because of the small lot and zoning restrictions, it made sense to add up instead of out. This strategy also gave us the opportunity to create a little outdoor living space and maintain a bit of a buffer between the home and its neighbors.

Even though the client was hoping for a T.V. room and larger dining area on the first floor, we did the best we could with the 560 square feet of space available by creating a simple open-plan for daily living & entertaining. The powder room has the added function of being a shower and is accessible from the semi-enclosed part of the deck.

On the second floor, the larger bedroom also serves as a T.V. room with a convertible sofa for guests. We inserted a small work space “ library” which also functions as a buffer between the 2 bedrooms. The all-new third floor contains the owner’s suite with a high ceiling above the sleeping area and skylights for stargazing. There is a laundry chute in the bathroom down to the second floor bathroom/laundry.

The public and private levels of the home are expressed on the exterior with the bedroom portion of the owner’s suite high-lighted with volume and texture.