Rear Window House, the private family residence of Edward Ogosta, AIA, is a discreet yet decidedly modern addition and remodel to a 1944 bungalow in an area abundant with intact dwellings of the same era.  Key to the serene, minimal design was a sensitivity to context to lessen the addition?s impact on the neighborhood.
Photography: Steve King
Through careful sequencing of new spaces and strategically located apertures, the home opens itself up to become deeply integrated with the rear garden.  All exterior and interior finishes are unified to create a seamless architectural experience using a restricted material palette of glass, aluminum, wood, asphalt shingles, and concrete.  Existing interiors were updated to be simple and bright, via new skylights, bleached oak floors, and white walls.  The project culminates in the master bedroom?s expansive rear window, which is framed by aluminum-clad plate steel and cantilevers above a small pond.  The design demonstrates how a thoughtful, strategic intervention can breathe new life into an older home, serve the needs of the contemporary family, and maintain neighborhood scale. Photography: Steve King
While the existing house served admirably as a compact starter home for decades, the architect?s growing family necessitated building a master suite extension into the backyard.  Guided by a philosophy of making the most impact with the least number of moves, Ogosta started with the removal of a large, centrally located tree to ...