Green House | SchwartzandArchitecture | 2025 | 澳大利亚

Green House | SchwartzandArchitecture | 2025 | 澳大利亚

Green House by SchwartzandArchitecture shows how a mid-century classic can be updated for modern family life while staying true to its original design.Updating an iconic modernist home by Aaron Green – the protégé of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright – is not something you take lightly. When the new owners of this 1966 Palo Alto house needed more space for their growing family, the SchwartzandArchitecture (S^A) team had to find a way to expand the residence without compromising the mid-century character that makes it so special.

The team approached the project by asking themselves a simple question: “What would Green do in this situation?” That mindset was their north star for every decision, from the major additions to the smallest material details. “The new doesn’t just contrast with the old to call attention to itself; it tries to comment on it thoughtfully,” says Christopher Baile, principal at S^A. “We imagine this is how Green would have approached a remodel and addition had he been presented with the same program challenges today.”One of the biggest challenges was adding a primary suite to a house that was already a “completed thought”. “While adding space along the spine of the home by heading off the existing beams and turning up the roof felt intuitive… adding an entirely new formal element brought on an entirely different set of challenges,” he says. The solution was a subtle, low-profile concrete volume tucked behind the house, its roof carefully detailed to feel light, minimal and deferential. “We made the call early on that we would not try to recreate or add to the iconic roof shape,” he adds.

In this way, the layout of the house was updated carefully rather than completely overhauled. “There would be no way to do what we would call a ‘gut’ renovation… and maintain its character,” he notes. The garden side’s iconic glass wall was also considered “sacrosanct”. They kept the original spatial organisation, expanding the dated, dark and small kitchen and bedrooms along the spine, adding the primary suite at the end of the house and linking spaces with hidden connections such as the door between the dressing room and nursery.A stand-out feature is the sunken lounge, located in what used to be the carport, which was now out of compliance for height by modern standards. “Since it no longer could be used… we enclosed the space under the roof and kept the floor level at grade,” he explains. Instead of raising the ceiling, they embraced the sunken design to create an intimate family living space out of sight of the more formal areas.

The restrained palette of timber, glass and concrete was also retained to tie old and new together. Existing concrete masonry units were refurbished or recreated in board-formed concrete, keeping the strong horizontal lines of the original home. The dark original slab was replaced with large-format concrete terrazzo tiles to brighten the interiors and integrate with the radiant heating system. “In this way, the strength of these horizontal elements remained, but reinterpreted in a new construction technique,” says Baile.And how might Green himself feel about the new work? “Our interpretation of Green’s architectural language allowed us to not only honour the existing house but enhance what was already there,” he says. Green House demonstrates that thoughtful additions can make an historic home work for a modern family while maintaining the spirit and qualities of the original architecture.

Original architecture by Aaron Green. Architecture by SchwartzandArchitecture. Interior design by Sarah Sherman Samuel. Build by Marrone & Marrone. Structural engineering by SWM & Associates. Lighting and energy design by Loisos + Ubbelohde.

• 项目文案：Emily Riches
• 项目摄影：Ayla Christman

• 转载自：The Local Project
• 图片@The Local Project
• 语言：英语
• 编辑：序赞网
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