“Major Home Addition”
(Note: Pictures Separated into “Four Season Sunroom”, “Custom Basement”,
and “Master Sitting Room”, and further discussed in their particular sections of the Galleria)
Many factors contribute to wanting or needing a Home Addition. Whether your family needs more space, a better functioning layout, or you simply want to re-connect to the outdoors. This Major Addition and Renovation Project started out as wanting to utilize a deck space at the back of the house more often, one that was hardly enjoyed because of our ever changing Vancouver Weather System patterns, and Rain. A Four Season Addition wanting an area that could be occupied in any weather condition throughout the year, enjoying the massive yard once more and it’s lovely distant tree-lined views, this prestigious Government Road property had to offer.
Based on the homes original Building plans, new plans were drawn up by i3c Solutions and then passed onto the engineer for structural requirements needed for building and for the City Building Department and Permit requirements. Wanting as little impact to the existing home and family, plans were drawn up with this in mind. Achieving this by keeping most window and door exits the same.
Since the home was build on a slopped plot of land, when designing the addition we used this to our advantage. An original one level floor plan now became a multi-level Home Addition. Not only extending the Kitchen’s Breakfast Nook area, but the Master Bedroom and the Basement below as well. In consideration of the yards layout, positioning a deck towards one area of the lot not only made for amazing south-east views it allowed for better use of the existing patio furniture that before was disjointed by a random arrangement through the yard. More evident during the first summer event in which guests were able to convene together, mingle without the past separation. Still allowing for separate areas; a chat set with a sofa and two chairs, an outdoor bar set, a daybed, a fire-pit table set, a pub set, a reclining chaise lounger, two oversized reclining chairs table set, two relaxing chairs with foot stools, a cabana with two large chaise beds, and a BBQ grilling and Prep station that a “master griller” could appreciate. When designing the deck, space planning was a priority especially with all the patio furniture to consider. Multi levels with minimal stairs, made for successful arrangements.
Turning the unused deck into a covered Four Season Sunroom equipped with a seventeen foot folding Eclipse Door System and recessed Phantom Screen System, with the sole purpose of re-connecting once again to the outdoors. Having two rear French Door entrances, one which now leads into the sunroom and then the outdoors, (increasing the site lines from the front foyer into the yard), and another off the Family Room which now leads out to a wrap around deck. Connecting everything together and creating further flow throughout the outdoor and living spaces.
Extending a Master Bedroom by removing an unused balcony and designing a Master Sitting Area that would look and feel like a luxury hotel retreat. Designing part of this Master Addition into a custom closet celebrity worthy, this Master Bedroom now boasts two separate closets a “His” and “Hers”, her guilty justification for the project by increasing future re-sell value.
Further design plans of extending out below a deck that was once just a sloping yard, excavating under and connecting into the basement’s concrete foundation wall, made room for a Wine Cellar and Tasting Room now finally able to come to fruition. Included in this basement extension was the perfect spot to relocate a Home Gym and Fitness area that was once in a unsightly spot.
As you can see from the pictures this was a Major Home Addition project, tying into the existing home by utilizing the same exits allowed for as little impact on the family considering the scope of this project. Designing plans from the start, always focusing on having/making a better functioning home and keeping views and site lines always in mind. Complying with City Building Codes, site coverage and GFA allowances, i3c Solutions is vigilant when factoring in all of these considerations in the beginning of the design process, and is pro-active when sometimes variances need to be overcome along the way.
In this project an existing concrete retaining wall was discovered during the excavation process not to be full height, and therefore couldn’t be used as one of the foundation walls unless a costly underpinning was undergone. Working with the contractor, trades and inspectors to find solutions while still meeting city requirements, maintaining a tight schedule, and keeping within the projects overall design is something i3c is familiar with. As in this case when re-drawing and submitting the revised plans for a three foot difference could have easily affected many other things, we managed to keep the doorway exits (and minimal impact to the family) somewhat the same. Adding a water proof membrane to a portion of the deck allowed us to keep within the allowable site coverage and GFA allowances. About the only thing i3c can’t control is the weather, often managing to still find “some kind of solution” when it’s needed.
On this project i3c Solutions acted as The General Contractor, managing most of the trades as well as the overall project details. Being able to have a huge part in all aspects of a project is something that contributes to the overall success of project, especially one of this scale. Understanding people don’t always have the time to micro manage all the daily details, putting the trust in i3c Solutions to mange instead of themselves, ultimately relieves homeowners.
