by Il Kim and James Grayson Trulove

Homeowners get the urge to change their houses for many reasons: families grow and shrink, old structures decay, and architectural fashions change. Sometimes the first impulse is to destroy all traces of the old and replace them with something entirely new. The authors have found examples of architects who have rejected that impulse, and demonstrated ingenuity through additions and renovations. — Editor

Increasingly, we read of older neighborhoods where mighty mansions are replacing modest bungalows; where all vestiges of a lawn are given over to a house whose footprint occupies most of the lot; and where traces of our architectural past are erased in favor of neo-this and post-that.

New American Additions and Renovations provides ample proof that when sound design principles are applied to the transformation of even the most simple, decidedly unarchitectural of houses, remarkable dwellings can result.

And when an existing house has an architectural pedigree, thoughtful changes and renovations can work to maintain the integrity of the original architecture while creating a house that works for today's active families.

This article is excerpted from New American Additions and Renovations: Innovations in Residential Design and Construction: 25 Case Studies by Il Kim and James Grayson Trulove, with permission of the publisher, Whitney Library of Design, an imprint of Watson-Guptill Publications.   >>>

After renovation, a view of the street facade. Photo: Alchemy Kitchen. Image: Karen Melvin   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.