Faced with designing an addition to
a home that has an established style, an
architect usually has two options – rep-
licate the existing building’s features
for the design of the extension, or create
a strongly contemporary addition that
stands out from the original.
However, in the home featured here,
Christopher Mercier of architects (fer)
studio took the middle ground of these
two approaches – merging Mid-century
Modern with more contemporary architec-
ture in the design of a guest house addition.
Mercier says the project started out as
a series of site improvements to a 280m 2
single storey, Mid-century Modern home
dating back to 1959. Initially, he was asked
to add a carport plus a swimming pool,
deck and cabana in the rear yard to take
advantage of valley views below.
“We had just started construction and
had dug the hole for the pool, when the
owner – photographer and Smashbox
Cosmetics founder Davis Factor – pur-
chased the lot next door,” says Mercier.
“This changed the whole shape of the
Above left: What started out as a modest
renovation of a Mid-century Modern home turned
into something much more substantial when the
owner bought the neighbouring lot as well. This
allowed the addition of a whole new wing, seen on
the left of the driveway, while the existing house is
in the background, behind the Ipe faced wall.
Above: The new wing has a board-formed concrete
structure, while a metal mesh helps screen a new
master suite on the driveway side of the house.
The inset in the paving is a representation of the
two joined sites that now make up the property.
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