Restoration
The Challenge
Historic dwellings were not designed to accommodate the needs of our modern urban life. They often require additional space and a more efficient layout. However, due to landmark restrictions, in many cases, such changes are limited, and therefore, proper preservation is considered non-economical. 1450 Pacific restoration project rises to the challenge of proving otherwise: that with adequate creativity and vision, conservation and development can enhance each other.
Conversion of the Basement
The non-habitable basement had a low ceiling, no windows, and no convenient outdoor access. To make it habitable, the old stone foundations of the house were extended downwards using underpinning. About 5 feet of soil was excavated to achieve a 9-foot clear height. An approximately 13 ’wide opening was created to connect the basement to the rear year.
Conversion of the Attic
The original attic was not built to be habitable, as the pyramidal four-square roof was too low. The roof must be raised to convert the attic into a livable space. A careful study was done to investigate how high the roof angle at the front could be raised without increasing the roof's visibility, thus changing the character.
At the rear, a flat roof was created to accommodate fully habitable spaces. This alteration was intended to read as a historic dormer appropriate to buildings of this vintage, with historically correct detailing, wood siding, window casings, and a cornice echoing the design of the main cornice.
Conversion of the Garage
The one-car parking garage was converted into a living space by replacing the existing concrete slab, installing a new steel roof joists structure, and insulating the walls. It was transformed into a recreational / home office space with a full bathroom. A roof deck was approved on top of the garage. Central brickwork was done to re-construct the original parapet, with a stone coping and angular pediment crown. Four custom-built mahogany doors replaced the roll-up garage door to restore the garage’s historic appearance.
Excavation of the Yards
The rear yard was excavated by about 5 ft overall and about 10 ft adjacent to the rear wall to create a patio. The soil had to be carried through the narrow side alley with a tiny excavator, which took about two months. The newly exposed foundation was waterproofed and stuccoed. The excavation was done carefully to keep the 80-year-old, enormous tree roots in place and save it. The yards were tastefully landscaped and now seem an integral, accessible, and inviting part of the house.
Brick and Masonry Work
The red brick was fully restored using various scaffolds on all sides, including sanding and sealing the brick surface, removing the failing mortar, and repointing. All ornamental lintels and windowsills were repaired. The west façade was structurally reinforced with new steel headers and the crumbling brick sections were replaced.
Cornice & Windows
The prominent elaborate cornice was fully sanded and restored. Water-damaged and rotted sections were rebuilt and replaced, then repainted with historic colors. The attic windows were replaced. Approximately twenty original weight and chain windows were removed, restored, reglazed with insulated glass units, and reinstalled.
Porch
To ensure structural soundness, the severely rotted, ornamented structural wood column was replaced with a new identical one, and, while supporting the porch roof with temporary shoring, a new 28-long structural header was inserted to replace the bad water-damaged one. The original porch woodwork was stripped, patched, and repaired, including spindles, handrails, columns, main entry doors, porch ceiling, and molded cornice.
Front Yard and Fences
The old masonry retaining wall at the street line was replaced with a historically correct custom ironwork fence with gates at the entrances. The front yard was excavated, regarded, and landscaped.
Reuse of Materials
The ornamental interior window and door casings were saved, stripped, and re-configured, then reinstalled in the lobby and the parlor floor. The old attic subfloor and the roof sheathing boards were repurposed as wide plank flooring. Large rocks exposed during the excavation were kept as part of the yard landscaping.