What Made This Project Hard
- The house's brick foundation was built before current codes, so connecting a new two-story addition to it meant temporarily propping up the existing foundation while new footings were poured and tied in. That also meant dealing with water: the new foundation walls needed a waterproofing layer, a sump pump, and a drain system to keep the crawl space dry, a common issue for older homes near Rock Creek Park.
- To get from the old second floor into the new primary suite, Landis reworked the existing rear bedrooms so there was a clear, code-approved path between them, all without changing how the house looks from the street. The new roof also had to blend with the old one, so the team worked to make the addition look like it was always part of the house.
How We Solved It
Landis started with a measured survey and Schematic Design, presenting the homeowners with a real base budget range before they decided on the optional scope. In Design Development, a structural engineer designed the new foundation system and the temporary shoring plan needed to safely demolish the existing rooms without compromising the rest of the house. Finally, a new heat pump system was added, new hardwood flooring was installed, and the existing hardwood throughout the rest of the house was refinished to match, so the addition doesn't read as a separate project glued onto the original home.
