53 Old. Main Rd. Renovation

Progress is speeding up at 53 Old Main!

Things are in full swing with this renovation in Little Compton.  We are re-using/re-purposing as many of the existing materials as possible. The wood flooring from the living room will be the new flooring in the basement.  The slate patio/deck was also salvaged to be used for the new entrance patio.  All cabinets, windows, doors, and trim were brought back to the shop and stored for future use as well.

 The foundation is being poured for the addition and the new deck entrance.  Below you see the formwork in place while the concrete sets.  We had to cut holes in the existing foundation floor to provide new structural concrete footings.

Inside, the new framework blends with the old and is begining to reshape the interior form.  Floor joists have been inserted where a second floor is going to be added and 2x4s fill the gaps where the windows and doors used to be.  All of the interior walls have been removed except for the bathroom, which is staying intact while the rest of the project takes shape around it.

You can’t beat the view from this site, even on a cloudy day!

Winnisimet Drive – Part 3 – Demolition

New England Home Renovation

On the exterior we began by removing the existing deck structure and stripping away the existing finish materials in order to update the windows and update the exterior look of the house. After we pulled off the shingles and lower trellis from the structure, we wrapped the home with waterproof Tyvek to keep the interior structure dry.

To begin renovation of the interior we completely stripped most of the structural walls to the framing, and removed several of the partitions in the main living/kitchen area. The goal with this main space is to remove the existing columns and exposed truss to open up volume of the room more, and make it feel more open. In order to do this we will have to replace the wood ridge beam with something more substantial.

Finally the proposed master bedroom area, above the garage, is going to be extended so we needed to completely demolish the end wall to tie in a new structure to the existing house.

New England Home Renovation

The idea behind this addition was to make the existing program function more efficiently, while maintaining most of the exterior structure. We proposed a bump out on the south side of the building to create a new master bedroom, sitting room, and office space. In the main living area we altered the layout of the kitchen and dining area to enable a better and more efficient flow through the space. The biggest change is the new exterior wrap around deck, facing the water. The deck is made from mahogany posts and boards, with a beautiful metal cable rail system.

Existing Structure

Proposed Design

Here we have a simple three dimensional, digital, model to show what the proposed deck will look like.

Stay tuned for more updates!

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On a separate note, our photographs for the Sixteen on Center Photography Competition have been posted on our Facebook page

– https://www.facebook.com/SixteenOnCenter –

Please drop by and vote for your favorite pictures!

Winnisimet Drive – Part 1

New England Home Renovation

These clients contact us last year, and wanted to renovate, update, and ad to, their existing home. It’s a great house, with an incredible view of the water. Over the next couple of weeks we will walk you through our design philosophy, and how we chose to actualize the design!

Sixteen on Center Photography Competition

We have decided to extend the deadline for photograph submissions until the end of this week. Don’t forget to submit your favorite photo to info@sixteenoc.com and potentially win $100 dollars!

Sixteen on Center Photography Competition!

Sixteen on Center is proud to announce our first ever photography competition!

We need lots of images to put up in our office and we thought what better way to do that then to have a little friendly competition between our friends, family, and fans.

We are looking for photographs that have elements of intriguing architecture, design that catches the eye, something that inspires, and above all, photos that embody the philosophy of Sixteen on Center. Our favorite ten photos will go up in our office and we will also put them on Facebook and our blog for everyone to vote on. The person who submitted the photograph with the most votes will receive the Grand Prize! First and Second runners up will each receive a custom 8”x10” picture frame made here in our shop!

Details

Submission Deadline – Sunday September 15^th, 2013

Voting Period – Monday September 16^th to Sunday September 22^nd

Grand Prize – $100.00

First and Second Runners up – 8”x10” custom picture frame

Submitting a photograph to us means you give us permission to use that image in the future, for social media, and other outlets. Please submit your entry to info@sixteenoc.com with your image, name, and contact information.

Good luck!

Conveying an Aesthetic Approach

Marketing for Sixteen on Center

The logo for Sixteen on Center is the perfect embodiment of our approach to design and construction. It uses a single color and simple, easy to understand graphics. It understates the idea of combining hard won construction experience, though the imagery of sixteen construction spikes, with the artistic and graphic implementation of many years of architectural education.

It is both extremely easy, and incredibly difficult to produce marketing material for a company such as this. In order to convey the ideals of craftsmanship, attention to detail and efficiency, the designs must feature simple, easy to understand graphics that have multiple layers of thought behind them. Our most recent ad in for the Black Ships Festival is a great example.

At first glance it is very simple, featuring two photos, our logo, and the contact information. However if we delve deeper into the design, you can see that there are multiple line weights delineating the different sections of text, and that the two photos are from the same project. The logo and text portion are reminiscent of the layout for construction documentation, and the two photos were used to highlight the design aesthetics of Sixteen on Center.

Salvage and Reclamation

The many properties of wood

This photo is from an artists studio in Little Compton. We re-purposed old wood to create the sink and toilet enclosures.

Wood is one of the most adaptable materials used in building construction today. It can be both structural and beautiful, depending on how it prepared and presented. Many older homes are framed with old-growth hardwood which, in today’s market, would be very expensive to purchase. During the demolition phase of a renovation, many companies simply throw out old wood framing. This wood, however, can be easily cleaned and combined together to create beautiful countertops and furniture with a very interesting antique appeal. Aged wood has richness and depth of color that most newly cut wood does not have. Almost any wood product can be reclaimed in some way. This project is a great example of what can be done. Old doors have been cleaned, re-finished, and repurposed as wall partitions for a toilet enclosure.

From Concept to Completion

Designing the Sixteen on Center way

At Sixteen on Center, we believe that the design process is essential to creating a successful building. We are passionate about our design skills and are constantly striving for perfection. When starting a project, there are two main design aspects to focus on. Firstly, it is important to create a building that is both structurally pragmatic and functional. Secondly, we design the project to be aesthetically pleasing. It is necessary when trying to design something beautiful that this beauty is not self-contained. Instead, the design should be integrated into the vernacular of the surrounding area, so that the design contributes to the community as a whole, rather than on an individual level. It is as much about organic and creative thought as it is about planned, rational design.

Throughout this process of design, we constantly collaborate with other designers and our clients. Within the office we encourage collaboration between all of our members, in order to fully utilize all the skillsets at our disposal. Secondly, Sixteen on Center actively cultivates relationships between our team and the client to ensure that the design ideas that we put forth adhere to the desires and wishes of the client.

Sixteen On Center

Sixteen on Center is a design/build firm in Tiverton, RI that offers complete project services from initial planning, and feasibility to conceptual and design development when it comes to carpentry, design and construction.