In looking for ideas about how to expand their classic New England farmhouse, these owners were charmed by examples they’d seen in some of Australia’s urban neighborhoods. In Sydney and Melbourne, for example, historic preservation codes often require that a home’s façade be preserved when planning a renovation, and an unmistakably modern volume is built behind it.
Struck by the amount of innovation and freedom this approach allowed, they hired Flavin Architects to design a two-story addition with its own presence and a quiet connection to the 1880s house. “We love when a client is open for the adventure of it,” says Colin Flavin, AIA. “If you do have a beautiful old home, respect it and don’t try to copy it.”
“They were very much design aficionados,” he adds. “They didn’t give us much direction architecturally, just to do something very creative.” The resulting design encompasses 878 square feet that includes a kitchen on the first floor and a primary suite above it.
Above: Bridging the Past in Southborough, MA. Photo by Nat Rea.
