The plants are in place on our first residential green roof!

Now in their first season, the seedums are taking root and getting established. A soaker hose is being used to water for now As they fill out, the erosion control mat will become less visible, and the roof will retain more rainwater than it currently does. We estimate that the roof should reduce runoff by 50% a that point; however, other portions of the roof drain onto this roof through downspouts, so we are asking a lot of these plantings!

The homeowners installed the multi-layered system and planted on top of the rubber membrane provided by the contractor. They blogged about it in two parts: Part One and Part Two. Take a look, they’ve done well in explaining the process.

As the trees begin to bud, an already humble addition recedes behind its craftsman host.

Our design intention for this project was to create an addition that appeared minimal from the street, allowing the colorfully painted bungalow to retain its visual identity. The modern form ducks cleanly under the existing eave, forcing no modification to the roof lines. It’s angled walls preserve a comfortable relationship with the existing garage and stretch views to the back yard, where the Owner has grand garden plans. They also nicely reflect the artistic and edgy tastes of the occupants.

The garden roof will be installed this spring, incorporating storm-water runoff reductions and minimizing potential seepage into the existing basement. Landscaping around the base of the addition will follow. The interior of the addition is more modern, with stainless steel countertops and handmade tile as seen here. (The tile was created by Clay Squared to Infinity.)

Construction is nearly complete for our addition on Union Street. The Owner has done a great job painting the exterior, pulling colors from the existing house.

The cabinets are looking good; door pulls were being installed when I took this shot. We are pleased with the project; the various materials come together nicely and provide a strong contrast to the historic interiors. It was fun when the Owner came into our office after seeing the new stainless steel counters in place; his smile was a mile wide and he was jazzed!

Tomorrow is the final walk-through. The green roof plantings will wait until the spring.

Framing is virtually complete for the kitchen and mudroom addition we designed on Union Street in Northfield. This shot shows the diminutive size of the addition that will greatly enhance the functionality of this home.

It is a bit like a gift waiting to be unwrapped; windows and doors will be cut in soon, allowing the passerby to glimpse the exposed structural steel and tongue-and-groove fir ceiling deck. The addition is decidedly modern in character, intentionally distinct from yet sympathetic to the original home. It will feature a plantable green roof that ducks under the existing exposed rafter tails. The angle opens the view to the back yard and retains access to the garage behind.

Taylor-Made Builders is doing a nice job with the construction work and the attention to detail an older home project requires.