322 Reinvented

Built in 1941 and expanded several times since, this Iowa City, IA residence was a warren of rooms with no overall sense of organization but one compelling feature—a large site in an established neighborhood surrounded by mature trees. The desire to liberate and organize the interior spaces and connect them to this landscape was a central theme that guided this home’s renovation.

Substance Architecture employed a series of transformational tactics within the existing foundation to simplify and expand the home. By increasing the roof slope, the gable form was expanded vertically and extended north to increase the home’s volume. The existing windows were replaced in a more uniform and rhythmic arrangement and the entire house clad with sleek wood siding. The result is a simple, almost archetypal, “house shape”. This gabled volume was then expanded with a series of porches providing a transitional space between inside and outside, as well as solar protection for new enlarged glass openings. These porches, in turn, frame exterior spaces around the home.

The interior is similarly direct. The first level of the home was transformed into a single, open volume. Utility spaces including a powder room, storage closet, and stairs were consolidated near the front door and create definition between living spaces. White walls and light-colored oak floors create a bright and airy atmosphere throughout, contrasted by dark feature walls and the wood and granite kitchen. The second level houses the bedrooms while the attic has been transformed into a playroom space flanked by additional bedrooms.