Stretching out of the original structures like alien growths, these modern additions don’t even bother trying to blend in with their traditional architectural settings – but somehow, it works. The mashup of old and new keeps the historic character of the original structures intact while updating them for use by 21st-century residents, expanding the available space in unexpected ways.
Sculptural Extension to 1930s Miami Bungalow
This three-story extension certainly isn’t trying to blend in with the modest 1930s Miami bungalow that can be seen peeking out from behind it. Sun Path House by Studio Christian Wassman sits upon a spiraling concrete structure containing a kitchen, which connects to the original house.
Greenery-Clad Vertical Extension
This concept by Zawelski Architecture Group literally raises the roof of an aging brick house with a sandwich of elements that hide a terrace inside the top story. The original structure houses the living spaces, the middle envelope contains private spaces like bedrooms and bathrooms, and a fence of ivy conceals a perfectly private backyard.
High Contrast at Bord-du-Lac
A 200-year-old stone house in Canada gets a striking metal-clad addition in this project by Henri Cleinge. The stark transition between old and new is meant to express the passage of time, the new volume representing the modern-day family and the old representing their ancestors.
Hankai House: Modern Volume Protects 300-Year-Old Japanese Home
A new wooden building wraps protectively around a 300-year-old wooden gate house in Japan, extending its space while leaving the original structure virtually untouched other than sections that were beyond repair. The new structure provides extra earthquake resistance, and though it’s clearly contemporary, its burnt cedar walls pay tribute to the architectural vernacular of the town.
Cosgriff House: Sleek in the Suburbs
A striking new extension provides three new levels of living spaces without dwarfing the standard suburban Australian home it’s attached to. Architect Christopher Polly followed the form and contours of the house, inserting a large new living area beneath it.
Stretched Stone Farmhouse by ODOSarchitects
Dublin-based ODOSarchitects seems to have reached inside the guts of a farmhouse and stable complex in Ireland to pull out a long and narrow addition, with glazing on all sides looking out onto the historic property. The box extension is all clean lines and minimalism, in contrast to the crumbling stone.
Backyard Addition to a Victorian Home
A black-and-white modern addition is slotted right into the walled garden of a Victorian house in Melbourne, connected to the main building with a long and narrow wing. Faced with lots of glass, the new structure glows like a lantern at night, yet remains private.
Backpack House
The Backpack House is a self-contained structure that essentially dangles off the side of an existing building, adding to it in a way that can be temporary if desired. It also enables people who live on middle floors of a multi-level apartment building or condominium to expand their living space even though they don’t have access to the roof or the ground.
Park Avenue South by Studio Octopi
A Victorian home in London gets an expansive new space that complements the original features. The owner-architect at Studio Octopi used folded paper models to find a shape that would make the most of the odd-sized triangular plot, and the result is a pleasingly geometric addition clad in black zinc.
Modern Penthouse Built Onto Grandparents’ Home
When expanding a townhouse in Spain for multigenerational residency, Grupo Aranea decided to go the dramatic route and highlight the contrast between old and new, essentially plopping a brand new townhouse right on top of the clients’ grandparents house.
Glass Volumes for Century-Old Beach House
Rectilinear steel-and-glass boxes add onto a 100-year-old beach house in Toronto, updating it while preserving its historic character.Drew Mandel Architects renovated the entire interior of the three-story house and extended its living space upward with an oversized box window overlooking the sea.
Second-Story Cantilevered Concrete Box
A concrete box juts out over the yard, leaning as if it’s being pushed out from the other side. This curious addition tops an ordinary brick row house in an industrial neighborhood of Germany, setting itself apart from the surrounding architecture.
Gleaming Vertical Extension
A heavy stone structure in Toulouse, France rises higher with the help of a gleaming metal structure by BAST, which creates a high-ceilinged interior illuminated by skylights.
via – weburbanist
