Case Study: Mexico Residence
Like many mid-century ranches in Denver, the original home had its charms but also significant limitations. At just 1,350 square feet, it felt cramped--with a kitchen and dining area that barely functioned, a tight entryway, and a backyard cut off from natural light by an overbearing patio roof.
The homeowners initially wondered if a simple reconfiguration could meet their needs, but their wish list—a spacious master suite, three total bedrooms on one level, a laundry room, and even a sauna—demanded something bigger.
It became clear that they’d need to add on, but the owners were reluctant to build out as that would reduce their rear yard. Adding a 2nd floor would solve that, and happily a structural evaluation revealed the foundation could support it. Also in our favor, the existing house had a compact footprint so we could efficiently increase size by simply stacking a new 2nd floor on top.
So, adding a 2nd story made a lot of sense…but it would also dramatically change the character of the house, especially on the exterior. Going this route raised a number of questions:
The house’s proportions would go from the classic horizontal lines of a Ranch to something much more vertical…how would the new story be integrated in a way that felt unified?
What exterior materials would be used on the addition to blend with the existing brick? Or would it make more sense to remove the brick and use an all-new material palette?
Similarly, the existing windows and exterior doors would need to be replaced to match the new 2nd floor, but should we simply replace those windows/doors in their existing openings, or change their size and location as part of a broader re-thinking of the exterior design of the house?
So, our challenge was clear:
How to add a story and make it feel architecturally seamless?
New 1st Floor Plan
New 2nd Floor Plan
Original Floor Plan
Original House, Rear Facade
With this decision made, we focused on solving critical spatial challenges. We prioritized:
Reconfiguring the 1st Floor: Enlarging the living room, repositioning the kitchen and dining areas to embrace the backyard, and using expansive new windows and sliding doors to make the new layout feel open and light-filled.
Enhanced Entry Experience: A new all-glass entry door was created, leading into an expanded entryway. A new wood accent wall between living and kitchen/dining areas served as a central architectural feature, and acted as a playful ‘peekaboo’ element, providing visual connection from the entryway all the way to the rear yard.
Increase 1st Floor Ceiling Height: Since the existing roof would be torn off, we could raise the 1st floor ceilings to 9 feet, giving that whole level a more expansive feel.
Stacking Staircases: Placing the new staircase above the basement stairs to minimize disruptions to the 1st floor layout.
A 2nd floor with everything: A serene master suite at the rear, a spa-like bath with a sauna, generous walk-in closets, and a rooftop deck over the garage created a private retreat. The additional bedroom wing and a conveniently placed laundry room ensured practical, everyday comfort.
Original House, Front Facade
Let’s face it, there are some bad 2nd floor additions out there. It can be challenging to add onto an older house in such a prominent way and ensure the combination of old and new feels cohesive. However, our Mexico project shows that embracing these challenges can also create opportunities. This is the story of that project--how a modest 1950s Ranch was transformed into a modern, light-filled sanctuary.
Original Entry + Chimney
Exterior + Architectural Language
We developed an exterior material palette of new windows/doors, vertically-oriented wood and metal siding, concrete landscaping walls. And a new architectural language of solids and voids, slatted sunscreens, and cantilevered rooflines, and interplay of horizontal and vertical lines unified the new design.
We really wanted to find a way for the new design to reference the original house—a way to connect new to old. The original rose-colored chimney was a visual anchor for the front façade and seemed like a prime candidate to make into a more architecturally significant feature. We especially liked how the main entrance occurred between this chimney and the adjacent brick wall, creating an interesting interplay of solid and void…the feeling of slipping between the two solid elements heightened the experience of entry.
Riffing on this idea, we extended the chimney up another story and re-clad it, creating a strong vertical element to contrast against the horizontal rooflines of the new house. We also made the area between chimney and adjacent wall a two-story wall of glass, to re-create the solid/void interplay and phenomenon of ‘slipping’ between these elements as you enter the house. This is one of those details that, for us, adds another layer of meaning to the architecture.
Here’s a before and after look at this element, at right:
Thinking through this challenge, we saw an opportunity: rather than simply tacking on a new story, the addition could be used to ‘sculpt’ the house and give it an entirely new form. A new layout and materials could improve flow, functionality, and aesthetics.
We were fortunate that the client was invested in maximizing the potential of the house, and open to reimagining what it could be. In addition to a new layout throughout, a decision was made to explore new exterior materials, windows/doors, and a new roofline—to give the house a holistic new character.
3D Study, Entryway with Accent / ‘ Peakaboo’ Wall
3D Study, Kitchen/Dining with View of Backyard
Conclusion
This project ended up being much more involved than most 2nd floor additions, so it’s not exactly a poster child for pop-tops. Instead, it’s a good example of what’s possible when budget and owner preferences allow for a fuller reimagining of an existing house.
Adding a 2nd story was the key that unlocked an entirely new layout, architectural style, and feeling for this house. While construction costs will be higher than a more modestly-scoped 2nd floor addition, they also won’t be nearly the cost of a new build…and yet this house will feel very new indeed.
3D Study, Exterior
New Entry + Chimney
