DOUGLAS R. SCHOTLAND ARCHITECT
NEW LIFE FOR OLD HOUSES
We are a residential architecture practice specializing in gently adapting historic homes for modern living.
THE VIRTUES OF OLD HOUSES ARE MANY...
There is so much to love about old houses. The delicate interplay of light and shadow across their articulated facades...Their subtle imperfections...Their natural materials, sculpted by the hands of people living in a simpler time...Their intimate relationship to the surrounding landscape. Old houses ground us. They connect us to our land and our past, imparting a sense of familiarity and calm. Old houses resonate with something deep inside us.
...BUT THEY DO HAVE THEIR SHORTCOMINGS.
Their myriad charms aside, old houses are very likely to be wasteful of energy, uncomfortably cold or hot at various times of year, and have inferior air quality. In addition, the lack of natural light in some old houses leaves occupants feeling disconnected from their surroundings. In the worst cases, old houses may have suffered poorly designed or executed additions, alterations, or “modernization” efforts.
OLD HOUSE DEVOTEES HAVE A DIFFICULT CHOICE TO MAKE...
...OR DO THEY?
We believe that this is a false dilemma. Thanks to recent advances in building science and technology, it is now possible to integrate the most desirable features of contemporary houses into historic ones. But doing this in a way that does not harm a building’s historic architectural fabric is no easy task.
IT IS POSSIBLE (THOUGH NOT EASY) TO HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.
...AND A DIFFERENT PROCESS.
And we stay by your side even after the construction documents are finished, providing support to you and your builder as needed during the construction phase.
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