Hawthorne Residence

The original house was part of Cameron Park, an established, stylistically varied neighborhood developed in the early 20^th century just West of downtown Raleigh. Clearing the fragmented interior of its many disjointed renovations, and expanding spatial parameters, made way for an open, fluid floor plan. The rigorous demolition process prior to the renovation and addition involved cataloging each piece of material removed from the site and donating it to be reused or recycled. Left with the existing foundations, floor joists, and studs, we began to build upwards to accommodate the family of four.

Critical to our clients was a seamless indoor/outdoor connection. This was achieved by dropping the back elevation to grade and replacing the existing exterior wall with floor-to-ceiling glass, expanding the glazing throughout the shell, and replacing the original hip roof with a single-tilt roof featuring deep, cantilevered overhangs that reference the covered porch spaces of the neighboring houses.

Operable windows and extensive glazing allow for daylight and natural ventilation, greatly reducing their reliance on electric lights during the day. A geothermal ground source heat pump, fiber-cement rain-screen panels and locally available wood detailing, and Energy Star appliances, resulted in a preliminary HERS rating of 51, making it 50% more energy efficient than a standard new home and 80% more efficient than the average resale home.

architect: katherine hogan architects
construction: katherine hogan architects
location: Raleigh, North Carolina
photography: Raymond Goodman, Tzu Chen Photography