| Client: Mills College President's House on Mills College Campus in Oakland, CA |
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| Challenges |
- Add a new wing to this 1870 house that blends well with the existing building.
- Satisfy all the various clients and stakeholders involved in the decision making of the project.
- Create a space that is appropriate for a small family as well as formal sit-down dinners for college trustees.
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| Solutions |
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The Board of Trustees at Mills College and the current President were just a
few of the clients involved in the decision making for this project. We met
with each party individually to assess their needs and worked amongst them to
gain consensus.
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The new wing consists of a large kitchen, a family room, a series of service
functions (laundry, powder room, butler's pantry) along one edge of the addition
and new staircase. Upstairs, the private master suite was remodeled.
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The biggest part of the remodel - the kitchen - was an interesting challenge
because it had to function for the family that lived there, yet also function
for the caterers that worked regularly in the space for large functions held
at the house. The solution was to create a room within a room, so that the
catering area was connected but separate from the main family kitchen.
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Working with traditional materials and taking clues from the historic
original structure, the resulting house successfully balances the public
and private aspects while maintaining its character and history. For
example, a new staircase was added so that kids can have access to the
house without showing up in their PJs in the middle of a formal dinner.
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