Rethinking Newton

The driving force behind this project was to test the hypothesis that a speculative project in southwest Minneapolis didn’t have to fall into the recent prescription from developers; a large, full 2-story home with 4 bedrooms on the second level, multiple family rooms and a large finished basement including a lower level bedroom. The idea that very few options are available for families that desire a new home in Minneapolis was something we wanted to address.

The goal was to create a bit smaller home that was simple, yet elegantly detailed, built well and designed in such a way that works for today’s families while fitting within the existing urban fabric of the neighborhood.

Taking cues from homes of the past, we included a front porch to create a more welcoming entry facing the street. The porch also allowed an opportunity for us to turn the main gable of the house. This kept the front facade visually more modest and created a more interesting roofline and massing. Two bedrooms tuck into the front dormer while a third exists within the sloped roofline on the rear of the home. The two new second level bathrooms are also placed in dormers with sloped ceilings. The sloped ceilings give the rooms a comfortable feel and help to reduce the overall mass of the home.

The home is located on a corner lot which allowed us to take advantage of the unobstructed, sun-lit south facade of the home. We added a bump-out window bay at the dining room and large window at the stairs. This, along with the open floor plan, means that light filters deep into the home throughout the day. We hope this home can be an example of an updated approach to designing and building new homes in older neighborhoods.

Photography by Spacecrafting