Title: Greene-Klem Residence
Location of Proejct: Raleigh, NC
Project Completion Date: Summer 2019
Firm Name: The Raleigh Architecture Company

Short Description: The Greene Klem Residence expanded a modest 1939 bungalow to better suit the needs of its long-time owners while preserving its street facing character and scale. The renovation removed several cluttered rear additions from the original four-square plan and blended a new addition that includes a master suite and open living space with increased light and volume. Program elements were divided into public and private areas with careful consideration for ease of circulation. The addition utilizes a deep screened porch to extend the living space outward and better connect the house with the back yard both visually and spatially.

Architect's Statement: The design for the Greene Klem residence is a direct response to our clients' love for their own home and its surroundings. The new, modern building forms tie to the existing home’s geometries and maintain a traditional scale, while introducing a connection to context and quality of interior space that was absent. The classic 4-square program is maintained and capitalized upon, splitting in half between private sleeping areas and the living space. The low ceiling height of the home’s original rooms remain as a visual cue of the demarcation between old and new. The lifted volume opens up to the sky, bringing natural light and offering privacy to neighbors on either side while the low, reaching volume of the rear porch draws us visually through the space from front to back yard. A balance is struck between the preserved, traditional street-facing façade and the influence of modern design, allowing the home to honor its fabric while adapting to new modes of living and our desire for connection with nature.

As an addition and renovation, the home’s existing windows were insulated and preserved while new Low-E insulated windows were provided for the new spaces. The original floors were preserved and refinished and new wood flooring was selected and finished to match seamlessly. High-performance spray foam was introduced in the exterior walls throughout to increase the home’s energy-efficiency. The existing asbestos siding was removed and replaced with a more ecologically sensitive poly-ash siding composed of 70%-recycled material. The screen itself is a locally-patented product tested for high strength and near invisibility, allowing for as few visual breaks as possible, greatly increasing one’s connection to the outside landscape.