TURNAGAIN MBR SUITE

Anchorage, Alaska

Categories: Single Family, Small House, Anchorage, Addition/Remodel, Master Suite, Urban, Alley, Turnagain By the Sea, undoing insensitive improvements, Residential Master Plan

Total area, buildings: 1,440 sq. ft. [new/remodel]

Total area, site: 7,000 sq. ft.

A few of these small ranch dwellings, with flat roofs, groupings of tall windows, board and batten siding and T&G paneled interior walls were built in the early '60s in Turnagain and lower Spenard in Anchorage. Many are close to their original appearance and configuration and a few [including this one] have seen some insensitive remodeling over the years. This one had its original carport enclosed and turned into a one-car garage. Then later, the garage was cut up into three smaller rooms, entombing the garage door in a thickened wall. There was a low, crummy attached storage room added at the back of the house behind a former bedroom, on a south wall. This former bedroom had been expanded to the full width of the house and was a nice room by itself, without any bearing on or relationship with the rest of the interior space. All in all, the house was dark, closed-in and the layout was dysfunctional. The main agenda was to add a Master Bedroom and Bath suite [lacking in the original], but there was agreement to try to improve the rest of the house as much as feasible while we were at it. Since there was room at the front of the house within the setback, it was decided to leave the existing enclosed carport garage but cut off direct access from the house. It could still be used to park cars but the plan was for it to become storage, a garden shed and shop area; and add two new single carports, side by side/staggered. The low storage room was identified for demolition. The likely original configuration of two similar bedrooms with bathroom between was restored, and area behind the kitchen became a Walk-In Pantry with unique back-lit translucent walls in front of a swing space with storage cabinets, Laundry and a breakfast table that could also be a late night discussion room/game table of sorts. The Living Room suffered a little bit with partial intrusion of new stair, but made up for it by adding a new Entry alongside and getting the front door out of the room. The Master Suite is modest in size but with many great features including a two head ceramic tile shower and good sized balcony on the south side. A clerestory element was added that fills the interior with light and volume. The large wing wall at the southwest corner provides separation and privacy where needed and is a unifying element. The new parts are sympathetic to the original.