Make a space that's never the same. 

HOW DOES A PLACE FOR HORSES BECOME A PLACE TO WORK AND PLAY?

Naylor Court Play House, 2014

The first phase of renovation of this late 1800’s former horse stable, completed in 2011, converted the alley building into a classic Shop House complete with design studio on the first floor and living quarters on the second floor.  The live-work program has now been expanded to live-work-PLAY with a new rear-yard addition. The PLAY HOUSE was completed in 2016 and serves as an expansion of the living quarters to accommodate the family which has grown to include two small children. The rear garden, already completely enclosed and buffered on the rear lot line by the solid three-story brick wall of the city archive building, is the location of a new two-story addition connected to the original building with a glass bridge at the second floor. With this addition, the ‘secret garden’ has become a ‘secret courtyard’ and is the center for family play and pleasure.  Large south-facing sliding glass doors allow for seamless flow from the first floor playroom to the garden, and provide the space with ample natural daylight, limiting the need for artificial lighting. The play house deploys a radiant floor heating system, reducing heating costs year round.  Conversion of the playroom use into a  guest suite use is facilitated by a rotating murphy bed and shelf wall, as well as  an adjacent full bath. The second floor features the children’s bedroom, a full bath, and a mezzanine above.  Limited for space and mindful of the mobility needs of grandparents, the two levels have been connected by a small elevator. The addition’s white volume is tapered at the upper level to respond to the scale of the newly defined outdoor space.  The clapboard rain screen siding recalls alley buildings from the previous century while proportioned dimensionally to work in tandem with adjacent existing brick walls.