Project overview: A young family with two boys approached us with a unique challenge: the boys’ grandparents were moving from India to spend more time with their grandchildren, and their typical colonial house needed to accommodate three generations. Having lived all over the world—India, Singapore, California, Massachusetts—in more contemporary spaces, they wanted an addition that would feel distinctly modern and closely connected with the outdoors.
Their brief was specific: create a bedroom suite for grandparents, a new kitchen with pantry, and most importantly, a large living-dining room that would become the heart of the home. They wanted this space to be bright, airy, and closely knitted with the yard—something unique yet related to its place. They envisioned places to sit where you’re inside but almost outside, and easy indoor-outdoor flow for their children.
We responded with a simple rectangular addition that gains its energy through section. The living-dining space sits beneath a tall, asymmetrically pitched roof with north-facing skylights running the full length, bringing daylight without glare. A glass wall with sliding doors opens to a deep porch, creating the indoor-outdoor connection they craved while providing crucial shading.
Working with contractor Northmen Builders, we reconfigured the existing house: transforming the original living room into the grandparents’ bedroom suite and creating a roof deck above the new kitchen, accessible from the second-floor office.
The project demonstrates how strategic addition and reconfiguration can transform existing housing stock to meet evolving family structures.
Project location: Arlington, Massachusetts
Firm name: Neighbor Architects
Completion: 2024
Jury comments: Nicely done, super simple and well-organized addition for a multigenerational family. Thoughtful design supports evolving needs, respects neighborhood character, and promotes equity and sustainability through passive daylighting, shading, natural ventilation, and an economical material palette.
Images/Photographer: Randy Crandon General Contractor: Northmen Builders Structural: Arthur LeBrasseur Interiors: Neighbor Architects
