Thinking inside the Box does two things – it maintains that constraints can spark inspiration and drive a problem-solving mindset. It also gives us a great opportunity to talk less and listen to our customer more. 

Here we have a blended family that, besides mom and dad, have three distinct child categories (the humanity “Box”):

– Two older teenage daughters wanting their own space to keep as a home base moving into college years

–  A 12-year-old son with severe autism and intense emotions, a 4 year old, and a newborn baby. 

Mom will need a space in a walkout basement to move her salon inside so she can work from home to provide as much care for the needs of her youngest children as she can. The middle son needs enough space so he feels secure and comfortable, and also allows for his future in-home care. The smallest children will need their own place to spend time away from intrusion by the older step-siblings.

A large open Kitchen and Family Room as a gathering space for all ages (with lots of natural light) will encourage a positive sense of community. A large central suite for Mom and Dad, high enough up with good views, will allow for respites of private time.

Now for the geometric “Box” in space:

1st challenge:

The right side wall of an old portion of the house violates the current lot set-backs by almost 6 ft. In fact, that even violates the fire code because of its close proximity to the neighbor’s boundary.

2nd challenge:

The existing cellar is not deep enough to provide legal headroom for a basement living space. Excavating down may isolate shared storage space, and may even push a rear walk-out entry below grade.

3rd challenge:

Giving the daughters their own top floor may push this into the 4-story category, requiring sprinklers and other requirements as it moves into a whole other building code. That is a budget-buster.

4th challenge:

Zoning has a 35-ft building height limit. Any roof that allows enough volume for this “third floor” may be too tall.

This is where it helps having several in-person contacts in the County government planning office. By having sit-down meetings with friendly faces in Zoning, Site, and Building Plan Review, we were able to brainstorm ideas that would push the limits of the code while still allowing all needs to be met legally. Instead of confrontation, or an assumption of trying to get away with breaking rules, the common bond for this Design Team is the collective effort to help a family get some relief with the property they already own.

Supporting the mental health of Mom and the teenagers, while addressing the needs of a child with autism, made for a very happy Dad.

All of these constraints may seem insurmountable. When you lead with empathy, they merely inspire a road map to getting more done with less.