Project meets cultural needs of family
The purpose of many remodeling jobs is simply to improve an area of the home. But for other projects, the meaning is much deeper.
Such was the case with a Boulder home that Parrish Construction remodeled. A Japanese family needed an addition to accommodate the owner’s mom who had moved from Japan to live with them. Cultural considerations needed to play an integral part in the plans.
Three generations had needs: An aging grandmother, the owners and their daughter. “The three-generation household needed more privacy and more space, plus accommodation for their hectic professional lives and for their aging grandmother,” said Loraine Masterton, customer relations specialist with Parrish Construction.
The grandmother’s bedroom was small and crowded and “she could not enjoy her personal cultural belongings,” Masterton said. “The husband wished his aging mother to feel as comfortable in his home as possible and wanted to add Japanese amenities and cultural touches to the addition.”
With decades of experience behind them, Parrish set out to meet the family’s needs with the help of Terra Verde Architects, also of Boulder.
When it was all over, the family had a home that was functional and culturally comforting.
For Parrish and Terra Verde, a job well done also turned into bragging rights when the National Association of the Remodeling Industry honored them with a regional award.
Of course awards mean nothing unless the client is satisfied. That goal involved an extensive game plan to meet some very specific needs. Among them: a 628-square-foot addition and remodel of the entryway, a master bedroom and master bath built to the Certified Aging in Place Standards; and a walk-in cedar closet. The remodeling of the existing entrance included an additional guest bathroom and the re-positioning of five doors, Masterton said.
The grandmother’s bathroom included a programmable bidet that was set for her specific needs. A feature that is becoming common in Japan, a control panel is programmed to know who is using the bidet based on weight and its controls make it easier for people to wash up, especially as they grow older. The design included a bench and movable water fixtures in the walk-in shower, as well as a heated floor. With the use of the aging-in-place standards, there is room for a walker or wheelchair if it becomes necessary.
Additional consideration was given to the wife, who has a music studio in the basement. She instructs students who are constantly visiting the house, making privacy an issue for the rest of the family. “There is now a powder room in the home’s entrance, which the students can use without disturbing the family,” Masterton said.
The home now has a discreet entryway, part of the Japanese culture, which separates the rest of the world from the privacy of the home, “all designed in a distinctly modern and Japanese style,” Masterton added. “Our cabinet shop made custom entranceway furniture reminiscent of the centuries-old style of a traditional Japanese home. The elegance and usefulness of the new entranceway provides harmony and grace where once there was chaos.”
Overall, “the family has a new level of ease with each other, as everyone’s privacy is assured,” Masterton said.
More awards in the fall
The Boulder project was feted by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry in its regional Contractor of the Year competition. The award is highly sought after among remodeling professionals. NARI’s local awards ceremony for its Front Range Chapter is scheduled this fall. Renew, Colorado’s Remodeling Magazine, will provide photos and information on award winners at that time.
Coloradans ask a lot of our windows. Let in light, but not the ultraviolet rays. Open easily, but keep the warm air inside and the wind at bay. Furthermore, do it all with materials that will last for decades despite exposure to a uniquely harsh environment. “Our state’s climate is challenging for windows,” says Brett Ortengren, General Manager for Renewal by Anderson’s Denver and Colorado Springs locations. “While other states might have 20 or 25 degree swings, here in Colorado we see surfaces that warm or cool as much as 50 degrees inside of 24 hours, usually accompanied by a huge amount of UV radiation.” Those warm spring mornings that melt away the evening snowfall are invigorating for people, but they are brutal on traditional building materials like metal, vinyl and wood.
