Remodel Architects In Seattle and Washington State

Remodels

Lane Williams Architects was established in Seattle and Washington State in 1992, and has completed over 200 custom residence remodel projects that include updates to classic homes and makeovers of more modern homes.

The remodel of an existing home is often a critical first step in lowering carbon footprint.  Even when relatively small portions of an existing structure are saved, it means less waste sent to landfills, and greater economy in the construction.

We begin residential remodel projects with a thorough measuring and modeling of the existing structure on ArchiCAD, providing us a 3D view of the work at hand.  Your design program, which we help you to assemble, provides us with a critical guide to reimagining the house as a modern, architect-designed residence.  

Some of the materials salvaged during demolition might be recycled into the new construction, such as thick planks of cedar siding, stripped of old paint, or large beams made from old growth Douglas Fir.

As your architects, we reconsider every system of the existing house.  The goal for most clients is a seamless, modern design in which new and old meld together as one.

Remodels in older, more urban Seattle, Tacoma, or Spokane neighborhoods often address classic, pre-war homes of the 20’s and 30’s, while projects in suburban areas like Mercer Island, Clyde Hill, Kirkland, Medina, Yarrow Point and Bellevue are usually updates of mid-century homes.

Remodeling is not always the best option.  There are extreme examples in which it becomes more cost effective to replace the old house.  But in most cases, remodeling saves money, while still allowing for a modern, imaginative, and flexible design.  

Whether new construction or a remodel, we stress a high level of livability in our designs. Livability is measured in many ways:

• Flexible plans that allow for changing family needs

• Durable, low maintenance materials

• Comfortable and energy efficient heating and ventilation systems

• Carefully planned spaces for all household members and functions (including the dog)

• Balancing exterior views—prospect—with a sense of interior warmth—refuge

• Indoor-outdoor living spaces and flow, to maximize our best weather days

Aesthetically, remodel projects can take very divergent paths—will the remodel still resemble the original house, preserving and extending its best features, or will it be a more complete reinvention?