I want to see it in 3D!

We now have some digital models of the current concept we are working on.  They are still a bit rough and some of the details, such as the entry sequence, will likely get slightly redone .  However, this is a good sneak peak as to what will come.

In this proposed concept, the downstairs apartment will be reconfigured into a studio/Jr. one bedroom apartment above the third garage on Roosevelt Way.  The top floor of the apartment on the Park Hill garage level will be reconfigured into two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a den for the main house.  The main house level above the double garage will include a kitchen, breakfast nook, family room, formal dining room, formal living room, bathroom and laundry room.  The third level will include a master suite and a roof deck.

The common connecting element between the main house level and third level will be a double height glass entry that is set back to form a entry light well.  The glass wall will continue on the third floor and will give way to the exit to the roof deck on the Roosevelt Way facade.

The below rendering shows the Park Hill facade of the initial concept design.  The two garage doors will be inset from the facing wall, a vertical window spanning the second and third floors will be added on the left side of the facade.  The dark colored panels will be wood while the remaining portions will likely be exterior plaster.

As shown below, the wall on the Roosevelt Way face of the main level will be punched out to form a massive window to take advantage of the city and bay views.  The window will span the formal living room and formal dining room.

The master suite on the third level will be slightly set back from the main periphery of the house to provide a small private wrap-around terrace that will be separated from the public roof deck by the glass entry alcove (see below).

Elevations

As we continue documenting the existing structure, the next necessary step is preparing elevations as they currently exist.  Below are the elevations of the structure form three perspectives - West (from Park Hill Ave.), South (from the intersection of Park Hill Ave. and Roosevelt Way), and East (from Roosevelt Way).

Starting from the left is the Park Hill Avenue elevation with the entrances to the two main garages.  The walkway to the entrances to the house and lower apartment is on the right-hand side of the two garage doors.  The middle elevation from the South shows the sloping of Park Hill Ave. and Roosevelt Way, since the walkway leading to the entrances to the house and apartment is at street level with Park Hill, while the third garage on Roosevelt Way is two floors below.  The last elevation depicts the East view of the structure form Roosevelt Way.

It Begins With a Sketch

Now that we have been thinking about the house for the past few months - I think we have finally settled on a concept that we both agree on.  This is far from complete and the details of which may entirely change over the next year - but below is a "sneak peak" of what one day we will call our home.

Our Neighborhood Rocks!

Did you know that in the early 1900's the city of San Francisco had a quarry?  Well, it actually had three!  There was one at 30th and Castro, one on Telegraph Hill, and one at Corona Heights - right where our neighborhood sits.


All three quarries were owned by George and Harry Gray.  The Corona Heights quarry included a brick kiln that made all the bricks that lined the cable car tracks.  Apparently, the bricks coming out of the quarry were not the highest of quality and they eventually had to be replaced.  


The brick kiln was located on States Street on the opposite side of the park form where our house sits.  Remnants of the brickyard buildings can still be seen there today.  The kiln burned down during the 1906 earthquake, causing some people to apparently think a volcano had erupted on Corona Heights.  After repairs, quarrying continued.  


The Gray brothers were seen as “constant law breakers,” and were accused of injuring neighbors and damaging property with debris from illegal rock-blasting at the Corona Heights quarry as well as their other quarries in San Francisco.  In 1914, George Gray was eventually murdered at the 30th and Castro quarry by a former employee who was owed back wages (apparently $17.50 back then).  An unsympathetic jury ended up acquitting the defendant.  The quarries were closed down shortly thereafter.


Below are a few pictures of the neighborhood back in the early 1900's.  The first picture shows a view of Corona Heights park form twin peaks.  The large building at the top is the brick factory.  The second picture shows the blasting being performed in the quarry.  You can see the terracing that had to be formed during the quarrying that slowly formed the streets that define the neighborhood.

Details, Details, Details...

A few days after closing on the house we received the keys from our agents and then took a walk-through of the house on our own.  This was the first time we walked in the house by ourselves - without our agents and without the previous owner's furniture.

The building was built in 1942. When it was built - it was one of only eight homes in the immediate neighborhood.  The original design of the building is presumed to be Art Deco - but as you can see, over the years, the previous owners modified and expanded on the building in several different ways - leaving it with no real design element.  The building was originally a single family home, but at some point in the 70's the owners split the building into a main house and a downstairs apartment.

The entire building spans five floors.  The first level, accessible form Roosevelt Way is a garage (more about this particular garage in a future post), two levels above the garage are the apartment, and the two levels above the apartment are the main house.  The third level is accessible form Park Hill Drive and also includes two garages.

The primary floor of the main house includes a kitchen + breakfast nook, dining room, living room, two bedrooms, and a full bathroom.  The second floor is the master bedroom, a full bathroom, and a deck off of the master bedroom.  Below are a few pictures of the main house - dining room, living room, kitchen, and entry area.

Landed Gentry

Well, it is official.  As of 10:32AM, we are the proud owners of our own piece of rock nestled between Buena Vista Park and Corona Heights Park at the intersection of Roosevelt Way and Park Hill Ave.

The building includes two units.  A main 3 bedroom/2bath unit and a second 1 bedroom/1 bath unit downstairs (not to mention 3 garages...yes, 3 garages).  Over the next year we will be working on plans to completely remodel the house and the surrounding landscape to make it exactly what we want.  Yes, it will be a tough job - with countless days of frustration, stress, and anxiety.  However, we hope in the end we will have a home that is as much a piece of us as we will be a piece of it. 

Below are a few pictures of the house as it exists today (and the view...).  Over the next year we will be updating this blog with more detailed information about the house as well as our new neighborhood - Corona Heights.  In a sense, this blog will be our virtual diary as we work our way through this process.

T-Minus 1 Day!

We officially close on the Roosevelt property tomorrow - April 13, 2011.  Stay tuned here to see our progress over the next few years.  E&G