HAITI WORKS! Molinelli Architects and P&H Construction have been donating services and ideas to Haiti Works!, a group of Connecticut business men (many originally from Haiti) who are trying to find a permanent housing solution to the recent Haitian earthquake. The idea is to find a model home and community design that can be built locally from containers shipped from the United States. Sort of a village in a container, including materials and tools. The intent is the community will be ongoing and not just temporary housing. It would permit the residents to work on site, have their children attend childcare and school, and make improvements to their home over time. The concept is still in it's infancy stage but the ideas are sparking great interest.
SECOND EMPIRE HOME - PHASE II We are finishing a small alteration to a Second Empire Victorian we renovated years ago. Previously, we added the tower to expand the 2nd floor and respect the Mansard roof. This time we moved an entry to the family room into a new adjacent mudroom. The project included custom millwork for the family room. The exterior features an new covered entrance with a column and bracket that matches the front porch.
EF ACADEMY We completed the renovation of the former Science Building on the former Fordham campus (formerly Marymount College.) This rather formal renovation restored and rehabbed some science labs introducing a classroom component and created more classroom spaces. The building required substantail upgrades to meet modern teaching standards and building codes. This project is part of a master plan for the Academy. International students get their diploma while learning English and seeing the United States.
OSSINING ADDITION We recentely completed the schematic design for an addition to a Sears pre-cut home in Ossining NY. The house faces due south where the front door is. However in the last 80 years the driveway changed so the main entrance is on the north side of the house through the kitchen. The program was to add an in-law apartment and improve the entrance - maybe redo the kitchen. The site also has very restrictive side yards. Finally, the south faced is so classically Sears precut center entry cottage that it would be shame to destroy its simplicity with any addition. Our solution moves the kitchen to an underused sunroom on the west which is closer to the dining room. Off the kitchen the in-law apartment provides a private bedroom, bath and living area which is shaped like a railroad car (to fit in the setbacks) and has a deck on top for the masterbedroom. The former kitchen becomes the world's greatest mud room.
EF SCIENCE HALL, TARRYTOWN NY Abatement and construction is underway at the former Marymount Science building which will become the home of the EF International Academy. The renovation will provide the academy with science labs and general purpose classrooms. We are taking advantage of the existing (albeit aged) labs to economically create new science labs geared to the high school curriculum.
