Design winner

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Post and Courier asked architects, home builders and others with shelter expertise for examples of good house design. The newspaper received 50 responses. From among those, an expert panel selected the houses most worthy of being featured in a monthly series. This house is the 10th in that series.

A restored and expanded Charleston single house reflecting a strong appreciation for simple elegance is the March design winner. The residence, in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant, is the John Symons House, originally built in 1863 and one of the oldest residences in the community.

Preserving the style and integrity of the residential gem was paramount to Philip Dufford and John Young of Dufford Young Architects in carrying out their project. To achieve their goal, midcentury additions and out-of-character materials such as drywall and asbestos siding had to be removed from the house.

"It was a pretty rustic cottage," says Young. "It had just been covered with so many layers of materials that the original character of the house was somewhat buried. We wanted to get back to the original soul of the building."

Among those things that were hidden beneath the layers of add-ons were the original heart pine floors, cedar-shingled roof and old structural beams so highly valued today. In reclaiming the character of the structure, the architects decided to use reclaimed heart pine floors when building additions to the house.

"We did not want too much of a contrast between the old and new," Young says. Having the floors match as much as possible helps the house flow.

One of the two additions to the house is tucked behind the original structure, away from the street, Young says. That prevents it from appearing to overwhelm the original structure. That addition includes a family room, kitchen, laundry room, rear entry, screen porch and powder room on its main floor and bath and closet space on its upper level.

A second, smaller addition, is located in the space where an earlier addition was constructed. It includes a guest room on the main level and bath and closet on the upper. The new addition can be described as more sensitive and respectful of the original structure.

The screen porch is an appropriate link between the old and new structures and allows views of the simple garden created by landscape architect Sheila Wertimer, Young says. "We softened the addition with the landscaping of the small garden. There was minimal hardscaping and plant material that wasn't too out of character with the indigenous landscaping."

Daly & Sawyer Construction, ADC Engineering and Gil Evans Designs also took part in the project. In addition, local historian Robert Stockton researched the history of the dwelling.

Reach Wevonneda Minis at 937-5705 or wminis@postandcourier.com.