As a low-budget case study in design/build Tom Young designed a 60sqft addition onto the back of his house to make room for a home office. Total materials cost was a mere $2500. His approach was to introduce a cost effective modern design using standard materials. I found the result to be both stunning and well thought out. I asked Tom to share with us his process and thoughts on the project. Read what he had to say below.
“Our home office addition was designed to relate to the existing structure through form and spatial relationships.
By creating a parapet wall/façade, I chose not to mimic the slope of the existing roof to, but oppose it gracefully to create an interlaced relationship. The existing fascia appears to disappear behind the parapet edge allowing the paneled wall to become the primary feature of this residence’s secondary façade. The office mass itself, appears to cantilever precariously over the recessed basement entry below. The main level entry stair was designed to reinforce this move by be being appearing delicate/ transparent.
The rain screen’s panel design/orientation was governed by several principles: 1) break up the façade mass into smaller, more relatable pieces 2) to create only rectangular panels for ease of construction/installation 3) to maximize the yield of the eleven 4 x 8 sheets purchased.”
[+] Images via Tom Young
Materials: Steel, Hardie Board Siding, Vaproshield, 2x Wood Framing, Plywood, Cedar
You can contact Tom at his Linkedin Profile.






