Work and Play Space

A retired MIT professor and his wife were seeking to find a home for his extensive library of books.  Thinking to renovate their attic for that purpose, they approached Feinmann about the project.  Taking into consideration their desire for a larger backyard play space for their grandchildren, and the poor condition and configuration of their existing garage, the library found its spacious home over a new garage, relocated and re-designed to accommodate their program.

To connect the new garage-library to the old house, an architectural link had to be designed so that both looked as if they belonged together.  The result is a brand new mudroom that runs from the street side to the back yard.  The mudroom entrance is a glass door surrounded by an over-sized transom and sidelights, providing abundant natural light in the space.  The floor is on two levels, one connecting the library stair to the house, the other “descending” into the mudroom.  It has an easy-to-clean slate floor, closet space and access to the main part of the home.  By moving the garage forward, relocating the rear stair and reconfiguring the deck, the newly landscaped backyard now provides ample room for grandchildren to play.

Feinmann, Inc. is the best design and build contractor we’ve ever used.  It is an extremely well-managed company with the best architects, project managers, carpenters, and subs.  Not only did everyone assigned to our project work at the highest quality, but they were all a pleasure to have in our home.  That they were nice and skilled greatly decreased the stress of our renovation project.  We are extremely happy with our new rear entrance and new handsome work area.  We are grateful every day that we get to have this gorgeous space and that it was executed with such a dedication to excellence.