Client
A couple, having purchased a 1950’s-era modernist house in Chapel Hill, was interested in renovating and adding on to their new home. A long-time practitioner of eastern meditation, the wife desired a room of her own in which to retreat and meditate. Also an avid cook, she wanted a complete renovation of the kitchen with professional-grade cooking equipment. Off the master bedroom wing of the house and set in a wooded portion of the lot, a room for meditation was built. With two walls composed primarily of windows, the room is naturally lit throughout the day with dappled light passing through the surrounding trees. A third wall contains a large circular window, which frames views of the landscape and serves as a backdrop for a small altar. The room accommodates two floor seats in front of the altar and another small seating area. Sliding glass pocket doors allow the room to be closed off to the rest of the house. Bret served as project architect for this project while employed by Dixon Weinstein Architects, PA, now Weinstein Friedlein Architects.
What We Accomplished.
A family of three boys, with a fourth boy on the way, was outgrowing their 1915-era four-square craftsman-style house, located in a National Historic District in Durham. The family needed another bedroom, much more storage, and space to which the parents could retreat, including space in which the wife could teach piano lessons. Though located on two-thirds of an acre, the house lacked a good connection to its spacious backyard.