MASTERWERKS LLC BUILDING SERVICES Custom Home Building, Transformations, Renovations
Case Studies
RECONSTRUCTED HOMES
Architectural Full Reconstruction
How the owners gained their ideal home and kept their treasured location,
far more affordably.
You are viewing the full reconstruction of a rambler originally built in 1953 during Edina’s post-war era. Reconstruction, a specialty of our talented team, is essentially the art and science of reclaiming and recycling the remaining structure value of a house that others might deem a teardown.
By repurposing the foundation, original frame, and other components—often of much higher quality materials and labor than many new-built homes— and redesigning the space in keeping with how life is lived today, we significantly lower the overall construction cost with far less waste. The resulting as-new home can compete with new construction in its category at a more affordable price.
While not every older property is suitable for reconstruction and must be rigorously vetted both financially and structurally, this home proved to be an excellent candidate.
Challenge:
Although this mid-century rambler on Chantrey Road had received occasional updates over the decades and was well-located in Edina’s desirable Mirror Lakes area, it no longer met the owners’ requirements. Their family was growing, and they had specific professional needs beyond the scope of a home built in a bygone era.
They began to seriously explore alternatives, despite feeling extremely conflicted about leaving their neighborhood, where they had many established friendships and connections, as well as enjoying its inherent locational advantages. They also quickly discovered that the cost of new construction homes they liked in comparable neighborhoods ranged from $3.5-$4.0M, far more than they were willing to pay, while available existing homes would require substantial upgrades to meet their needs.
Feeling stymied, they reached out to us based on a trusted referral.
Strategy:
After thoroughly vetting their existing property and determining that it had enough inherent structure value to merit reconstruction, we developed a strategic rebuilding plan that would meet the owners’ needs much more affordably than the alternatives they had viewed in this and other neighborhoods. The plan would also position the home to compete with new construction in its price category, should the time come to sell.
By conserving the home’s solid foundation and original frame—dramatically reducing the overall costs—and working with our talented design team, we devised an architectural plan that modified and enlarged the existing structure to 5,650-SF of finished space with a total structure size of 7,374-SF.
In addition, the plan called for replacing the mechanicals, windows, insulation, drywall, flooring, tile, cabinetry, trim, exterior siding and trim, masonry, roofing, and gutters. To complete the picture, we designed an oversized garage and reformatted the rear patio with a pool room addition with bath/shower and equipment/storage space.
Result:
Essentially a new home, this quietly elegant living space meets the owners’ needs and reflects the way families live today, with an intelligent design flow conducive to family togetherness and independence, work and play. The entire reconstruction was performed for significantly less than the cost of teardown and new construction, while providing the expected appearance, size, features, and amenities associated with comparable newly built homes. All this, of course, was achieved without the sacrifice of leaving their ideal location in a well-loved neighborhood.
This digitally generated exterior front rendering is based on MasterWerks' architectural and landscape plans. It will closely resemble the final build but may not be exact.
These digitally generated interior renderings are based on MasterWerks' architectural and interior design plans. They will closely resemble the final build but may not be exact.
Having located and fully vetted this promising mid-century Cape Cod,
our exceptional team of artisans is preparing this soon-to-be available reconstruction
by HausWerks, a MasterWerks division.
Resizing, not downsizing, was the housing solution these owners needed.
This digitally generated exterior front rendering is based on MasterWerks' architectural and landscape plans. It will closely resemble the final build but may not be exact.
Challenge:
Semi-retired, with adult children who had flown the nest, this couple recognized that their large, two-story home in a southern suburb no longer served their evolving lifestyle. Like many homeowners in their position, they assumed that downsizing to a smaller house with one-floor living would be the answer, but they also desired a location closer to the heart of the metro, ideally in Edina or an adjacent inner-ring western suburb, with easier access to friends, fine dining, and other cultural opportunities.
They were referred to MasterWerks by a friend who happened to be our former client to discuss opportunities, strategies, and ultimately, vet properties they were serious about, and after an initial discussion, we embarked on house-hunting with their Realtor. However, during the process of visiting the first couple of houses together and clarifying what they really desired in a home, we realized they were directionally somewhat off-track.
Although their wish to be closer in was clear, they did not, in fact, want to downsize completely. Given their spatial requirements, possessions, and projected lifestyle in retirement, they needed a home that would be differently programmed than their current two-story house but still large enough to accommodate those ongoing needs as well as extended visits from their adult children and grandkids. Their new home would also have to support the high finish level they wished to implement, an attribute that would further refine the locational search.
Strategy:
With help from MasterWerks and their Realtor, the couple honed-in on this one-and-½-story home, ideally located in Edina’s solidly upscale Parkwood Knolls neighborhood. Built in 1980 on a quiet side street with mature trees at the rear of the lot, it offered classic curb appeal with a handsome brick exterior, as well as multiple bedrooms and baths on the upper level, and a large garage. The couple wanted a main bed and bath suite on the ground floor, and the existing first-floor den would make it entirely feasible to meet this need with some restructuring and a modest addition.
Not surprisingly, competition for this high-potential property was fierce with multiple offers, and we suggested the best ways to structure their bid. They were in a position to make a cash offer, and because of the degree of anticipated work to the home, we also advised waiving the inspection contingency. Their offer was ultimately successful, beating out the competition.
After extensive work by our design team, their dream home is now underway. Meanwhile, the couple is continuing to reside in their current house, and when their Willow Wood Road home is close to completion, they will put the older property on the market.
Result:
When complete, this three-level home will have expanded to 5,600 square feet, with a fully reconstructed main floor and lower level, where the owners will do most of their living. In addition to the new bed and bath suite, the reprogrammed main floor will feature a welcoming kitchen and dining area, private office, four-season porch, and adjacent mudroom and laundry, all with exceptional finish levels. The lower level will be finished with a bar for casual entertaining, an amusement room, exercise room, and an additional guestroom and bath, with new mechanicals and storage room.
The upper floor with three bedrooms and two baths will be reserved for visiting family members and friends, and this level will extend to substantial storage space above the garage with a lift for added accessibility. The home’s new state of the art HVAC system will enable the owners to moderate the upstairs temperature when it’s not in use, conserving energy.
In the final analysis, it was by asking the right questions that we were able to determine what this couple really wanted in their new home. In this case, the answer wasn’t actually “small” or “downsized” but a reapportionment of space in a location of sterling quality. And of course, by choosing to elegantly reconstruct a solid existing property, they are achieving their dream home for a realistic cost. MasterWerks is judiciously reusing the underlying core structure and some of the componentry, while replacing everything from insulation and mechanicals to interior cabinetry, flooring, trim, and fixtures, which results in significant savings.
In essence, by using this astute approach, our clients are gaining what is virtually a newly constructed home for substantially less than the cost of building it from the ground up.
These digitally generated interior renderings are based on MasterWerks' architectural and interior design plans. They will closely resemble the final build but may not be exact.