Located on a quiet San Antonio street in the historic King William neighborhood is a home that contains more than 100 years of the city’s architectural history. So, when Candid Rogers and the Candid Works Architecture team took on the job of renovating the home for a contemporary family, they knew they’d have to find a way to blend the old and new while preserving the authenticity of the build.
Candid Works is a small architecture and design studio in San Antonio, Texas. The team works on projects locally and internationally, giving clients personal attention and creating structures that work in tandem with their environments. When approaching the historical project, Candid knew there would be challenges to overcome. “Historic renovations typically come with two main obstacles,” explained Candid. “First, the process often reveals unexpected challenges. Second, replicating original materials or blending in new suitable options can be difficult.”
Fortunately, many original features of this home were well preserved, including original trims, windows and brickwork. Throughout the home’s 120-year history, it only had three owners and limited alterations — a rarity. Candid said, “Most of the home was original
aside from an enclosed back porch, which we removed to make way for a more suitable 600-square-foot bedroom suite addition.”
While Candid preserved the original moldings, wood floors and shiplap of the early 1900s home, the new addition feels distinctly modern yet seamlessly connected to the rest of the property. It is set back off the existing residence and connects sensitively with a windowed hall while maintaining the scale of the original house.
Candid explained that blending the new and old relies on staying authentic to the original structure. He goes on to say, “Part of the philosophy of our work is that we like the idea of preserving the integrity of history while introducing a more contemporary vision. There is this appreciation of contrast. With this contrast, you can see and admire the new and the old for their respective qualities — heightening their beauty.”
The element of contrast comes into play both inside and outside the home. On the exterior, the sleek metal addition with its clean lines juxtaposes 100-year-old brick while tying into the old house’s standing seam roof. Inside, one can appreciate a modern dining room chandelier adjacent to exposed shiplap, window transoms and intricately carved millwork.
In addition to creating a visual connection between the new and old, Candid and his team needed to find ways to make the home sustainable for modern living. “It is actually always more sustainable to work within an existing structure rather than starting from scratch,” said Candid. “Additionally, old homes were designed to be efficient in their climates through elements like site orientation and high ceilings. We designed the addition to face away from the western sun to increase efficiency and sought to balance out less efficient parts of the old house with new elements. The old and new houses have their own controlled cooling systems since they have different needs.”
Candid and his team also incorporated LED lighting, spray foam insulation, rainwater reclamation, an efficient tankless hot water system, passive cooling with proper window orientation, shading and native landscaping to create a sustainable design.
“When it comes to achieving authenticity in a historic renovation, you have to ask what is appropriate to preserve and what should be replaced,” said Candid. “At this home, we kept some of the home’s best original features while creating an enjoyable space to live.”
Candid Works Architecture
210-444-1051 | Candid-Works.com