Projects: South Slope SRO Conversion

When we heard architects working on a gut renovation of an illegal SRO conversion in South Slope, it got our attention.  Usually people are trying to convert an SRO into a legal multi-family.  This house was a legal 2-Family illegally used as an SRO.  The owner picked it up with an FHA construction loan, which includes a renovation budget with which to restore the house to its intended 2-Family status.  Architect team Bobby Johnston and Ruth Mandl of Co Adaptive Architecture told us about their project.  The extensive renovation includes new electrical, plumbing, water heater/boiler, windows, roof, staircase, skylight, and replacing joists as necessary.

The property was delivered vacant at closing, and these before pictures give us a glimpse of the condition:

The proposed renderings & floorplan show a sleek, open design for the parlor floor:

With a 2BR and 2 bath upstairs...

The owner's duplex and garden rental each have their own private access to the yard, which is split into two different heights.  Bobby and Ruth designed a bridge to connect to the duplex to the upper level rear half of the yard...

This is an extensive renovation on a very modest budget.  Familiar with Design-Build, Bobby and Ruth say they always analyze a budget before doing a design anyways.  Besides cost considerations, with the FHA construction loan, there's a 6 month timeline from the bank from closing to construction.  Bobby and Ruth say doing their drawings in a 3D modeling program speeds up drawings and renderings.  They're careful about other savings too.  They pay special attention to energy use, picking local materials, and considering the life-cycle of materials.  They'll even calculate for the client the savings over time by going with a certain system or using better insulation and better windows.

With permits coming and construction starting soon, we're eager to see how this one comes along.  It's interesting to see an FHA construction loan in the flesh, especially with such a stylish, practical design and thorough renovation on such a value budget.