Twobytwo Architecture Studio: For over 3 years, Olympic athlete Jake Wetzel and his wife Sigrid have been working on an extensive renovation of their historic home. This small residence in Kamloops, BC began life in 1934 as a small 1,000 square foot bungalow complete with a partial dugout basement on a steeply sloped site.
When designing the renovation it was important for us to maintain the character of the house, creating moments where modern and traditional intersect. The house takes cues from the Faroe Island villages where Sigrid grew up, showing up as the exterior pops of colour, floor finishes and the strong connection between indoor and outdoor.
The design brief consisted of a full renovation of the exterior and interior spaces, along with landscaping of the front and rear yards with help from our friend and colleague Catherine Howell. The dugout basement has been fully transformed with folding glass walls on either side of the space to blend indoor and outdoor environments, expanding the overall useable space twofold, while maintaining the original footprint of the home. Living, dining and kitchen areas have migrated downstairs, while the main floor benefits from the addition of a glass enclosed office space and new master suite complete with full sized ensuite.
The project is an exciting study of the rehabilitation of space without sacrificing the historic aesthetic of the existing home.
