jameshillarchitect | GLADYS STREET 2, BERNAL HEIGHTS

GLADYS STREET 2, BERNAL HEIGHTS

Several small gabled homes, ballooned rapidly along the unpaved slopes of Bernal Heights after the 1906 earthquake.   Substandard by both current and Victorian pre-earthquake standards,  the homes addressed the emergency at hand.   The office has worked on two along Gladys Street, improving attic head height, stair safety and inadequately structured floors.

Restoration of the historical facade of this Bernal Heights residence maintains the syncopated rhythm of gables along Gladys Street, while the rear of the home is rebuilt to current structural standards and a modern lifestyle.  Steel beams needed for floor and seismic support are exposed to create an internal structural rhythm.  The steel frame stair provides daylight and a visible connection between all three levels.