MCM RevisitedVirginia Beach, VAType/ ResidentialTime/ 2021-2023Client/ PrivateStatus/ DesignWhen the client approached us for their home renovation, they had considered multiple concepts but hadn’t settled on a final decision. The objective was to construct a two-story addition including a two-car garage and a second-floor suite. Additionally, the client expressed a strong desire to incorporate more mid-century modern design elements into their 1950s …
Breathing New Life into Old Spaces: An Adaptive Reuse Case Study
The Albemarle Building, constructed in 1905, originally served as a hotel. In the 1980s, it was renovated into a law office. Today, the upper floors have been converted into boutique apartments, offering elegant contemporary living in the heart of historic Downtown Norfolk, with stunning views of Granby Street and the Big Wisky. The renovation of the Albemarle Building was a …
Flow into Nature
Flow into NatureVirgina Beach, VAType/ ResidentialTime/ 2019-20Client/ PrivateStatus/ Completed Structure Design: Small Potatoes Structural EngineeringMechanical Design: PermitZipGeneral Contractor: Oceanside StructuresEvery renovation project is a conversation with the existing structure. When the existing building has its own unique character and features, the dialogue becomes more engaging and inspiring. The full renovation of this Mid-Century Modern house built in 1951 is one …
Pavilion House
Pavilion HouseHampton, VAType/ ResidentialTime/ 2020-2021Client/ PrivateStatus/ CompletedIn the last couple of years, we have started to see more and more hidden gems of mid-century modern houses in the Hampton Roads area and are fortunate to work on some of the renovations. This MCM house in Hampton is one of our latest design. The goal is to reveal its potential beauty and …
Contempo Living
Contempo LivingNorfolk, VAType/ ResidentialTime/ 2018-2020Client/ PrivateStatus/ CompletedThis project is a renovation of a custom home built in the 1970s. The goal is to create an open floor plan with optimized flow for entertaining as well as daily use.Also included in the design is to transform and update the exterior of the home to reflect more contemporary aesthetic. Another key component of …
Modern Wing
Modern WingsVirginia Beach, VAType/ ResidentialTime/ 2019-2021Client/ PrivateStatus/ Design.Elevation StudyBefore & AfterClient”…”Related ProjectsView AllPavilion HouseContempo Living
Vacation at Home
Vacation at HomeVirginia Beach, VAType/ Single-Family Home RemodelTime/ 2017-2018Status/ CompleteThe Morgan house is a renovation of a ranch house with aging-in-place concept. The design focused on a senior couple who have been living in the house for over 20 years. GARC believes that designing a renovation project for aging-in-place should not just be a passive response to resolve the functional …
Water Pavilion
Water PavilionVirginia Beach, VAType/ ResidentialTime/ 2021Client/ PrivateStatus/ DesignThis project is a Mid-Century Modern pool house renovation and outdoor kitchen addition in Norfolk, VA. The pool house was originally designed to serve the neighborhood. Not only it has a plain utility look, especially interior, but also the relationship between pool house and the current main house is weak. The space between the …
Folding House
Folding HouseVirginia Beach, VAType/ ResidentialTime/ 2020-2021Client/ PrivateStatus/ DesignThis single-family house in the Thoroughgood Neighborhood has very good bones and strong Mid-Century Modern features. The clients moved into the house several years ago and planned to make it a long-term home. In this split-level house, the flow to the kitchen on the upper level and the family room on the lower level …
Working From Home – Challenges and Solutions
After staying at home for more than a month, the challenges of WFH are starting to reveal themselves. One significant challenge many people are finding is how to separate work and personal life, as this was previously separated by their commute, or physical distance. Yes, you can sit at your kitchen island, or use your laptop on a sofa, but …
Three Things to Check Before Buying and Renovating a House
We recently held another successful Vision Workshop for a single family house in the Oceanfront of Virginia Beach. The house is a lovely mid-century modern home on a corner lot that our client purchased not long ago. After studying the zoning setback requirements, they showed that the actual area able to build on was much smaller than our client thought …
Kitchen Is The New Center – Part 2
After World War II, Art & Arts magazine commissioned many major architects of the day to design and build homes. The popular/acclaimed “Case Study House Program” ran intermittently between 1945 to 1966 and “sought to respond to post-war building boom with prototype modern homes that could be both easily replicated and really affordable to the average American.” The program had …
Kitchen Is The New Center – Part 1
Over 90 percent of residential projects that come our way include the kitchen. The project can involve opening up the kitchen to living area, enlarging it to allow for a multi-function space, or even building an outdoor kitchen to create indoor-outdoor relationship. One survey notes that the average American family spends five times more hours at home in the kitchen …
Two-Grid House
Two-Grid HouseSuffolk, VAType/ Residential Time/ 2019-2020 Client/ Private Status/ Design SketchesMockups.Heather and Andres”GARC designed a significant remodel of our home. We loved their ability to mix modern and conventional features into the design. Yang and Suping are also extremely kind and helpful. Their work is top tier and we would strongly recommend their firm.”Related ProjectsView AllFlow Into NatureAlternative Mid-Century ModernTwo-Grid HouseSuffolk, VA …