Westwood Renovation

Full Service Architecture · Residential Interior & Renovation · Completed

Westwood Renovation & Basement Fit-Out

Two-phase engagement spanning interior architecture and construction coordination, followed by a full basement design — all on a home with existing MEP coordination challenges.

Location

Westwood, MA

Type

Interior & Renovation

Status

Completed

Key Constraints

Existing MEP constraints, two-phase engagement, prior construction without design oversight

The story

This project came in two chapters. The homeowners initially hired us for interior architecture — drawings, selections, and design coordination for a renovation being managed by an out-of-state architect. With no local design professional actively overseeing construction, I became an informal sounding board as questions came up on site, helping the clients navigate decisions confidently as work progressed.

About a year later they came back. This time to design and build out their unfinished basement — and this time as the architect of record. By then I knew the house well. I also knew what the previous trades had left behind: structural and MEP conditions where layout decisions had been made without a design professional involved — well intentioned, but roughed in without knowing the full picture of what the clients wanted from the space, leaving coordination challenges to work through in order to achieve their goals.

I mapped the existing conditions carefully, worked around the constraints, and designed a basement that finally made the most of the space — cohesive with the rest of the home and built to last.

The result

Two engagements, one house. By the second time, I knew exactly what I was working with.

A house with blue siding, a porch with white railings, and several windows, set on a slightly elevated area with stone retaining walls and stairs leading up to the house. There are bare trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
Open-concept kitchen and dining area with white cabinets, stainless steel refrigerator, island with bar stools, and a dining table with chairs. Large windows provide natural light. A brick fireplace is visible near the dining area.
Open-concept living and dining area with white walls, large windows, hardwood floors, a white brick fireplace, a wooden dining table with chairs, a kitchen with a white island, black pendant lights, and a woman preparing food.
Modern kitchen with white cabinets, a marble island, stainless steel refrigerator, pendant lights, and barstools.
Interior of a living room and dining area with large windows, a white brick fireplace, wooden dining table with four chairs, plants, and a high ceiling with beams and ceiling fans.
Interior of a cozy home with a white couch, a pillow that says 'home', a rustic coffee table with a basket, a kitchen with white cabinets and a breakfast bar, black pendant lights, a stainless steel refrigerator, and a dining area with a wooden table
Modern kitchen with white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a dining area with wooden table and chairs near three windows.
Living room with a white sectional sofa, a wooden coffee table with a basket, large windows, and a view of the kitchen and dining area.
Interior of a house under construction or renovation, showing exposed wooden framing, construction materials, and partially finished walls and ceilings.

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Complex sites, difficult permits, projects that require more than a standard approach — that's exactly where I work best.

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