Perched on the edge of the old Dunn-Spring Quarry, this 1936 North Berkeley home required a cliffside addition that honored its historic character while adding a larger kitchen, primary suite, and guest area.
April 2024
Berkeley, CA
Home Addition
$1,600,000
1 year
5 Year Craftsmanship Warranty
Elmwood countertops and shelving bring warmth, character, and a rich organic touch that enhances the home’s natural beauty.
Old-growth redwood siding was carefully sourced and treated to create an aged patina that honors the home’s historic character.
Hand-made kitchen and bath tiles were crafted to create a rich, timeworn aesthetic throughout the home.
Custom railings were created to mirror the home’s original 90-year-old designs, maintaining its authentic charm.
Vought Construction’s expertise in hillside builds ensured this home addition was structurally sound and aesthetically flawless.
Expanding a historic home while maintaining its architectural integrity and navigating the steep cliffside presented significant engineering and design challenges. The project required precise planning, foundation excavation, and a structural system capable of anchoring the addition securely into the hillside.
Collaborative planning between the homeowners, local architect, and structural engineers was essential to ensure the new addition blended seamlessly with the home’s original character. The house’s placement on a quarry cliff required extensive steel work to cantilever the structure safely over the edge and create the desired space. This unique site also demanded a builder with the expertise to work on such a steep, inaccessible location, where all construction had to be done entirely by hand due to the inability to bring in heavy machinery.
