One of the oldest houses in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood, this 1860’s cottage sat in disrepair for years. Designed by San Francisco-based firm Feldman Architecture, the scope of the project entailed repair, expand and modernize the small, dark house while maintaining the rustic charm of the original building.

To accomplish this, the firm kept the facade and envelope of the existing structure and added a contemporary, but unobtrusive, addition: a narrow, ten-foot-wide wing that contains a garage, bedroom suite and studio office spaces on two levels. The roof and upper floor in the center of the house were cut away to create a central light core that washes a stone wall and illuminates the kitchen and living room. Large new windows create a connection with the backyard. Careful mixing of rough stone and wood with clean glass and metal breathes new life into the once-neglected structure.

Visit the website of Feldman Architecture here.

Photos: Paul Dyer and Joe Fletcher & Courtesy of Feldman Architecture