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rockybird

I want to rip out ceiling and change design of this addition

rockybird
5 years ago

I am adding a 900 sq foot addition to a midcentury modern home. I am trying to honor the lines of the existing home home. Because there is intense sun in my state, the addition faces South west, and there is a 17’ run of floor to ceiling windows in hallway, I added pockets for motorized blinds. We had to change the framing from the original plan to accommodate this, which meant adding support masonry columns and changing the design. I was not okay with the supports, as I wanted a long run of uninteruppted glass and block, but the architect seemed okay with it. I have since found out that we could have added a beam instead, but nobody’s told me this was an option!


I came home Thursday night to the drywall backing being in. I was very disappointed. On the plan it looks like the columns are 1’4” x 8 to 16”. They vary in size but are around 26x26”. There are 8” drywall returns at the windows!! Nowhere in my original house are there 8” returns. They are 4” maximum. To enter the hallway, you have to walk through two 26x26” columns, effectively creating another hallway. Not only that, but if you look at the house plan, the new hallway entrance is even more not in line with the entry hallway on the other side of the house. I hate it!


The architect, who worked with the original architect of the house thinks it’s fine. I begged and pleaded for options to change it. Why did he never tell me we could use a beam and alleviate it all of this? Why did no one discuss 8” drywall returns? I cannot see 8” returns on the plan. I asked the contractor if he could have turned the 2x4” to the side to take off 2” and he said yes.


The contractor said we could pull out the framing in the hallway and that side of the bedroom and redo it, so it’s consistent with the origI always plan. It would mean no recessed blinds. When I spoke with the shade store, the solar shades are not that large anyway, but mine will also be motorized. It would also mean the window in the bedroom will not match up with the hallway as we staggered it to match the new version. (Maybe someday I can replace it with a larger window). The cost will be significant to redo the framing.


What would you do? I want to tear it out.


Thank you.


As built plan:


Original plan:


Columns to enter hallway from house:



Looking toward bedroom. Architect suggests making staggered columns on left into one big massive column.





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