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Three bears house

Gate Lodge Way, Hazelwood, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The 3 Bears House is the renovation of a c. 1890 wood frame workers house in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The owner’s had recently purchased it along with two adjacent vacant lots. The structure that we were introduced to had little immediate appeal on the interior or the exterior. Though there was something about its sitting and that is was the only remaining house on what was once a crowded street that was intriguing. We were asked to offer a recommendation as to whether a renovation should be attempted or for it to be demolished. As ugly as it was, there was nothing really wrong with the house and it seemed to be sound. Although unoccupied, it was never abandoned or allowed to deteriorate. The owner’s preference, if at all viable, was to keep the building. Our suggestion was that we clean-out the interior to uncover any potential problems before committing to a design and entering into a construction contract.

After a messy but exciting interior demolition phase we discovered a sturdily constructed balloon-frame house with well-proportioned and arranged original openings. The central chimney was removed freeing up a large space on each floor and the green shag-carpeted bathroom cantilevered off the back was stubbornly removed. Other than some rot where soil from the hillside in the rear was allowed to fall against the wood framing the place was in good shape.

The owner is a fine art printer and letterset designer and wanted to use the first floor as a studio with a kitchen/ living space above, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Outdoor living space and making use of the attic if possible seemed like a good idea. The house is oriented sideways on the site which having ownership of the lots adjacent meant that creating a deliberate entry from that side was an option. As was the expansion of the living spaces with a multi-level covered porch. Then there was the problem of the slumped hillside and lack of off street parking on a very narrow lane.

The initial site parti developed was very simple and held through to the final execution. An S-shaped retaining wall was introduced. What was a tight sideways entry into a steelworkers house was transformed to an elegant gravel forecourt with a pentastyle two-story portico. Likewise with the interior layout and exterior design. We had a client who wanted to work with what was there and we had a what was there that was pretty good.