
EUSTIS STREET CONDO

WHAT
Renovation & Addition
WHERE
Cambridge, MA
WHEN
September 2018
5-7 Eustis Street is a two family home in the Agassiz neighborhood of Cambridge, MA. Our clients - a married couple with three growing children - own the condo which occupies the top two floors.
The existing kitchen and living spaces on the second floor were uncomfortable for hosting and lacked adequate storage space. Because of the steeply pitched gable roof, many of the rooms on the third floor were cramped and awkward. While the home had worked well enough for the family while the children were young, it was becoming non-functional as they grew.
Zaidi Christo Design was hired to design a complete interior renovation and add two new dormers at the third floor to capture additional living space. The design goal of the project was to increase the functionality of the home in a way that would allow the clients to remain there as their children grow older.
Existing Conditions


Makeshift storage at the unit entry prior to renovation


Third floor bedroom and bathroom prior to renovation

Kitchen prior to renovation


Second and third floor corridors prior to renovation

After surveying the existing conditions and coming up with a number of options, we worked with the clients to settle on a final design direction.
At the second floor, we reoriented the bathroom in order to open up the entry hall and create a mud area with coat and shoe storage. Custom millwork lining the entry hall wraps around a corner into the new open kitchen.
At the third floor, we added two new dormers which open up the floor and allowed us to create a full size bathroom, along with a new master bedroom with a walk-in closet at the back of the house. By replacing an existing chimney with a new vent running from the second floor to the roof, we were able to create additional square footage at both the second and third floors.
Design Phase


2nd floor plans, before & after


3rd floor plans, before & after


Custom millwork at entry hall and kitchen








Kitchen/Bathroom Material Studies


3D structural drawings helped clarify design intent during construction

During demolition and construction, Zaidi Christo Design was on site regularly working with the clients and contractor to address unforeseen conditions, design changes, and to monitor construction progress.