Helene and Regis McQuaide had just celebrated five years of living in their Mid-Century modern home, when it was nearly destroyed by a fire. They had just left for a neighborhood barbecue, and in their rush, left a candle burning on the screened-in porch. The batten board ceiling ignited in flames, which then shot up to the attic and quickly engulfed the rest of the house. Within minutes, the home, and almost all of the family’s possessions, were destroyed.
In the immediate aftermath, neighbors opened their doors to the McQuaide family, and offered three things they needed the most: food, clothing and a key to their homes. “We asked ourselves, ‘Why did this happen?’ and knew that we could either become victims or become empowered,” remembers Helene. “We loved our lot and our neighbors, so we chose to stay and rebuild.” They wouldn’t need to look past their own back yard to find the best man for the job. Regis is the owner of Master Remodelers Inc., which is a full service design and build company.
There was a process where the insurance company had to take inventory of the contents and literally count everything. With the couple starting from scratch, Regis pulled together a group of professionals to help him lay out plans. The team consisted of a structural engineer, a home auditor, a landscape designer, an interior designer and an architectural designer. Because of insurance specifications, they had to see the finished result before even beginning the process. “We had to put ourselves in the place we are today, while everything was torn apart,” explains Regis. “We also decided to incorporate special provisions for aging in place because we intended to stay in this house for the rest of our lives.”
The couple worked with Phyllis Gricus, of Landscape Design Studio, on the outside spaces. “The McQuaides brought me in at the start of their redesign,” explains Gricus. “They really considered the ‘whole building design,’ which meant that I could influence the integral relationship between the inside and the outside.” The team from Green Leaf Landscaping expertly implemented the sustainable practices built into the design, which made for a successful planting and an even more spectacular outdoor living space.
Resources:
Architect: Building Performance Architecture, Master Remodelers
Landscape design: Landscape Design Studio
Landscaping: Green Leaf Landscaping