Transforming a Post-War Home into a Light-Filled Modern Residence

The Emerson Residence began with a question many homeowners face: Can we keep what we love and still make it work for the way we live today?

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Located in the Greenway Parks neighborhood of Dallas, this 1940s post-war home had good bones and a quiet charm. But it was also modest in size — a two-bedroom, one-bath layout that no longer met the needs of modern living. The owner wanted to preserve the original structure but transform it into a spacious, light-filled home that offered both character and comfort.

Rather than tearing the house down, we worked with the existing structure and footprint, using it as the foundation for a major transformation. 

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The result is a completely reimagined single-family residence that blends old and new, function and form, in a way that feels natural and deliberate.

 

Working Within Constraints, Building Toward Possibility

As architects, we often say that constraints are what shape the best design work. The Emerson Residence gave us plenty to work with: an existing structure with low ceilings and compartmentalized rooms, a compact lot in a traditional neighborhood, and a strong desire from the owner to preserve the home’s presence and landscape.

Instead of approaching the project as a teardown, we approached it like a puzzle — identifying what could be reused, what could be lifted or extended, and how light and space could be introduced into a tightly organized layout.

We kept the original one-story footprint but added a carefully integrated second story to expand the home vertically without overwhelming the street. From the exterior, the house still fits comfortably within the neighborhood’s scale — many of the original homes have been replaced by much larger new builds — but inside, the transformation is significant.

 

Adding Light by Sculpting the Roof and Section

One of the biggest design opportunities in this project came from removing the original roof and rethinking the volume of the spaces in the home. The original ceilings were flat and low — around eight feet — which limited how light and air could move through the interior.

By lifting the roof, we were able to reimagine the ceiling plane across nearly every space in the house. Some ceilings now slope upward to allow light to spill in from new light monitors, while others rise to double-height volumes that create a sense of connection to the second floor. 

The new central stairwell, brings sunlight into the core of the house and visually connects both levels. These sculptural ceiling forms aren’t just about making rooms feel bigger; they’re about enhancing how the space feels throughout the day as light shifts and moves.

 

Preserving Character While Elevating Function

From the start, the goal was not to erase the past, but to build on it. The original exterior stone remains a part of the design narrative. Many interior walls follow the logic of the original plan —  but have been modified and refined to allow for better connection, more natural light, and stronger relationships between spaces.

 

• The kitchen and dining area now open out to the backyard, creating a strong relationship between indoor and outdoor living.

• The bedroom and bath layouts were reconfigured to allow for more privacy and better use of square footage.

• Throughout the home, materials were selected for their durability and warmth, creating a modern interior that still feels grounded and livable.

 

Problem-Solving Through Design

This project reflects one of A-GRUPPO’s core strengths: designing within limitations to unlock potential. Renovations of this kind require more than just adding square footage. They require a careful study of what exists, what can be retained, and how to build something new that feels like it was always meant to be there.

In Emerson’s case, that meant looking closely at light, space, and circulation — and using those elements to guide decisions from structure to finish. The process involved exploration, patience, and a deep respect for the original house. But in the end, we delivered something that feels complete and contemporary, without losing its roots.

 

A Home Reimagined for Modern Living

Today, the Emerson Residence feels like a home designed new, from the ground up— but it carries with it the subtle presence of what came before. It lives larger, breathes better, and fills with natural light in a way that supports daily life.

For us, the success of this project lies in that transformation: taking a structure shaped by outdated standards and turning it into a place that supports how people live now. And in doing so, we created a home that blends modern design with neighborhood character — proving that preservation and progress don’t have to be at odds.