Mid-Mod Meadow Residence
Residential Renovation | 500 SqFt
Anamosa, IA
The Mid-Mod Meadow Residence is a quiet renovation and addition to a Mid-century Modern passive solar home in Anamosa, Iowa. This design solution transforms the previous home into a modern-day retreat within the glade of a heavily forested lot. Through a significant kitchen remodel, Trombe wall extension of expansive glazing, and aging-in-place living upgrades, the project blends a local, architectural designed landmark with a timeless, functional space that provides dignified living for the daily family life and weekends of hosting friends and extended family.
Before
The Opportunity
Form Function Studio was presented with a desire for extension of our friends’ previously, compact kitchen so that daily living and big weekend hosting of family and their friends could be supported without feeling cramped or inadequate. The architectural significance of the home was important to maintain and honor through keeping most of the original design intent. With the addition, our friends were keen on being able to live, with dignity and ease in life, as long as they could, as they started aging well in this home. The renovation also aimed to reclaim underutilized square footage and create a seamless connection between the original structure, the new addition, and the beauty of the site, the glade before the forested land surrounding 75% of their lot.
The Solution
The design solution celebrates and refines the elements of Mid-century modern architecture. Form Function Studio celebrates the dramatic gable roof of the original design with a quiet, low sloped, pavilion styled roof addition, encapsulating the Kitchen expansion into one, singular design move. This expansion tied the entryway sequence of the limestone accent into a central, key welcoming front porch that merges itself back into the landscape. The kitchen addition, quite literally, expanding into the landscape, further provides visual connection to the glade and forested acreage beyond. The original Trombe wall, a passive solar heating practice, was abandoned for a useable addition to the existing living room. Using high-performance windows and wall construction methods, ample amounts of natural daylight floods into the living room and adjacent dining and kitchen space without sacrificing sustainable practices.
The dilapidated cedar shake siding was replaced with a more contemporary, standing seam metal siding with a rich, dark bronze finish. Within the interiors, new honey oak wood floors provide a seamless transition through the main level of the home. The expanded kitchen serves as the central hosting piece for the family with the vaulted living room opening to the forest beyond.
The Impact
The renovation gave our friends a home that feels both familiar and renewed—one that honors their architectural values while meeting the practical needs of daily life. By expanding the kitchen, improving circulation, and modernizing materials, the space now supports large family gatherings, quiet moments, and aging in place with ease and dignity. For the homeowners, the transformation brought clarity, comfort, and connection—turning a beloved mid-century home into a lasting foundation for the next chapters of life.
The Team
Architect of Record: Form Function Studio
Interior Designer: Form Function Studio
General Contractor: Peyton Construction