The new family room nestles in

Sunset, Oct, 1988

Matching the pitch of an existing roof, a family room addition nestles comfortably into the back of this two-story house. The roof of the 10 1/2- by 22-foot addition follows one long sloping eave of the old house, then angles down to clear an upstairs window. The new room opens the rear of the house, brightens its interior, and improves patio and garden access.

Architect Kwan-Lam Wong of Albany, California, made the room seem an extension of the kitchen by centering a 5-footwide opening in the kitchen's rear wall; the existing interior space flows into the new room's breakfast area. Wong raised the ceiling in three planes to a 14-foot peak that focuses on an interior lookout in the inside wall. The lookout is part of a childsize play space converted from a low-ceilinged attic. The wall also has a door to a guest room, and a high interior window that brightens a bathroom while assuring privacy.