Rendering by Mike Killeen
5021 Donovan in St. Louis
Building a home with a modern interior encased in a classic exterior that blends in with Francis Park’s historic homes was a challenge for Killeen Studio Architects. But with the help of open-minded clients and craftspeople who supplied spot-on replica windows, the once-vacant lot will soon be the site of a brand-new family home that looks as though it’s been there since the 1930s.
“The owners are a delight to work for,” says Michael Killeen, co-founder of the firm. “They didn’t come to us with a preconceived plan. They had a lot with a beautiful view, and they had a building program. They left the rest up to us.”
By the Numbers
• 80+ Age, in years, of existing trees on the lot, many of which were preserved during construction
• 2000 Year in which Michael and his wife, Anne, founded Killeen Studio Architects
• 6 Months to complete construction, excluding the design phase
• 12 Length, in feet, of the slide extending from the kids’ rooms to the basement
• 38 Number of replica steel windows used in construction
• 3,200 Area, in square feet, of this home
• 75x130 Size of the lot, in feet
• $450,000–$650,000 Average price of a Killeen residential construction project
