HOUSE

The current house is a small 1930’s two story colonial in Upper North West , Washington, DC. The client wanted to expand the house into larger and more flexible living spaces. Working within the constraints of the narrow, yet deep lot allowed for the program to expand the house towards the rear yard. Essentially doubling the size of the exiting residence. Interior spaces connect in a very open and fluid floor plan. Large expanses of sliding glass on the rear elevation expand the inside to the gardens, while the side walls are more solid for privacy and provide ample interior wall space for the client’s art collection. Exterior walls are clad in standing seam metal and extend beyond the new rear glass wall creating a ‘shell’ structure enveloping the interior spaces. These extensions create space for a covered patio and balcony as well as providing passive solar shading. Slivers on the side walls are ‘peeled’ away from the shell to create apertures to allow daylight to penetrate deep into the core of the house. Decidedly, the addition was designed to remain visually separate from the original house, externally creating a split between the old and the new, while the interior spaces flow and connect seamlessly. Raw materials such as concrete floors, exposed structure and marine grade plywood millwork and cabinetry create a clean background for the more vibrant and dynamic artwork and furniture.