Photography by Peter Vanderwarker

Chain Bridge Road, Washington, DC

This property became available when the former house on the site were lost to a fire. With a blank slate, the developer wanted to build a new speculative house that would rival the beauty and grandeur of the city’s great 1910s and 1920s mansions. It would stand as a testament to the local construction industry; that beauty, craftsmanship, quality, and a sense of timelessness are still valued and achievable in today’s real estate market. A full program was written by an experienced real estate agent, envisioning a house that could accommodate major DC fundraising events.

We took advantage of the site’s long street frontage with a five-part plan for the main house, and a lower one-story garage and service wing. Local mansions, in particular the work of John Russell Pope, were studied for their scale, proportions, and details. Palladio’s Doric Order was chosen as the proportioning system for the exterior details. Porticoes, blind arches, sills and terrace paving were all carved from Indiana Limestone.

The interior is bright and airy, and take advantage of the views afforded by the site’s high ground. Moulding profiles throughout the interior were custom designed to match the grand scale of the house itself.

One of the developer’s goals was to utilize as much of the one acre lot as possible. With this in mind we arranged the house, hardscape, pool house and other features to create a sense of an urban villa.

Photography by Maxwell MacKenzie

Blue Ridge Mountains, VA

Perched 2700 feet above sea level on the very top of a mountain and with sweeping 360 degree views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley below this mountain retreat is designed as the ultimate viewing machine.

Situated on a 1000 acres, The Mountain House is the tallest man made structure in the area and is accessed by a long winding private road that climbs its way up the mountain. A massive stone plinth extends out of the mountain forming a protective wall against wildlife such as bears, cougars and rattlesnakes while creating a plateau to which the first floor living spaces can extend onto.

The first floor is defined as a glassy pavilion reminiscent of Mies Van Der Rohes ‘Neue Nationalgalerie’ located in Berlin, the plan type allows 360 degree views and is designed with a minimal structural layout to maximize views. A water filled moat and pool extend around the stone plinths perimeter acting as an invisible ‘guard rail’ and further heightening the sensation of hovering above the valley floor. An exterior pea gravel courtyard located between the pavilion and guest bedroom shelters an outdoor dining and fire pit area from the prevailing wind.

Small cabin like bedrooms articulated with warm stained wood interiors are arrayed on the 2nd floor and take full advantage of the valley views below. A third floor with unbelievable views completes the stacked composition and houses an office and adjoining sitting room with roof top terrace.

This is the mountain house James Bond ordered.

 

York, ME

The site for this project is located in York Maine on a spectacular 3 acre ocean front property that has sweeping views of Cape Neddick beach, Pint Cove and the historic Nubble light house in the near distance.

The brief  was for a 3500 sf summer house to be designed on a one story plan with focus on three main site views; the Nubble Light house, various rock formations aligning Cape Neddick beach and a rocky peninsular stretching into Pint Cove. The plan is composed around a square entry courtyard the various spaces of the home being arrayed around the perimeter. This allowed unique and different views from each space within the house. Natural cedar wood and a large stone wall and fireplace make up the walls of the home, white metal columns and a flat roof are juxtaposed against the more vernacular wall materials. The effect is a modern home that feels both cozy, light filled and unique.

Jackson Hole, WY

We were asked to design a modern pavilion house for an avid young skier. The secluded site is located near the base of Grand Teton Mountains and looks out over Rock Springs Canyon. The pavilion is structured by heavy hewn timber beams that form a coffered interior ceiling canopy. The timber ceiling is supported by four large concrete pillars that help define the interior spaces, and a large wood burning fireplace anchors the living area.

A delicate, Swiss engineered, window and door system is juxtaposed against the masculine proportioned structure. The sophisticated specifications of the triple pane glass allow for a comfortable interior even in the coldest winter storm.

This is our take on a modern rustic cottage.

Undisclosed Location

We were asked to design a modern house on 14 Acres of land in Maryland as part of a competition. Our solution was to create a low slung horizontal structure that hugged the sites rolling topography, the interior spaces taking full advantage of the panoramic landscape views.

Simple wall architecture forms the auto-court, a stained wood gate frames a view of the landscape and acts as the symbolic front door. The plan is composed with a series of walls that slide past each other creating free flowing living spaces. A Pool and a water moat are carved out of a low plinth and eliminate the need for perimeter handrails. A simple and material palette is used throughout to give consistency to interior and exterior spaces.

We won the competition.

Georgetown, Washington, DC

This Queen Anne-Era Georgetown House, built ca. 1880, was once the home of Mr. and Mrs. Auchincloss, the parents of Jacqueline Kennedy. This house is understood to be one of Georgetown’s more significant and historically important homes.

The client, an established Washington Family who entertain large groups of people regularly have over many years compiled a treasured art collection. It was surprising to all involved the shabby and somewhat crude state that the house was in – the years had not been kind to this old lady. The interior felt thoughtless and confused; a general lack of flow on the first floor made the house seem unnecessarily cluttered and dreary.

With a few moves the plan was opened up allowing the various living spaces to flow and communicate. A goal of both client and architect was to better bring the generous garden spaces into the interior. To that end, large glass panels and a glassy breakfast room blur the lines between the outside and the now bright airy inside.

Color, details and furnishing were selected to compliment the art collection all with the intention of creating a tranquil timeless interior.

The garden was carefully re-imagined. Hedges, lawns, trees and paving work together to give a sense of layered space, or a series of outdoor rooms. A long lap pool was place to re-center the terrace on the newly designed breakfast room and kitchen, strengthening the inside/ outside relationship of the renovated house.

Photography by Gordon Beall