This 1960s house was originally designed and lived in by Arthur Keyes a founding principal in the Architecture firm of Keyes Condon Florance, a prominent Architecture firm operating in Washington DC in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

The 2nd floor of the house holds the living spaces, over the years this living floor had seen many alterations and additions, the plan had become a series of small rooms, and the openings to the views small making for a dark space. Our client purchased the property after a neighboring fire had damaged large parts of the house. The living area was reconfigured for a more modern lifestyle, offering open, flowing spaces – a perimeter glass wall that takes full advantage of the views.

The team embraced the original mid-century vibe of the house, preserving its charm while enhancing its functionality for todays use.

Photography by Sarah Pitterle Maldonado

 

 

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

West River, MD

The homeowners lead a busy Washington life, and sought a relaxed weekend retreat. As an avid sailor who grew up on a farm, he was drawn to this property along the West River, which feeds into the Chesapeake Bay.

The composition of windows and doors on the elevation fronting the farm presents the plan’s true spatial arrangement, while on the water side a long porch with symmetrically placed second floor windows breaks the plan’s dominance. These two elevations attempt to give the house both a formal side from the water approach and a more agrarian feel when viewed from the farm.

On the water side, doors open onto a shaded porch with a deep overhang, allowing breezes off the river to passively cool the main living areas. This, combined with a geothermal heating and cooling system, makes the house very energy efficient. In pleasant weather, a bank of doors folds away to open the interior to the porch and water view.

A pool and storage outbuilding flank the house. A guest dependency, a restored and refurbished existing structure, completes the site composition.

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.