Palisades
Project Summary
A new finely crafted residence in the Palisades neighborhood of Washington, DC. was designed for a young, active family to replace their older home that could not be expanded or remodeled.
The existing home was carefully evaluated, and a combination of factors including floor level changes, poor foundation, and zoning non-conformity made remodeling impractical. However, the old house had a charming street presence, and creating a new house that enhanced that neighborly spirit was an essential part of the early planning.
Site
The street consists of a mix of smaller cottage style homes. The building site was very small at 4,186 SF and very steep with an elevation differential of more than 10 feet from the sidewalk to the rear of the house. The lot was also narrow tapering toward the rear, and lot size nonconformity required special confirmation of zoning code interpretation. There was also a 42” diameter Pin Oak “Heritage Tree” adjacent to the property line that required protection measures and approvals.
Program
The goal was to create a comfortable “not so big” family home with meaningful spaces, beautiful details inside and out, a modern edge, and a make a perfect fit in the neighborhood.
Requirements included new off-street parking, accessibility to three floors, outdoor living space, a functional professional home office, and everything else a family needs.
Solutions
A welcoming front porch with a friendly swing overlooking the street was a good place to start. Rooflines at the first level, and careful massing give the house an intimate scale. Careful design of exterior stairs and stone walls help soften the steep slope. Great care was taken to work the design around the Heritage Pin Oak and protect the tree during construction.
The interior is traditional in detail, but the main rooms open sequentially to one another through a series of cased openings with glass transoms in dark frames. An open central staircase connects the house vertically, and windows at each landing and a skylight at the top fill the house with light from top to bottom. The main living space, kitchen, and family dining space are integrated, and expand into the outdoor living space through large four panel sliding doors.
A light color palette with punches of color, modern lighting fixtures, attention to detail in every room, and a fun and unexpected selection of furnishings by the interior designer give the house a creative modern edge.
The second floor living space provides comfortable cozy bedrooms for the kids and guests. The Owners’ bedroom has treetop views, and the bath features frosted glass panel doors to share the light from skylight and windows but provide privacy in this smaller space.
The third floor office is a favorite space of the owners, and perhaps the house’s biggest surprise: sloping ceilings, light and airy, and with views across the Potomac.
A garage provides parking and keeps the trash and recycling bins off the street. An elevator provides accessibility to the three main floors. The entire house was designed for maximum energy efficiency, including a conditioned attic space and two high-efficiency HVAC zones. Stormwater runoff is carefully controlled through underground piping.
