Design Matters | Peterson Residence, Robert Gurney Architect

To reduce the massing as seen from the street, the majority of new space is added to the back of the house. Living spaces are relocated to the “garden” side of the property, away from the street.

This recent project demonstrates just what is possible when remodeling a house.

Located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, this project involves a complete renovation and substantial addition to a familiar, simply massed brick “colonial”. The original, gable shaped volume fronting the street is minimally altered in an effort to retain the scale and massing of neighboring houses. Tall windows are incorporated into the existing façade. A copper clad, vaulted volume is integrated into the composition with a new front porch and wide stairs, invoking the nostalgic porches found throughout the neighborhood. via ArchDaily

Today, too many houses are immediately discarded and demolished in favor of inflated, poorly detailed, badly massed structures that overwhelm their sites. This project demonstrates an attempt to provide the spatial requirements desired for a current lifestyle in a manner that retains much of the existing building fabric and a significant amount of the site to incorporate landscape and garden.

The light filled interiors are ordered and open, crisply detailed and minimal while retaining richness and warmth. Quarter-sawn white oak cabinetry and millwork, dark stained oak flooring, and mahogany screens are combined with travertine, black granite and limestone to comprise the majority of the material palette. Furnishings are selected to be harmonious with finishes and spatial composition.

Before Renovation