Clear View in Foggy Bottom

Exterior South façade and street view of the rowhouse on I Street. Although the Historic Preservation Board provided limited avenues for design changes to the façade, the replacement of existing windows, exterior lighting, and the design of the front door were thoughtfully planned to foretell the design on the interior and at the rear facade. Rear view of the kitchen, facing the rear yard. View of the kitchen, facing North View of the Kitchen at the North end of the house. The objective of the kitchen area, along with the rest of the house, was to also maximize space as much as possible. Therefore, a linear kitchen design was achieved with aligning cabinet doors and open shelving, while the finishes contributed to its lightweight appearance. Interior, ground floor view of the Focus and ceremonial stair. The stair was intended to be a statement in the Focus and was uniquely designed with an offset, monostringer, as well as painted to echo with the exterior and interior finishes. Perspective View of the Stairs and Basement Living space, kitchen, and bedroom BEFORE Upward view of the glass floor Interior view of the second floor bedroom, facing hallway. The boundary between the hallway and bedroom was delineated by a moving element, the barn door, with frosted glass panels for light infiltration and privacy. The limiting width of the existing house also sparked new ideas to gain additional storage. Interior, second floor view at the Focus. The fundamental location that completes the objective of maximizing natural light is at the center of the house. The design provides skylights and a glass floor to distribute equal light from the second floor to the ground floor Interior, perspective view of the glass floor and skylight from the ground floor. Interior view at the Focus at the second floor facing North. Interior, aligned view to the skylight and glass floor. View of the office from Stair. Detail view of handrail and top rail extension. View of open riser stair against painted masonry wall. View of the basement floor at North side of house. The owners requested the lower level to be a place for reflection and study with access to the rear yard. Thus, the implementation of moveable storage shelves gave ample room for the owner’s large library. Detail view of the alignment of stair elements. Perspective, Exterior view with neighboring context. During the 1970’s, the existing façade, was rebuilt by WMATA Metro after its collapse that occurred during the construction of the Orange line that runs beneath the house. Due to the lack of record drawings, It was rebuilt by referencing old photographs. Existing front facade, 2015 Exterior North façade from the alleyway. The design approach to the rear façade unfolded with the goal to maximize the diffusion of light with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors. In addition, the composition and proportion of the façade elements were balanced through the use of warm-toned materials, such as masonry, horizontal metals, and wood. These elements also harmonize with the grain of the wood fence. Exterior rear view of the North Façade. The glass area of the windows and doors give an illumination to the interior from the exterior. This is considered a Lantern Effect. Existing rear facade, 2015 Existing Basement Plan Basement Plan Existing First Floor Plan First Floor Plan Existing Second Floor Plan Second Floor Plan North South Section Transverse Section Rear Elevation Front Elevation