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ArchDC Fall 2018.qxp_Fall 2018 8/27/18 8:52 AM Page 33

Photo © Gordon Beall The library now serves as a quiet workspace for Ampeer residents. Photo © Gordon Beall

We used a [polymer-based] consolidator to repair the where breakfast is served each weekday morning. The
weathered marble surfaces.” As a result of this gentle other levels of the original house contain 22 of the
restoration strategy, the building now seems tidy and complex’s total of 92 apartments.
solid while avoiding the stark appearance that can result The rest of the apartments are in the addition, a
from overly aggressive renovations—it wears its minor minimalist structure with a milky-white glass curtain
flaws with dignity. wall. It is separated from the main house by a smaller,
The mansion’s principal interior spaces were dark-glass “hyphen” that deliberately fades from view.
simultaneously restored and dramatically updated. Although it is somewhat taller than both the Patterson
Original moldings, floors, and other architectural features, House and the historic Boardman House—now the Iraqi
which were generally in good condition, were retained Chancery—immediately east of the site, the addition
wherever possible and repaired or infilled as necessary. manages to seem deferential to both. “We didn’t want to
Yet these spaces now feel utterly au courant thanks to a compete with the mansions on either side,” said Davidson.
striking mix of modern and traditional furniture, artworks, “We wanted to keep the addition white, to relate to the
and light fixtures. Patterson House, and simple, so it wouldn’t take on a
The foyer features a large, abstract painting that ‘third mansion’ character.”
reinforces the black-and-white color palette established Despite the addition’s unabashedly modern
on the exterior. From there, the grand staircase leads to a aesthetic, its design alludes to the original building in
spacious hall on the second floor that opens to all of the several subtle ways. The proportions of the windows,
main communal spaces. The former ballroom at the rear for instance, are similar to those on the main floor of the
of the house now includes a bar that hosts happy hours mansion, and they are grouped in sets of three, just as
for residents five nights a week. The space is also used they are on the P Street wing of the historic house. The
for lectures, meetings, and other events. Facing Dupont cleverest reference, though, is the incorporation of glass
Circle is the library, which is now a quiet workspace with panels that were photographically imprinted with marble-
sleek desks and appropriate electronic connection points. like patterns, which recall the mansion’s distinctive
On the other side of the hall is the dining room/kitchen, variegated marble panels. Meanwhile, a narrow band of

Left: The hall at the top of the main staircase. The entry to the library is
Photo © Gordon Beall visible in the left background, while the entry to the ballroom is to the right. AMPED UP 33