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View of the main living space Rear of the house before renovation. Courtesy of Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
looking toward the garage.
Washingtonian Residential Design Award
Lyon Park House

Arlington, VA
Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Architect
Structural Engineers: D. Anthony Beale LLC
General Contractor: Arta Construction

In the Lyon Park neighborhood of Arlington, just west of
Arlington National Cemetery, Robert M. Gurney, FAIA,
renovated the exterior and interior of an existing colonial-style
house to create a compact, modern residence compatible with
the scale and rhythm of the other houses in the neighborhood.
Although the result is a complete transformation of the
residence, the project includes only three small additions
Renovated rear facade of the Lyon Park House.
totaling 250 square feet.
Photos © Anice Hoachlander/Studio HDP, except as noted “The existing second floor exterior walls and roof were
removed and rebuilt to provide spaces on the second floor with
high ceilings and light filled spaces.” Gurney said. “On the
main level, floor-to-ceiling windows allow expansive views to
the backyard, while large windows on the street side ensure
a connection to the neighborhood. The previously dark and
compartmentalized house is now open and flooded with light.”
The design’s strong exterior geometry of overlapping
rectangular volumes is softened by FSC-certified wood siding,
gray stucco, and charcoal fiber-cement panels. The large first-
floor windows create a suggestion that the house has been lifted
up on stilts to merge with the surrounding canopy of trees.
The house features an open-plan first floor, a second floor
with four bedrooms, and additional finished spaces (including
another bedroom) on a ground-floor level that opens onto the
back yard of the property’s sloping site. The interior design
features a combination of refined and natural materials,
including a stone-clad wall in the living room that acts as a
visual centerpiece for the first-floor arrangement.
The renovation, Gurney says, met the clients’ desire to
retain a “sense of home” while providing spaces that are open to
each other, additional bedrooms, and a better connection to the
landscaped site.
Living room. The project was previously featured in the Summer 2016
issue of ARCHITECTUREDC.

RENEWED FOR LIFE 61