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The Lost Whiskey Project,
with hammock net visible at left.

Little Gems
Little Gems

Small Residential Projects

with Big Impact by Ronald O’Rourke

While small residential projects might seem to pose fewer design Washingtonian Award for Excellence
challenges than larger architectural undertakings, they actually for Small Projects
test an architect’s ability to employ a limited number of available
design moves so as to achieve a solution that that is both The Lost Whiskey Project
compelling on its own terms and mindful of its surrounding Delaplane, VA
architectural context. When done well, a small residential
GreenSpur
project, like a skillfully cut and polished gem, can create an
outsized impact. The jurors this year honored four such jewels.
MEP Engineers: Built Environment Engineers
General Contractor: GreenSpur

For a rural site in Delaplane, Virginia, the Falls Church-based
architectural firm GreenSpur designed a spare, single-room retreat
that is a quintessential expression of the phrase “a room with a
view.” The 10-foot-wide, 20-foot-long structure is located on a
rocky outcropping pointing toward a landscape of rolling hills.

74 LITTLE GEMS