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Living/dining area, with folding glass doors and Photo © Julia Heine
screened porch at right background.

Since moving into the house, the clients “have gone on
to become real stewards of the land,” said McInturff. They
have worked to mitigate erosion by restoring about 100 feet
of “living shoreline,” protecting the habitat for terrapins and
other wildlife. They converted about one-half of the open
landscape from high-maintenance lawn into natural meadow,
incorporating native plants, grasses, and wildflowers. They also
added solar panels to the roofs of the guest wing and garage,
reducing metered electricity usage by about 40% to 50%. There
are even times when the panels generate enough power to send
some back to the local public utility.
McInturff praised the clients for their vision and
sophistication. “These are people who are very accomplished,
very managerial—they knew what they wanted,” he said.
“The husband is also very techno-savvy. The house has every
high-tech system imaginable, and he can track everything from
his telephone.”
When asked about how this project fits in with his overall
body of work, McInturff replied, “I have a broad range of
interests, and so do our clients. The DC area has an unbelievably
diverse and educated client base. In the end, I don’t think our Screened porch, with window wall open. Photo © Julia Heine
buildings look like me—I think they look more like our clients.”

60 THE CONVERTIBLE HOUSE