Page 87 - ArchDC Spring_2017

ArchDC Spring 2017.qxp_Spring 2017 2/22/17 2:56 PM Page 85

Kitchen of the Court House, with rear porch beyond. Photo © Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Capturing Outdoor Space
in a Dense Setting

Not far away from the Healeys’ house, an even smaller wood-
frame row house also built in the mid-19th century was about to
get a makeover of its own. Encompassing only 1,300 square feet,
the modest house in desperate need of TLC was just what Mitchell
O’Brien was looking for when he purchased it in 2011. “I really
like Shaw with its blend of modern and industrial and also that a
renovation of an older home [in this area] would not be encum-
bered with historic preservation approvals,” he said. A native of
Australia, O’Brien wanted plenty of outdoor living space that only
a house with garden could give him.
Like the Healeys’ home, this house was set back further from
the street than all the other row houses on the block. According to
Matthew Compton, AIA, LEED AP, of Foundry Architects, “We
really wanted to complete the street wall and line up the front

Project: Court House,
Washington, DC
Architects: Foundry Architects
Landscape Architects: Green Room DC; Acclaim Home Services
Structural Engineers: Skarda and Associates
MEP Engineers: SAH Design Group
Steel “Screen” Fabricators: G. Krug & Son
General Contractor: Primos Contractors
ley Rear façade of the Court House. Photo © Stacy Zarin Goldberg

MAKING ROOM 85