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Rear porch of the Court House. Photo © Stacy Zarin Goldberg

façade with those of the adjoining houses.” Compton found a
way to turn the quirky setback to his client’s advantage by creating
an entry court that functions as an extension of the interior living
space. Used for outdoor dining, the entry court is protected from
street traffic by a luxuriant hedge while another cascade of
greenery tumbles from the neighbor’s adjacent wall. The façade
design features sinewy steel ribbons that control sunlight, ensure
privacy, and align with the adjoining building fronts.
For homeowner O’Brien, the protected courtyard space
gives him just the right level of “perceived” outdoor privacy.
“I can hear street sounds and know that I am in a city without
living in a bubble.”
To assess the fluidity and whimsy of this inventive brise
soleil, or sunscreen, Foundry Architects built several models
before taking the final one to a Baltimore workshop to ensure
that each steel ribbon was torqued precisely. The installation was
equally meticulous, with the Foundry design team directing the
placement of the individual steel elements to protect the façade
of the house from high-angle summer sun while still admitting
low-angle winter light.
On the interior, the original transverse stair effectively
divided the living space in half. The architects relocated the stair
to the side so that the entry court opens to the living area and
flows into the dining space and kitchen and beyond, giving the
client his desired open floor plan. At the back of the house,

86 MAKING ROOM Front dining court, which gives the Photo © Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Court House its name.