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The deck before renovation.

Courtesy of KUBE Architecture

DetailsDC
DetailsDC

Alley Armor

by G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA

The owners of a DC row house renovated by KUBE Architecture
years ago called the same firm when they wanted to redo the
outdoor deck over their detached garage, where they entertained
frequently. The existing deck was “literally falling apart,” said
Janet Bloomberg, AIA, and in the summer, it was as “hot as hell.”
The deck was also overlooked by a six-story apartment building
across the alley, which compromised privacy.
KUBE conceived the new deck enclosure as a form of light
“armor,” which creates a sense of privacy while still admitting
filtered light. “It’s perched on the garage structure almost the way
a helmet would be perched on a head,” said Bloomberg. With a
mix of materials including COR-TEN weathering steel, perforated
aluminum panels, and wood slats and decking, the new deck is
simultaneously rustic and sleekly modern.
The spacing of the holes in the aluminum panels on the sides
of the enclosure was carefully calibrated to block views inward from
neighboring buildings while allowing hints of views outward. The
wood slats at the rear of the enclosure are angled so that occupants
of the deck can glimpse the alley below. An elegant stainless steel
roof ensures that the deck enclosure itself is attractive when
viewed from above.
JZ Structural Engineering consulted on the project, and Metal
Specialties fabricated the steel. The general contractor was
Milloy Carpentry.
Views of the “Alley Armor” deck. All photos by Paul Burk © Paul Burk Photography
DETAILSDC 13