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ArchDC Summer 2017.qxp_Summer 2017 5/24/17 10:48 AM Page 32

clashed with the basic character of the house and had them
removed. Zones within that space are now defined more subtly
with thoughtfully selected furniture pieces, including a television
on a 360-degree swivel mount that separates the study from the
main living area.
Downstairs, the former indoor pool area now accommodates
a family room and an office/guestroom with access to its own
semi-private patio off to one side of the house.
Rill credits one of the owners, an interior designer, for her
important role in the selection of furniture, lighting, and materials.
“She does not do it for a living,” he explained, “but she is very
talented. We acted as a sounding board for her ideas throughout
the process.”
The architects restored the house’s largely intact exterior while
adding a rear terrace with a new outdoor pool, thus enhancing the
connection between indoors and outdoors. Rill believes that that
connection is the essence of Franzen’s original concept. “The steel
columns are like the trunks of the trees that make up most of the
site,” Rill said, “but they also allow for a lot of glass, of course.
From inside the house you feel like you are really a part of the
landscape. If it’s a misty day, you feel like you’re out in the rain,
but without getting wet. It’s wonderful.”

Rear of the Gibson Island house with new terrace and outdoor pool. The living
and dining spaces on the main level are surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass.

32 CONFIDENTLY DEFERENTIAL