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ArchDC Summer 2017.qxp_Summer 2017 5/24/17 10:48 AM Page 45

Living area.

Project: Kensington House,
Kensington, MD
Architects: Balodemas Architects
Structural Engineers: 1200 Architectural Engineers
Landscape Designers: Gardening & Gentle Redesign
Contractor: Spectrum

“It was kind of like an apartment with a yard around
it.” That was how Lou Balodemas, AIA, described the
unassuming house in Kensington, Maryland, that his
firm, Balodemas Architects, was hired to renovate.
Measuring 1,860 square feet with no basement, the
house was by no means tiny, but it somehow looked
much smaller than it was. It was also decidedly short New entry foyer.
on curb appeal, with squat proportions, an awkward
mix of brick and white siding, and a front door uncere-
Balodemas and project manager Veena Shahsavarian
moniously shoved to one corner, framed by the crudest
worked to integrate into the renovation design.
suggestion of a porch. Meanwhile, the interior was
“Like on any job,” said Balodemas, “we started with
chopped up into a warren of little rooms.
the plan.” The lot is somewhat oddly shaped, narrowing
The clients were a young couple who had bought
from front to back, and zoning codes dictated minimum
the house when they decided to move out of the city
setbacks from property lines that limited the area available
with their young daughter. They managed to look past
for new construction. The solution was a wedge-shaped
its shortcomings and see potential in its relatively large
addition on the east side of the house (the right side as
lot, southerly exposure, and single-story layout. Their
viewed from the street), allowing for a more generous
goals for the renovation included enlarging the living
entry area, larger living room, and repositioned master
space, bringing in more natural light, and adding a
bedroom, which in turn made space for a half-bath and
“welcoming” front porch. They also had an affinity for
laundry closet at the center of the house.
mid-20th-century modernist furnishings, which
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